This is crazy! I haven’t really seen much media coverage of it…
but Mexico has essentially decriminalized the possession of small quantities of drugs.
Marijuana, cocaine, LSD, and heroin will be tolerated for personal and limited use. That means possession of up to four joints, a half a gram of cocaine, or 50 milligrams of heroin will no longer be a criminal offense.
Possession of weight, sales, and public consumption are still strictly forbidden.
The force behind the new laws mark an attempt by Mexican officials to free up resources and jail space in attempt to “go after bigger criminals.”
The new laws will obviously fuel legalization efforts north of the Mexican border, as Mexico joins only Portugal in its wide and liberal decriminalization policy.
Check out the full article on the Christian Science Monitor’s blog.
I went to see Incubus last night at the Woodlands Pavilion in Houston. And they were just as good, if not better, than always.
The set-list was a great mix of old and new, and I really enjoyed it. I guess working on the greatest hits Monuments and Melodies had the guys thinking about the good old days, because it seemed like they played one Morning View or Make Yourself song after another. The crowd was great, and it was an overall amazing time.
My favorites were the acoustic mini-set in the middle with Drive, Make Yourself and Dig. I also really enjoyed Oil and Water… They had these really great yellowish-orange lights that played off the smoke in the crowd really well. It seemed to match the feeling of the song especially well. Other favorites were Wish You Were Here, Megalomaniac, Stellar and Are You In.
Check out these vids I found on youtube. Good job christy71283!
Or this great vid of Circles from the pit.
And my favorite Drive. The crowd was cheering so loud Brandon had to step back and take it all in!
Check out the newest issue of Kush LA hitting your favorite collective, Whole Foods market or 7/11 today.
The magazine has been blowing up since this —
I have an article in it about my infatuation with funk music, and my new funk favorite Orgone. Give them a listen. I interviewed guitarist Sergio Rios, and he was a real cool guy. Hopefully I’ll get around to posting the interview up here eventually.
Check it out if you live in the L.A. area. The Kush Web site dailybuds.com is currently down.. but is supposed to launch on the 1st with a completely new site. I’ll post a link when it happens.
Phish is playing a three-day Phish festival at an undisclosed location Halloween weekend. On their Web site, they are blacking out states. The last remaining state will be the location of the concert. Check it out!
Check out my article about Stoopid in the June issue of KUSH LA. The guys are about to hit the road on the Blazed and Confused Tour for a three month stoner road trip with friends Snoop Dogg and Stephen Marley. That’s just Stoopid!
When I heard Kiss was playing the coveted Holloween night show of the VooDoo Music Experience, I couldn’t help but be disappointed. I mean Kiss is great, every one will get dressed up in ridiculous costumes, and it really fits well with the theme of the festival… but what about the music?
But VooDoo saved removed itself from my shitlist today by announcing everyone’s favorite jam band from Athens as the headliner for the off-night… Friday the 3oth I guess?
Voodoo Fest takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 this year in City Park.
The choice of Widespread Panic wasn’t random, but rather evolved from the two traditions of VooDoo Fest and a series of special Halloween concerts played by the band in the city from 1997-2002 and again in 2008.
“We have discussed the idea of bringing these two…traditions together for years,” Stephen Rehage, Voodoo Experience’s founder and producer, said in a statement. “It only took us 11 years to get it done…It’s special for us to be working with them.”
This year’s Voodoo Experience will feature more than 160 acts playing on eight stages in three performance areas. The full line-up is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2008 edition of the festival included performances by R.E.M. Nine Inch Nails, Panic at the Disco, Lil Wayne, Stone Temple Pilots, TV on the Radio and many more.
The tour spans 20 cities in less than a month, a true summer road trip for the performers and a real treat for fans across the country.
I caught up with three of the members of San Diego based reggae-rockers Slightly Stoopid to talk music, life on the road, and of course the ganja. Drummer Ryan “RyMo” Moran, saxophonist DeLa and trumpeter and keyboardist C-Money may be Slightly Stoopid, but they still have plenty of words of wisdom.
Here’s what they had to say:
*Be sure to check out my article about S.S. in the June issue of Kush LA, dropping tomorrow at 7-11 stores throughout the Los Angeles area.
Me: I have a lot of respect for bands that put on intense shows, and have dedicated fans. The Stoopidheads definitely are crazy, and you guys have made a name for yourself through touring. For anyone who has listened to your albums but hasn’t seen you live, what are they missing out on?
C-Money: A lot. The live shows are the essence of what we do. It’s also vice versa because magical things can happen in the studio that can’t happen live. It’s a two way street, so if you haven’t heard the band live, you need to come to a show. If you haven’t heard an album, check a record. It’s a good way of seeing all sides of any bands.
DeLa: Relentless touring is what this band is all about. That’s what we do.
RyMo: We pride ourselves on our shows. We’ve always been a touring band. We want anyone who hasn’t seen us to come out and experience what the energy is like. A live show is meant to be a little different. We aren’t trying to play the CD. There’s more energy. When you do it live, you only have that one chance. You get that vibe where the band is taking chances and the crowd reflects on that. We reflect what the crowd gives to us and give it back. The energy transfer is really where it’s at.
Me: For every stoner, Snoop Dogg and the Marleys are legends. You guys are touring with Snoop and Stephen Marley, what do you think about that?
RyMo: We toured with Stephen, Damien, Julian and Ky-Mani Marley about five years ago, so we’re looking forward to reconnecting with those guys. I just like being in a different place every day, so I’m really looking forward to the whole tour. We’re going to be covering some serious ground in a short amount of time.
C-Money: For me, Snoop is a hero and one of the reasons why I play music. I used to get sent home from school for wearing Snoop Dogg T-shirts. My dad threw my Snoop Dogg tape out the window because he put it in the car stereo when the whole family was sitting there. It was like ‘bitches ain’t shit but hoes…” and he just rolled down the window and threw out.
RyMo: Snoop is just like you’d imagine. What you see on TV is an accurate representation of what he is. He is real in his music and on TV. He’s lived a gangsta lifestyle and he can sing about it. For us, we live that smoke, surf, skate, beach lifestyle everyday. So when we sing about it, it seems like it holds more weight.
DeLa: Snoop is an icon in hip hop music. I’m really looking forward to collaborating with him on a musical level, especially to see how he sounds with our band. He’s all about collaborations and the live show.
C-Money: I’m so excited or maybe even nervous. It’s weird. I’m about to work with one of my idols. Snoop has done it all, there and back and there and back again. Through his commercial success he’s always kept it very real. Now he’s just trying to be like a godfather and pass the knowledge down to the young people. It’s an honor, straight up.
And I’m still not really sure what I think about it.
It tires, probably more so than any other, to blend a variety of styles, from hip-hop to reggae to nu-metal. It succeeds in emulating these styles, but it still seems a little flat. I couldn’t help but think that Nick’s vocals just weren’t what they needed to be… but that’s never stopped this band before, right?
The lyrical content, also seems pretty weak, with the first single “Hey You” reminiscent of everyone’s least favorite 311 album, Don’t Tread on Me. I mean, what kind of chorus is “hey you?” I guess it could be worse, but it could be a lot better.
But don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad. “I Like the Way” seamlessly merges a funky rhythm section with an electro-blast rap chorus and sounds pretty freaking cool. Also, the sexy ska groove going on within “My Heart Sings” makes me smile every time I hear it. I think it’s my favorite. If you like “Champagne,” it’s in the same vibe. Really chill and groovy.
“India Ink”, most likely the band’s next single, is memorable, and reminds me of some of their earlier work on From Chaos.
In all, I think the album will grow on me, but it’s really just not the resurgance I was hoping for following the dismal Don’t Tread on Me. It’s no Transistor, but at least it’s something worth listening to.
So, check it out. If you’re a 311 fan, it will be a little disheartening, but atleast its better than 99% of the other albums that will come out this year.
