paul allen's pet project becomes an ego boost for several writers

So it's that time when the EMP starts accepting submissions for their springtime Pop Conference. I've never even attempted to submit anything because I never thought I had anything worthwhile to say. This year, I feel a little bit different. I have a lot more BS to call and what better way than in front of almost every writer that I've looked up to in one way or another for the past 10 years.

That is, if I get in.

I have some pretty strong candidates for what my topic of choice will be, but here are some of my rejected ideas (some of which I've covered here on the Coolness):

"Why Gym Class Heroes is the Worst Thing to Happen to Hip-Hop"

"Christian Rap Vs. Regular Rap: Aren't They Basically the Same?"

"Fall Out Boy: A Band That Is Literally a Marketing Tool"

"Is Chuck Klosterman Really Necessary?"

and finally...

"Why Pitchfork Is the Stupidest Website Since Chasing Coolness"

w...t...f...?

So the Scissor Sisters' new album "Ta-Dah" has been released by Motown. There is something very wrong with this union.

thoughts on "heroes"

Freakin' awesome, dude bros.

Superhero and comic-related properties on television seldom translate well unless they're animated. Remember such disasterous events like "The Flash," "The Tick" and "Time Trax?" Yeah, doesn't really work unless you're a complete dorkus malorkus with a suspention of belief. So with that kind of history, I didn't expect anything of "Heroes," especially given all the internet hype that the show has had. If "Snakes On a Plane" has taught us anything, it's that web hype usually means that it sucks. Hella.

For as slow as it was, "Heroes" is probably one of the best non-sitcoms I've seen in a while. It's building it's mythology slowly, and doesn't back a lot of action in the pilot so as to avoid playing like a Renny Harlin flick. The other thing I liked about this show is that it didn't co-opt any existing characters from the comic universe; the show's creators are in the process of shaping its own universe.

If you haven't seen "Heroes" yet, I strongly urge you to check out the encore presentation tonight. If you don't, then too bad for you.

is "fuck tha police" justifiable?

So a few weeks ago, Seattle DJ, DV-One caught a beatdown from local police for simply picking up his daughter. Here's a shortened report of what happened:

"On July 15, 2006 at around 7:30pm I went to memorial stadium to pick up my daughter (Andrea Christian) from her high schools football game at memorial stadium....

As I went over to the scene I noticed Andrea being held by the police in an arm lock and being shoved repeatedly against a parked car by a police officer, while another officer stood guard. I approached the scene and was immediately stopped by the female police officer who said I couldn't go over there with her hands outstretched blocking. I identified myself as the parent of the child being detained and the officer said 'so what!'....

The female officer then reached for her flashlight and pulled it out. I put my hands up, and backed off saying whoa, whoa, and she responded with 'oh so you're gonna hit me?' and immediately radio'd the all call 'officer assaulted' after sending the radio to other officers she proceeded forward rushing in toward me swinging, the officer detaining my daughter pulled out his firearm as more officers swarmed in. I turned my back avoid being shot, hit, or grabbed. I was then slammed to the ground by two officers, handcuffed, kicked in the head (approx 20x), body and limbs repeatedly, berated and tazed at least twice, while already subdued on the ground.

The kicking and stomping of my head and body continued while I was being handcuffed, ridiculed, and humiliated in front of my daughter and many onlookers. Another officer grabbed my hand while I was cuffed pushing my wrist down and shoving my arms upward in some type of judo move, while telling me he would break my arm for hitting his female officer. I was thenleft on the ground while being searched and stood over by several police. When I was brought to my feet my shoulder felt dislocated, my face was bloody, my eyes and head extremely swollen, and body bruised from the police beating.

The officers then asked me how I liked being tazed and if it 'felt good'. They then told me 'this is going to be another felony on your record' and 'you're going to prison now boy.' After that I was rushed to a nearby police car. I was sat down to watch the officer who originally detained my 14 year old daughter proceed to grab, slam, scream and continue to berate her, blame her for what happened to her father." (you can read the whole report here)

Obviously there are two sides to every story. The Stranger was able to obtain the arresting officer's report.

Here's the thing, though, the Seattle Police Department has a long and notorious history for brutal and unwarranted arrests, so sadly, it wouldn't surprise me if DV's account was an accurate portrayal of what went down. The ironic part in all this is that for as long as I've known DV, he has often urged kids to stay away from the perils of violence, taught DJ and b-boy workshops, amongst other community-based projects. Surely, he's doing more to keep neighborhood kids safe than what the police have done in the past.

album o' the day

Death Cab for Cutie
"You Can Play These Songs With Chords"
(Barsuk)

People tend to forget that before they were name-dropped on "The O.C.," Death Cab for Cutie had their collective feet planted firmly in D.I.Y. ground. The start of all that was a little cassette released on Elsinor Records titled "You Can Play These Songs With Chords," which featured many of the songs that would later appear on "Something About Airplanes." One of the cut tracks, "That's Incentive," is a fiery pop-punk jangle that smells of Jawbreaker. Although I've seen Death Cab play over 20 times between 1999 and 2003, I have only seen this song performed once. Anyway, before "Transatlanticism" was released, Barsuk rereleased Death Cab's tape debut on compact disc, with a bunch of old seven inch singles tacked on at the end (though "Underwater" is missing; what's the deal?).

I can't say that this is my favorite Death Cab album, as it is a compilation, but there's something about it (no pun) that makes it feel like home.

it's pronounced "say-oh-shit"

Saosin
"Saosin"
(Capitol)

For all the hype surrounding this band, the best part of the release was the DVD. Other than that, you have 12 songs that have lots of guitar noodling and emotional singing. Yawn.

the rundown with tyra

Last night, the CW premiered the new season of "America's Next Top Model." Generally, I tend to at least halfway enjoy this show, if only for the complete embarrassing trainwreck it tends to be. But this season, all I could think was that I couldn't think, and isn't that slightly dangerous?

Not that most men who watch "America's Next Top Model" are thinking of much anyway.

What particuarly bothered me was this contestant named Evita who basically abandoned her two kids to follow her "dream" -- the dream of getting kicked off of a national television show! Ha! Anyway, another bothersome part of her involvement on the show was the fact that her husband was in Iraq. So who was watching the kids? It's not like she was in the same situation as Sara Stokes in "Making the Band 2" and she had her man give up a couple shifts at Hardee's to let she could get her pop star on. As messed up as it is, at least Stokes had somebody watching her kids. Damn.

Unlike last season, I have no real favorites to win this competition and it's starting to feel like "The Real World" in which the producers are filling in stereotypes and whatnot. But I'll give the show at least another three weeks before I start trying to watch something else on Wednesday nights.

so i says to labels: put more DVDs with your releases!

Saosin's new album just hit my desk this morning and though I was never too big on the band, even when Anthony Green was in it, I decided to watch the bonus DVD that was coupled with the release.

As I watched the "Making of" portion, I found that I was being taken by the band, though I'd hardly call myself a fan. At the end, I was tempted to listen to the whole album, but Pigeon John's new album won me over instead. Still, this made me think, "If more bands and labels kept including DVDs with their releases, would this equate to higher record sales?"

Think about it: most people who download music don't give a shit about artwork or layout, unlike a nerd such as myself, so why not spend an extra $2 and tack on a homemade DVD? It's easy. That way, someone is still buying physical product and getting a little something extra. For a bonus DVD, Saosin's actually put together really well. Not like the bonus DVD that came with Silverstein's first album...what a stinker. Anyway, that's my thought on the subject. I'm gonna go eat a burrito.

worst album ever?

Paris Hilton
"Paris"
(Warner Bros.)

I can't really articulate how terrible this record is.

Even though Scott Storch produced a bunch of tracks on this steaming pile, they're really more like throwaway beats, songs that he came up with in between the three minutes of pleasure he had with Paris Hilton. Additionally, this chick doesn't really sing as much as she talks in a "sexy" voice not unlike a cheap phone sex operator, and the songs that she does try to "sing" on, her vocals have gone through so many filters, auto-tuned to hell and triple-tracked so much that she sounds like one of those nameless Disney Channel singers (Cheetah Girls, anyone?).

I guess I can articulate how terrible this record is. To add insult to injury, however, "Paris" is far worse than this:

OMG!!! NEW BLOOD BROTHAZZZ!!! OMG!!!!

The Blood Brothers
"Young Machetes"
(V2/Warner Bros.)

The Blood Brothers are, in my opinion, responsible for one of the best hardcore albums in the last 10 years, "Burn Piano Island, Burn." It's as eclectic and experimental as possible, all the while staying within boundaries of aggressive punk rock. With the intentions to distance themselves from hardcore and all its machismo, the band got a little mellow with 2004's "Crimes," which took more cues from Michael Jackson than Drive Like Jehu.

The Blood Brothers' new album "Young Machetes" plays like a better follow up to "Piano Island" than "Crimes," it's still highly ambitious, highly aggressive and just a really fucking great record.

The record starts off with "Set Fire To the Face On Fire" a Locust-esque jam that finds Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie repeating "Fire" in addition to their hard-to-tell lyrics. From this point, the gloves are off. On "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds," the band chastizes radio, but not before getting in touch with their inner Billy Joel.

Like all of their previous releases, it's somewhat difficult to listen to "Young Machetes" in one sitting as 15 tracks of just really fast sqawking can get really old really fast. But I think this album is putting the band in the right direction, away from the thin, emaiciated arms of kids with awkwardly cropped haircuts and into arms of people who like good music.

universal says "fuck you" to the internet

I'm a little late with this, but last week Universal Music Group went after Youtube and Myspace on the claim that they are "copyright infringers."

Yeah, right.

It's not like the Universal Music Group doesn't have billions of dollars backing them so as to sue some kid who wants to use a Dashboard Confessional song for their homemade skate clip, or what have you, but I think it's funny, if not slightly ironic, that a company that has financial ties to Seagrams (as in the liquor company) would try to stand on moral ground for their artists' rights. Or rather their paychecks.

I'm not sure if Universal understands how sites like Myspace work, wherein the artists (or someone involved with them) creates the page and allows them to upload their own music, images, videos, etc. I'm pretty sure that if New Found Glory felt that their rights were being violated, they would've put an end to their Myspace page. Instead, they've used it to promote their new single and video. You know, like what Myspace is supposed be used for.

While I understand that Universal wants to somehow be properly compensated for all the money that they're losing for people streaming videos on Youtube, what with all the money that Youtube makes...Waitaminute...Youtube and Myspace don't charge for their services.... And Universal wants to charge people to watch their crappy videos on the internet? I guess Universal is trying to gain a little bit more capital before they buy another alcohol manufacturer.

gridiron piece of crap

This week, Duane "The Rock" Johnson's new movie, "Gridiron Gang," opens up nationwide. Let me throw the premise (read: full story) your way:

A do-gooder/hardass, The Rock is a coach for a bunch of wayward boys who get their shit together to play for a juvi football team of some sort. The Rock thinks it would be a good idea for them to play against local high school football teams. Nobody except The Rock and his cronie/DL partner Xzibit, thinks that this is a good idea because it's hoodlums vs. kids-who-do-dumb-shit-but-never-get-caught. The wayward youth is a mixed bag of ethnicities, so I'm certain that there are some stereotypes, mild racism, class issues, etc. thrown into the mix. Anyway, The Rock's kids play some important games, win the championship and prove without a shadow of a doubt that it ain't about where you're from, it's where you're at. End movie. Oh, by the way, there may have been some spoilers.

Usually, I'd be all about people going out to see The Rock's movies. "The Rundown?" Man, I was at there opening night! It's not often you get to see Samoans with their own movie, and The Rock is certainly the most visible Samoan celebrity. Well, him and The Jets. But the thing is that there has already been a movie with this premise, except that it was a college football team, not high school, and it was called "Necessary Roughness." Granted, that was more of a rip-off of "Major League" but still, it's pretty much the same damn movie; except that Sinbad (the comedian, not the pirate) was in the movie and if you're not down with Sinbad, you're not allowed to be my friend. So save yourself $10 and stay home this weekend. Instead you can prepare for the week of awesome premieres on TV:

"The Class"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Smith"
"CSI"
"Law and Order: SVU"
"Heroes"

lady sovereign sucks

[lady sovereign training for her post-rap career. i wouldn't buy an ice cream from this oh knats]

Do you want to know the real reason why Jay-Z is putting out a new album? It's not because he misses rapping and it's certainly not for his clean-water-in-Africa charity (though I'd like to point out that the AIDS crisis is probably a bit more serious than water). It's because under his watch, he allowed Def Jam to sign and release a ton of shitty artists, yet none of whom are worse than Lady Sovereign.

In case you haven't heard, Lady Sovereign is the latest of UK Grime Rap idiots to sign to a major label. She sounds like if Mike Skinner of the Streets was an even bigger girl than he already is. Anyway, she sucks. If you don't believe me, check out her myspace. It's chock full of her bullshit.

I suppose I dislike Sovereign for the same reason I didn't really care for M.I.A. It's poor rapping over shitty beats and an excuse for hipsters who are afraid of black people to like "rap" music. Only the only thing this broad has in common with Foxy Brown is that they're signed to same label. And truthfully, I probably wouldn't hate this broad so much if the guy sitting two stations behind me didn't listen to her shitty "Vertically Challenged EP" all the time, in addition to turning his computer into the Lady Sovereign shrine. Ugh.

I suspect that in a few years she will turn into Vanilla Ice -- not because she's white, but because she has all these people riding her jock right now and further down the road these same people will deny that they ever bought her shitty records. Do you want to know why? Because they will realize that she blows.

Here's a list of better female rappers worth checking out:

MC Lyte
Boss
Queen Latifah (Circa 1988-1992)
Jane Doe
Rah Digga

Suga T

viva vera? how about viva be a better venue?

Like Communism, Seattle's all-ages venue, the Vera Project, is a good idea in theory and on paper, yet it's actual existance is nothing but a bloody mess.

Recently, The Stranger's all-ages columnist, Megan Seling, wrote about the Vera's new venue, which moves it from the crack-addled streets of Belltown to the tourist-friendly Seattle Center and while I'm game for any new music venue in Seattle, I'm not particularly stoked on going to Vera Project shows, especially since I've avoided (read: lazily boycotting) shows there for a few years now.

You see, the Vera does all this cool stuff like have music workshops and clinics on promoting your band, making shirts, and other things that keeps kids away from putting their stupid fliers on my car, but with that, the Vera is also notorious for their exclusivity. I have found, through personal experience, that whenever you try to book your band to play at the Vera, you're most likely going to get denied unless, that is, you're friends with someone who is involved or that you are a volunteer there yourself. And for that, I call bullshit.

It's ironic, if not a little sad, that the Vera is based on the ideal of community, yet if a ragtag band of kids who happen to be "outsiders" from their little hipster scene want to play their venue, they are given the gas face.

Am I a little bitter? Of course. Am I taking this rejection from years ago personal? Of course. See, here's the thing: they are still taking on this persona of being a youth-based community project and promoting to whoever wants to listen and yet, they turn those same kids away. So exactly what kind of example have they been setting? The asshole kind.

But this is where I'll be the bigger person. So far the Vera has raised a little over a million bucks for their new digs and I say, give them more money. While I don't agree with the way that they run their show, the reality is that there aren't a lot of all-ages venues in Seattle, which is a damn shame, if you ask me. Besides, who is to say that the Vera will be run by the same boners who ruined it the first time around? Although it's likely that it'll attract the same wannabe hipster 15 year old, it's still better than those douchebags bugging me to buy them cans of Sparks at the 7-11.

So to recap: I dislike the Vera, but I'll support their cause, half-assed. I'll be prompted to use my whole ass if they step up their game and not use their venue to promote THEIR OWN BANDS.

[Related Links]
Viva Vera

album o' the day

Chin Up Chin Up
"This Harness Can't Ride Anything"
(Suicide Squeeze)

This album has yet to be released, but let me tell you, it's amazing. There's absolutely nothing bad I can write about this album. It has it's peppy moments, which is perfect for riding around during the tail-end of the summer, and it has it's somber moments, which is great for the rest of the year in Seattle. As of late, I can't say that there are too many bands of the "indie-pop" persuasion that really do it for me, but I can safely say that Chin Up Chin Up is one of the few.

Download: "This Harness Can't Ride Anything"

rock the minorities!!!

As my band gears up to record our upcoming album, tenatively titled "It's Not Worship Music, It's Worse Hip Music," I started to think about the lack of ethnic diversity in rock music. This notion was also identified in Base 001's interview with Thursday guitarist Steve Pedulla. Though comic in nature, writer Justin Beck (also of Glassjaw notoreity) did bring up an interesting statement:

"I’ve come to realize the reality of the situation and that [ethnic] guys like you, me and Eddie Reyes are just being pushed to the back of the metaphoric bus that is rock and roll."

In the full context, it's quite funny, and yet there's more than a grain of truth to this idea. Are we, ethnic rockers, really second place to our white American counterparts?

Having played music for quite sometime, I'm more than happy to report that my ethnicity has never been an issue. It's never been the sole reason of why I've been included or excluded from bands. In fact, it became more of an inside joke -- to overplay the fact that I've almost always been the lone person of color in a hardcore or punk band. But when you become passionate about something like music, you search for people that you can look up to and people you can identify with. No disrespect to Ben Gibbard, but while the guy can write amazing narrative tunes, it's hard to see yourself in those songs when you've spent a good chunk of your life being branded as "the other" (I've got some great stories of racism) and the primary songwriter happens to be a white guy from suburbia.

I interviewed John Tran from Home Grown a few years ago and we discussed the lack of Asian-Americans in rock music, particularly the punk scene. While there are a few people like Tran, Mike Park, Teppei Teranishi from Thrice and Bill Uechi of Save Ferris, the genre still remains largely white.

Even in today's iPod shuffle age, when it's not out-of-the-question for a kid to have both M.F. Doom and Fall Out Boy mp3s, the visibility of non-white rock musicians are still nil. Is it related to the idea that any non-white person has to immediately identify with hip-hop and R&B? It's as if listening to Mineral or Death Cab for Cutie automatically emasculates you and whatever machismo is branded in your heritage.

I guess it's something that I never put too much stock into until I realized that I'm fronting a band and that I have a chance to say something and represent for the guys who have been pushed to the back. And though the reality is that we may never get some of that Fall Out Boy money or opportunity, I'm left to wonder if people will identify with what I have to say or if it's really all in my head.

[Related Links]
Cipher
Afro Punk
Whole Wheat Bread
Mike Park
Madball
Killswitch Engage
Red Panda
Bad Brains

too lazy to write a review...

Method Man
"4:21...the Day After"
(Def Jam)

Better than "Tical 2: Judgement Day" and "Tical 0: The Prequel" combined. There are some serious jams on here. I recommend getting this over anything else, really.

clay aiken signs to saddle creek (or does he?)

Yes, your eyes do not decieve you. That is the new and improved Clay Aiken. As you can tell by his haircut, he's much more likely to sit down with you and, over a cup of hot cocoa, discuss the current state of world affairs, NPR, and his favorite bands on Touch and Go. He carries "The Communist Manifesto" and "Catcher in the Rye" in his messenger bag, along with an iPod shuffle so he can hear the entire Bauhaus discography at random.

In a previous post, I ranted about how emo is dead and begged for its removal from the American lexicon. Well, now it's officially over as former American Idol contestant (and Ruben's bitch) Clay has gotten all Bright Eyes on us. If the children of America didn't get it before, now they should. This is where consumerism takes you -- to the ugly side of marketing, fashion, and a sudden interest in pomade.

How much are you willing to bet that he'll try to take Jenny Lewis to open his next stadium tour? I'd bet at least $20.

worst show since temptation island

I was never really big on "Survivor." For one thing, when it aired on Thursday nights back in 2000, it inadvertantly sunk the much beloved "Clerks Animated Series" that I'd been waiting forever to watch. Not to mention that the general premise of the show is kind of stupid; a reality show based on "Gilligan's Island." Sweet...not.

Unless you've been living in an isolation chamber, then you've no doubt heard that the new season of "Survivor" pits different races against each other, further dividing already fragmented race relations in America. Hell, it's not like in the UK where racism isn't really commonplace anymore (if I'm wrong about this, feel free to correct me, but that's just what I get from the people out there and what I see on the BBC).

Apparently, white supremacists are having a field day with this show, while several of the show's sponsors have backed out. I wonder how many episodes will air before CBS will pull the plug?

Just as much as the implied racism, what bothers me about this show is that we rarely see people of color on major network shows, lest they be reduced to stereotypical roles. Now there's a large cast of minorities, but they're essentially participating in a race war of sorts (at least that's what Gawker is dubbing it).

I hope that this show gets "Chevy Chase'd" and canned faster than tuna in a factory, otherwise, it's going to be a long television season, and an awkward period to be a non-WASP in the United States.

the early november's 3 disc monster

The Early November
"The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path"
(Drive Thru)

I used to really hate The Early November. Maybe it's because when I heard their debut EP in 2002, "For All of This," I couldn't help but think that it was too early for someone to start ripping off Jimmy Eat World's "Bleed American." Or perhaps it's because they were given an opportunity (as well as some natural talent) to record something of substance and pissed it away by being Drive Thru's "It" band for a couple years. Then lead Novemberteer, Ace Enders released a solo album under the name I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business and my respect for the man as a songwriter was in place. That record was clearly an amalgam of midwest rock influences -- Saddle Creek, Kansas, et. al. It's pretty much like the 90's indie rock scene shit on that disc...in a good way, of course.

So I was somewhat interested in hearing The Early November's latest record and upon reading that it would be a triple disc threat, I became even more intrigued. And that's where my fascination with the record ends.

To get it out of the way: buy this used and throw away the last disc. The album's third disc is so full of pretentious concept crap, it's hardly listenable. Plus, there's this deep voiced narrator that sounds a lot like the intro to Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two."

It's tragically ironic that the reason I hated the Early November to begin with was that they took the easy way out by writing simple pop-punk jangles; now, I'm accusing them of trying to be too interesting. But hey, what can I say? Sometimes you have to call people on their bullshit.

The first two discs of "The Mother..." are really good. For an initial listen, I gravitated toward the second disc, but I reall think that the first disc has it's moments, especially for the two closing songs "The Car in 20" and "Figure It Out."

I think that The Early November would've been far more successful if they released the two discs separately. There are some good ideas that are never really chisled out for the sake of having an epic concept album.

For the most part (third disc notwithstanding), it seems that The Early November has shaken their freshman mistakes pretty well and are into moving forward by being one of pop-punk's memorable songwriters; now if someone can throw a little consistency their way, I think we can expect the best from this New Jersey band.

another summer of sucky music

Summer is usually a good season gauge the kind of quality music that will come out for the rest of the year. So far, it's been pretty lackluster.

At the top of the season, AFI put out another record that distanced the band further from their punk roots and into the realm of showboating, theatrical old men (see: Queensryche). New London Fire's dance-pop debut finally came out, though nearly a year after the single "Different" was released. There were some minor hits with The Format, Cursive, and Against Me, but for the most part this summer pretty much sucked for rock music.

Hip-Hop, on the other hand, has been far more consistant and may become the juggernaut it once was. I am, however, talking about the kind of hip-hop that doesn't receive massive radioplay, so if you want to cite T.I. or whatever, then go ahead.

Despite some pretty bad reviews, The Roots and Method Man have released some of the best records on Def Jam since "Fishscale," which was marginally good. And even though his first week sales were pretty dismal, Rhymefest may have put out the best hip-hop album of the year (a title once held by ex-Artifacts MC El Da Sensai and conspiracy theorist Apathy).

Even a rapper-less record like Cut Chemist's "The Audience is Listening" was chock full of summer jams and tunes that lacked the suckiness that has plagued hip-hop radio stations of late.

While I wouldn't say that this summer has been as good as the summer of 1995 (otherwise known as the year of Premier), I will say that it's probably been the most exciting time for hip-hop since 1997.

before the weekend...

It's Labor Day weekend and Vivian from Redefine hit me off with a ton of new stuff to review, listen to, and then sell to Easy Street Records. Huzzah! It's been a pretty big week for me, as far as getting new stuff goes. Work hit me off with the new OutKast and Static Age, and my longtime friend James (13 years and running) hit me off with the new Roots and Method Man jawns. I also wanted to post a review of the new Early November triple disc, but that's obviously going to take a while since there's 60 songs to go through.

Vivian was also kind enough to snag me a ticket for Bumbershoot on Monday; now I know that I've talked a lot of shit about Bumbershoot, however, Monday night features the recently reunited A Tribe Called Quest as the headliner. Oh, I'm such a walking contradiction!

Anyway, while I'm off rapping along to "Bonita Applebum," why don't you add me as your Myspace friend? I put up some of my old hip-hop tracks in the high hopes that I'll get booked to DJ more clubs and parties because I'm hurtin' for the skrilla.