Finally...TV on the Radio

Current mood: energetic
Category: Music

I've been in Kansas City exactly 170 days today and it took me 168 to see the first decent show in this town. I spent St. Patrick's day doing nothing special. I didn't even wear green. To be quite honest, I've never been a huge fan of using semi-holidays to celebrate drinking. I try not to discriminate against drinking that much. During the day I went in to work for a couple of hours, then hung out with Stephanie and went to Minskey's and grabbed a pizza. For those not in the Kansas City area it is the best pizza in KC. After bidding my lovely and talented fiance' a good evening, I headed over to the gambling Mecca of the midwest, Harrah's. It's really not the gambling Mecca of the midwest, however I felt the need to spice up an establishment that houses Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar and Grill."

Of course, this being a casino, I needed to find an entrance to where I was going without the hassle of having to produce a "Harrah's Players Club Card" since it's nothing but a pain. I took the back entrance and bypassed this minor nuisance to where I was suppose to meet up with my concert buddy for the night. While waiting for my friend John from work outside Starbucks (they're fucking everywhere, not that insightful I guess) Kyp Malone crossed my path with who looked to be his special lady friend. Since I'm not a starstruck asshole I did really nothing to ackowledge the fact that I noticed him. Although he does stick out in a Kansas City casino filled with blue hairs and gelled up, button down shirt wearing, former jocks crowd.

Moving on to the venue itself, the Voodoo Lounge has been around, according to my companion for the evening, two or three years. It's a nice place, if you've ever been to a House of Blues, it's basically the same thing. The drinks were reasonable and the bartenders were mildly entertaining with their flare bartending skills. It's always nice to see someone do their best Tom Cruise impression. Or Brian Brown, which ever you prefer. It has it's standing room only general admission floor, however John and I decided to stay close to the bar and grabbed a table. We've had our fair share of concert crowd battles as we sharred before the opening act.

Sublte was an interesting group to say the least. I saw the vocalist before the show started milling around by the bar. You knew he wasn't from these parts, as he looked like a mix of David Cross, Joe Strummer's mohawk, and the Riddler. At first, before they took the stage, we thought Depeche Mode may have been opening for TV on the Radio, however this was not the case. The band is supposed to be "genre-less" although they had mostly a hip-hop feel to them. While being all white, they did have an interesting take on the music they had on display that consisted of hand painted backdrops, stage props, and monologues between each song. At first the music is a tad hard to swallow and get used to, but after awhile I found myself enjoying the beats and the nasaly, high-speed polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics put on by the groups front man, Adam Ducker, or better known by his stage name "Doseone." Bandmembers with stage names are ok with me. After about 45 minutes of cannibal jokes and anti-California rhetoric I was primed for the headliner to take the stage.

Just as sort of a sidebar, what I was most surprised to find out is that most of the people there looked like your general crowd that would come to see a show like this no matter where it was being held. On the other hand there were also a good portion of people that looked a little out of place and shell shocked by Subtle's performance. John and I determined that these had to be the regulars that just showed up for anything that was going on in "their" club. They were sort of entertaining to watch and react to the music that clearly was not their forte'.

TV on the Radio has been around for a few years now, and for those that do not know, are David Bowie's favorite artists. Now while I don't need the Thin White Duke's endorsement I'm sure that TVotR has enjoyed the validation of being embraced by one of rocks most unique figureheads. TVotR took the stage and opened with one of my favorite songs by the band "Wrong Way" off of 2004's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. It was incredible from the get go. They basically turned the song into a two step which shifted the set from zero to a furious pace in an instant. I love bands that just take the stage and start fucking playing, like they have something to prove. Groups that play with a sort of chip on their shoulder just seem to get to me more at a live performance.

I'd love to break down every song and detail it for you in a review type of entry, however I didn't bring a notepad and write down a set list or take notes on each song. So it may not do the performance justice. All in all, it was one of the better shows I've been to in quite some time. It was nice to get out and do something that I really enjoy. I've been slacking since I've been down here, however now I don't plan on continuing that trend. Just to tie everything together, since all that has a beginning must have an end, the show ended on "Staring At The Sun" which is another one of my fav's. What I enjoyed the most is they didn't play it exactly as is on the album. Some people like to see a concert and don't want a single note or vocalization (is that a word?) out of place. I'm quite the opposite. I've most likely already spent the $9.99 on iTunes (or download for free off BearShare) to listen to what you put down on wax. When I come see you, I like a little versatility in my experience. TVotR seemed to have the ability to step outside their music just enough to walk that fine line of being different and showing their musical chops, yet not getting lost in what they were doing or where they were going.

I'd love for them to come back, and I hope they do in the very near future. If you find yourself browsing through your local newspaper and see they are on their way to your fair city, I would highly recommend attending.

Currently listening : Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks) By TV on the Radio Release date: By 12 September, 2006

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	Derek	make your blogs shorter, i dont have this much time to catch up with u damnnit Posted by Derek on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 7:48 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Zach	Derek has pointed out somewhat of a fallacy in my belief that all my entries must contain no less than 2000 words. For those that did not choose to finish this entry, I can sum it up for you in one word. "Bitchin'" and I give myself a Kudo! Posted by Zach on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 1:38 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Cory

Those guys rock. I'm thinkin' that I need to get some of their stuff and have a listen. TVOTR almost seems "genre-less," but with welcome familiarities from certain styles and leans. "Caroline Spine" is in S.F. tonight, and I would go if I knew more than just a couple songs from them. Haven't been to a show in awhile, but spring's here and I shouldn't be as picky to what it is- afterall it's still a concert and musical entertainment. So are we goin to Minski's to grab a pie when the gang visits KC? Posted by Cory on Friday, March 23, 2007 at 8:23 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Favorite Game Franchise...Ever

Current mood: dorky
Category: Games

**Posted on my 1up.com page to which there is a link on my main MySpace page. This entry is only for the brave...

Despite the obvious Quick Man avatar and name I use on 1up.com, Mega Man is not my favorite video game franchise of all time. Although it would be easy to assume, since that is how I sign all of my emails and posts on the message boards. Speaking of those boards, sometimes every now and then I'll elude to which gaming franchise has that special place in my heart for it. First, I'll give you a (very) little background into what I like and who I am.

I wouldn't say that my personality trends in this direction, however I have always been akin to the darker side of pop culture and media entertainment. In my time of being a gamer, this has also held true almost the entire time. I used to frequent various arcades in my hometown quite a bit when I was a kid and loved to play anything I could get my greasy little hands on. One game in particular had a sequence that would forever change the way I viewed video games and the affect they had on me. I was watching some older kids play a "beat 'em up" not unlike anything I'd ever seen, however as they did not beat the game and died and ran out of quarters, those events revealed this life changing moment I've been building to.



This screen shot was a sequence that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. It was graphic, dark, and had an element that has had me hooked on video games since that afternoon at the local Empire Mall arcade. Of course the screen shot above is the continue screen from the coin-op "Ninja Gaiden." Of course I tried my hand after the older kids moved on to another game and proceeded to get the crap beat out of me. The game is damn hard, if you"ve never played it before. I had a Nintendo, but nothing in terms of this game had been released for it. Or so I thought.



On a trip to Kay*Bee toys (which was at the same mall as the arcade) I saw something behind the counter that almost made me squeal with the joy of a 3rd grade girl (even though I was a mere 3rd grade boy). It was Ninja Gaiden!! I begged and pleaded with my parents to buy me the game. Surprisingly, they did even though they were in the habit of telling me "no" most of my childhood. I could not wait to get home and play this game. Just as a side note, I did know the difference between the NES version and the arcade version because I received the Nintendo Power previewing/reviewing the game that came out in Japan the fall before. I still own that issue of Nintendo Power in my collection, by the way, and no I won"t be selling any of said collection on eBay.

The game was (and is) a masterpiece in my mind, and in the minds of others I would assume or would hope. Every thing was there for me, the cut cinema scenes, the soundtrack, and that element that roped me in to the arcade version. That darkness, that sense of impending doom like the train is about to come off the tracks and crash into fiery oblivion. These are the things that I love in video games, that element of gloom and doom, and Ninja Gaiden had it in spades. I'm not going to go into the details of the game, because if you want to know go to wikipedia and get the background because it's too good a story to summarize in a blog. Just know that the final act of the game is seen by many as one of the hardest levels in video game history, that should give you some idea of its background, if you're unfamiliar. Of course the game was a hit with my friends and we played the damn game to no end and practically wore out the cartridge. I ran a Nintendo fan club in my neighborhood and we all adopted the names of our favorite bad guys or good guys. Of course, being the president I picked first and actually deemed myself Guardia de Mieux. I'm not kidding. I was also the only person who picked a bad guy for my name. With this entire buzz over this game you could just about imagine how crazy I was going for this.



May of 1990 was a sweet, sweet time in my life. The clock toward summer was almost done ticking down, and 4th grade was about to be completed. Notoriously to my parents, one of my most misbehaved years in history. Anyway, I had been salivating for this game for some time, and the advent of the Nintendo Power Strategy Guide series only added fuel to the fire. Of course the Super Mario Bros. 3 came out first, but that was ok as that's regarded as the best NES game ever, which I won't argue with. Once I finally did get it (the game, not the guide) I was too hyped up to sit down or eat. All I remember is that my dad came home with it from work during the middle of the week and I skipped dinner and played it for the first two hours standing up I was so damn rabid over my new game. I played this sucker until I beat it that weekend. Everyone stayed over at my house that Friday night and we took turns trying to beat it. Not having any tips what so ever, we felt like explorers in the new world trying to conquer it. To me, as I look back there was no better feeling when I observe how I spent my gaming time at that age. We didn't finish that Friday night unfortunately, however I strongly feel we would have had my mom not come down and made us go to bed at 2AM.

The next day I had a friend over at my house, while everyone else was at one of my other friend's house. My buddy and I got further than the night before and finally beat Ashtar, and proceeded to complete the next level. Once we got to the very near end of the game the most shocking plot twist I had ever been witness to happened. The main antagonist from the first one made a comeback! Rather than jump right into it and continue on in the game, we decided to ring my friends' house and tell them. It's funny how 10 year old boys are not unlike 13 year old girls.

Would you like to see the extent of how deep this goes? Well, ok then. When I was in fifth grade we had to write a fictional story, the story I wrote was like a Captain N meets all of my favorite video games. Of course Ninja Gaiden II was central to the plot and the longest chapter. This story received an A and is still one of my most treasured belongings. I'll try to get a picture of it uploaded on here someday, with all the artwork goodness included!!

Of course, nothing could prepare me for the monumental letdown of what was to follow in the series.



Well, what can I say other than the fact that this game is the red headed step child of the NES installments of this franchise. I liked the game a lot, I just liked it the least. It had a great story and I liked the fact that it did tie back in to the first game, some elements that is. However, with the Super Nintendo on the horizon I was looking toward the future and really sort of ignored this game. Of course it got its fair share of controller time and I did eventually beat it. No small miracle of course. I can tell you that the amount of hype compared to the first two creates a gap so wide I don't think I'd seen the likes of it in a major Nintendo series. I had high expectations considering how awesome SMB 3 and Castlevania III were. I liked the new weapons, sure, and almost new advanced feel to the game, but it just didn't have that element that I'd talked about so much before. It just didn't have that X-factor that separated it from a lot of the Nintendo games at the time, which is the reason I liked it so much in the first place.

Warning: This may be the hardest Nintendo game I ever did play, and it's harder than the first one, despite what some would argue. Two words: Limited Continues. So, go out and get it on eBay or download the ROM and prepare to rip your hair out. This, I believe was one of my crowning achievements in video gaming from the NES generation because of that difficulty. And that I'm the only one I personally know to have beaten said game.

I was disappointed when Tecmo opted not to release a Ninja Gaiden game for the next two generations. On the other hand it was nice that it didn't get diluted like so many other franchises. All in all, I sort of lost track of my beloved series from the NES, even after purchasing the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy on the SNES, which is almost a slap in the face to the originals with the exodus of the blood, satanic imagery, and the messing with the sound. Improvements my windmill star!

This all of course until I heard that Team Ninja (creators of the Dead or Alive series, most notably) was working on this...



When I heard about this, I read every development online, purchased every magazine that had its name on the cover, anything I could get my hands on regarding this game I did. When the announcement made its way to me, this was the single greatest shred of news ever when it came to video games in that particular generation. Even more so than a little title by the name of Halo 2 that would come out later that year. The website from Team Ninja was something that I checked on a daily basis, no joke. I played demos and talked on message boards endlessly about my new 3D gaming adventure that was to come out in spring of 2004.

Once March 2nd, 2004 finally came to pass, nearly 15 years after I played the first Ninja Gaiden on my NES, I was about to get a new experience in the world of the series. I'm happy to say that it wasn't muddled down with a lot of spin offs, even though it did whore itself out to some different systems that I never owned. But the main games in the series, all four of them (I'm not counting "Black" or "Sigma" because they are iterations of the original for Xbox), stand the test of time. I know it's sort of a cliche' thing to say, however it is true when you really think about it. Like Castlevania (the other series it is compared with the most), the classic 2D games hold up well and people seem to enjoy them quite a bit even today. However, unlike Castlevania, Team Ninja converted to 3D extremely well.

The game itself, what can I say? It sold well and garnered high marks for a reason. I also like the fact that it really separated the "men from the boys" in terms of its difficulty. The story was dark and mysterious, the main antagonist was something that you could actually "fear" and the boss battles were nothing short of epic. Of course, it had the signature Ninja Gaiden twist at the end that made it all worth it, all the dying and taking the wrong way and finding better ways to try and beat Alma. I also like the replay-ability with the Hurricane Expansion and playing on higher difficulties.

I'm eagerly anticipating "Sigma"and it's one of the games on my short list of anticipated titles for this year on the PS3. This series for the reasons I've listed far surpasses the Mario Bros., Mega Man's, and Halo's of the world because of that element of darkness that keeps me coming back again and again. For me it's just a preference, and I know it may be uncool to list this as my favorite franchise of all time, but it's just who and what I am.

Currently listening : Pig Lib By Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks Release date: By 18 March, 2003

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Derek

i remember that, back in 5th grade, i think we both wrote that same report. well about the same game anyways. I think for visual aids i used the centerfold from that nintendo power u were talking about. Im pretty sure i still have all of those around here somewhere, maybe in the garage, unless someone threw them out. Ahhhh, the good ol days...... Posted by Derek on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 at 9:17 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Mi Familia Manifesto

Current mood: blank
Category: Life

Clear and concise, it's something that is the exact opposite of what my writing is when it's down to something that I am thinking and feeling. So, for those of you that only like my humorus numbers on things I hate, or bands I like (or hate), this may not be the entry for you. Right now I'm in the middle of a moment from the past few days and I need to capture it while I'm still here, because it's not something I think I could go back to tomorrow. So, for those of you that do like the ramble-y drivel that I can produce when I'm in the middle of an introspective catharsis, then stick around because it promises to probably involve you. If not, sorry, I guess I can't please everyone even though I really do try.

Most of you know that I am in Sioux Falls, many of you I probably saw this weekend as a matter of fact. Please don't take the next few statements personally, because I love you all and you are all the reason why I do come back when not met with a holiday, graduation, or reunion obligation. I've noticed that I've become what I really pictured myself to be now that I am with Stephanie full time and now reside in Kansas City. I always felt that this city stifled me, and so with it most of the people that I come into contact with that I don't "know." That's not to say I look down my nose at people that love to live here, because that's great. I appreciate the people that live here and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I would be the first to stick up for my hometown, but it's not for me anymore and I'm not sure if it ever really was. I never felt totally calm and at piece with being here, even as a child. Coming back made me realize that it now represents not only things that I hate in general, but things I hate about me. It drummed up a few things that I had lingering inside.

As for the meaning behind the title...we're getting to that.

Take for instance this thought. Right now, at this very second, I wish I didn't have to go home. I wish I could just be home. I don't want to stay here another night, I don't want to get up and get ready to go, and I don't want to drive all the way back down to Kansas City. I just want to be there right now. Now, like I said before, but I will remind people reading this again. This sentiment has nothing to do with you individually or as a whole. My friends, no matter how scattered or disjointed they are because of class or social status, I love them all the same. Even though some seem to see the others as not as important or smart or what-have-you. For that, I feel like I'm very alone dispite the fact that I feel very cared for by each of my close and personal companions.

I'm not going to give you something chronological, or something that has a starting and an ending point to illustrate where I am going, or even while I am getting there. It's too boring, too expected and too typical. I'm not trying to give you the 73rd "this is who I am speech" but more of an understanding of where I am right now.

I wish all of my friends had the same face, same mind, same sense of humor, but that wouldn't make me me. Some days I hang out with the cool kid, some days I hang out with the one the cool kid makes fun of and still would if he saw them. And you know what? To hell with anyone that has a problem with that. If you can't understand that I have something in common with someone and like them for it and see value in that, then fuck you, mabye you aren't really my friend. The bottom line doesn't always equal the best friend. Take that as you will.

Inside of my family has always lived the same social and financial pecking order, and I've always hated it. It was never family on the basis of family as a result of you having the same parents, it was always comparing who had what, knew someone, or was privey to something. It was always unsaid but always present. Even at a young age the lines that grown ups draw were visible. Maybe not in the same context that I am able to understand them in now, however they were there.

Somewhere along the way things changed. People marry, people divorce, people re-marry, people die and the way you learned to live is now turned upside down. It fucks everything up because you don't know how to act around your own people. By people I mean family of course. I never understood the hate that I held inside for so long, but it was so bound to what I've written in this entry that I couldn't believe it when it all came to fruition. I hated because I harbored all that the people in my family perpetuated. I tried to play to every side of the field because I wanted everyone to like me. When I found out that this is something a teenage kid could not handle, I checked out. I checked out for a long time.

I turned my back on a lot of things. Friends, college, the life I wanted when I was younger, most family members. This town reminds me of all of that. I don't think it's because I haven't dealt with the hand that I played, because I know I've been down that road many, many, many times. Sometimes, you just have to walk away. This isn't to say that Stephanie was my golden ticket, because she wasn't. This is something we both worked at. There are only maybe two people that I know of that may read this that will understand, and you will know who you are.

I need to break this mold of what my family is and will continue to be. I need to start something new, and I need the help of the one person who has been able to understand me without having to understand how I got there. She's been the only one who just took it and ran with it and didn't have to know all the shit and the glory that put me in the place I'm at right now. Unlike any other person I've tried to start a life with, and that's why she gets me. That's why I walked away from Sioux Falls, because she operates like the way I've always wanted to and that is with out any pretenses. Even though she'll tell you she's a snob, but she really never has been. At least not with this idiot.

I was getting somewhere with the first couple of sentences in the previous paragraph, and it goes as follows. I always thought that I had to fix my family that were my parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. You can't fix what has already been beyond broken for a long time. You can't salvage the people that want no part in being salvaged. You can mend fences, but you can always pick out the repairs from the original work.

My family is something that is yet to be written, and it's something that I intend to correct the mistakes that were made with my present, and past family. It's not to say things will be perfect, that's a dream you'll chase all your life and never realize, however it's an environment my kids don't have to endure. My family is hurting. They can be vindictive and very narcissistic. They are filled with guilt, and in turn wield that guilt as a tool to hide their own insecurities and to fulfill their own needs. It's a sad existence, but it doesn't mean they are completely lost, and I still love them and love being around them. Most of the time at least.

I've always felt different, I've always acted different, I've been thinking differently all of my life, different than everyone else that I know. That's why I've always been able to get along with anyone, because I've always searched for my own identity in everyone else. Because I can think like you. I can act like you, talk like you, like the the same things you do. It's not meant to be pretentious, it's just the way I feel, and it's just an opinion after all. I'm just now starting to understand that I have been like that all of my life. So if it's taken me until the age of 27 to realize that much, I'll have a lifetime to figure out why. Which is precisely what I intend to do, every day of my life.

Currently watching : The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition) Release date: 13 February, 2007

Music You Should Be Listening To

Current mood: happy
Category: Music

In the past couple of months I've vented my frustration from Toby Keith to cats, now that I've spent that time complaining about things that I hate, I'm going to take some time to talk about something that I like quite a bit. And that is one of my favorite bands over the last two years, and that band is Bloc Party. If you go back a several months it was on my "Favorite Albums of All Time" to which it still is, however it will sit on the shelf for awhile because I did listen to it extensivly in 2005 and it sort of played itself out a bit. So, as you could imagine "A Weekend in the City" was high on my list of highly anticipated albums for 2007.

If you aren't familar with Bloc Party, they are a band if you are sort of into music you will compare to Franz Ferdinand. It's easy to make that sort of comparison considering the fact that the boys from Glasgow invited them on tour when they were supporting their own huge debut in the States and in Europe. If you are really a music fan you would have seen the ties to bands like Gang of Four and the Joy Division. However, this album you can see the band making obvious strides to change and push away comparisons to the two bands they drew alot from on "Silent Alarm."

Rather than opening for a band with semi-respectable tunes like Franz, they had to suffer with fans of Panic! At the Disco as they opened for them in 2006/07. Great exposure sure, but they are exposing themselves to thirteen year old girls. Sidebar: That last sentence if read out of context may get me banned from MySpace. Just another lesson to always read statements in the context they we intended to be in. Ahem, I digress.

I wrote a short review for this album on eMusic, since this is where I purchased "A Weekend..." from so I could get a bonus track that I'm glad I picked up. Of course, I probably will still by the physical CD because of the bonus DVD that is included. Back to what I wrote for eMusic. Here, I'll actually just copy and paste rather than write from memory.

"From opening track until the last song plays out on this album you have to do a good job of taking yourself away from what you would expect from a Bloc Party LP to be all about. This album is going to categorize fans into two areas. The individuals who will say it sounds nothing like "Silent Alarm" and think it doesn't stack up, therefore falls short of expectations. The second grouping will understand that a band that is as talented as Bloc Party is that you have to allow them to grow within their own style and realize they probably will never make the same album twice. Yes, I think the more you listen to this album the more it will grow on you, I also believe that this album will separate the people who listen to and are fans of Bloc Party for all the right reasons from those who only sort of pick up on what this band is trying to accomplish."

I gave the album 4 out of 5 stars because if I ever did this professionally I would only give out perfect ratings in probably 1 in every 1000 albums/books/movies/games/etc. It's sort of a choppy yet ramblie little blurb about it, and of course a little unedited, so don't think millions of people will be reading this, because they won't. Just the people that click on the album on eMusic and decide to buy it. If you don't know or subscribe, eMusic is sort of a neat little community of people that listen to music that you don't hear much on the radio, however, this could be a seperate entry all together.

To expound on what I wrote a tad, this album is much more multi-layered and complicated than "Slient..." ever was or could hope to be. It doesn't automatically make it a better album, it just makes it different. And if I had to sum up the experience that this album is, that would be the word I would use. Different. It challenges the listener to move beyond the sort of atmospheric build ups and pay offs that it's predecesor had, and the basic rock and roll verse/chorus/verse formula that most of the catchier numbers clung to. If you really jump into 'A Weekend..." it's really almost two albums in one, which is something "Silent..." almost accomplished, but never quite made it.

The weight of every vocal and instrumentation feels 10 times heavier than it did on their first album. Kele Okereke, the band's lead vocalist/guitar player/chief songwriter, has said that the album itself is inspired by the experience of living in a fast paced city, I.E. London. I've never been, or are ringing my travel agent to book a flight to, however you can almost feel some of the ups and downs of being trapped/in love with such a place. It reminds me of my recent transplant from submetro area to major metropolitan. You will love the accessability but you will also dread the crime, traffic, and people.

I am still falling into love with this album (just as I am still falling in love with being in Kansas City) because at first I was a little skeptical as most people should be. Just because I like your last album, doesn't automatically make me first in line to say your next one is a similar work of art. I'd like to think that, as a fan, I'm the type that challenges good artisits to make something worth my while, and others of the like will surely feel the same. It may be a little pretentious, but it gives me accessability into the workings of music that I feel close to. At least in my mind that's how it works.

I can't see who reads my entries, but I have a pretty good idea of who does. I would urge anyone who reads this, if you want a musical adventure, pick this album up. It's not going to be something you'll pop in your CD player and immediately love (maybe or maybe not, my fiance' liked it quite a bit right away) but it is something you can grow to really appreciate. Opening new doors and having them branch off into new realms of the musical landscape is what it's all about to really be into good music.

If you don't like it, hey, it was only $10.

Currently listening : Weekend in the City By Bloc Party Release date: By 06 February, 2007

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Stephanie

Yeah, buy it. I like it and I'm not even cool! Posted by Stephanie on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 8:42 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Bands That Are Ruining American - Part 1a

Current mood: complacent
Category: Music

*Sigh*

So in keeping with the theme from yesterday and logging in to MySpace today, I'm greeted with the smiling faces of the band I wrote about and their favorite picks as far as music goes.

This link will take you to my favorite member's recounting of his best loved, uh, albums of all time. I'm not sure if it's a top five or four or whatever. He doesn't seem that with it, which is fine, because most rock guys shouldn't be "with it." The only problem is he doesn't play in a rock band. I'm not sure which category to place them in. But watch and enjoy so you can see what I'm talking about because not only do you get to hear the band members speak, you get to hear their music in the background! As if listening to them talk wasn't enough.

Currently listening : Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes By TV on the Radio Release date: By 09 March, 2004

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Cory

"Um, which ones did I say already? ... Oh, yeah, I did ... If I name dropped "Meat Loaf" would people think I'm cool?" Thanks for the laugh. I have my bottle of Heinz ketchup bottoms up, banging on it with the butter knife hoping that something good will come with popular music. I'll even give ya a Kudos for dessert. Posted by Cory on Thursday, February 08, 2007 at 9:57 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Bands That Are Ruining America - Part I

Current mood: blah
Category: Music

If you don't know who this band is, then you are much cooler than me, because you don't pay attention to MySpace Music or popular music in general. I cannot and do not ignore what is going on in the mainstream because I'm hoping for the day that something cool breaks through. I don't know why I do it, I like some music that's considered pop, I really don't think I'm a musical snob like some people I know. However, I digress.

Fall Out Boy has to be one of the worst bands on the planet. And I'm even counting crappy 80's cover bands that play Poison tunes and Minnesota Polka groups. Hey, one of my childhood friends grandfather is a goddamn polka legend. I'm serious. Can any band you've ever seen in your life try to look so hard yet fall so short? I don't know when it happened exactly, but the Vans Warped Tour somehow took over what the Disney Channel used to produce. Maybe it was the year I wasn't looking when Dashboad Confessional got popular. Anyway.

Everyone is familiar I'm sure with their most recognizable hit "Dance, Dance" which to this day haunts me when I play "NFL Madden 2007" on my Xbox 360. Everytime I get a first down the first 3 lines of the chorus play on the virtual stadium loudspeakers.

The so called "most popular band on MySpace" is ruining America. You can see signs of it everywhere. Unemployment is up, the war in Iraq is still costing thousands of lives, and somewhere a child is being left behind. I can pin all of these things squarely on Fall Out Boy because of their huge ability to suck. What I like even more is the "alternative" radio station in Kansas City plays them all the damn time. And my fiance' wonders why I question that stations lack of integrity.

I have no in depth reasoning as to why Fall Out Boy sucks. It's not going to be a detailed blog because I don't know that much about them in the first place. Other than the fact that they suck.

Currently listening : You're Living All Over Me By Dinosaur Jr. Release date: 22 March, 2005

Happy Super Bowl Monday!!!

Current mood: cynical
Category: Sports

So it's the day after the Super Bowl and many will argue today while nursing hangovers that today should be a national holiday. While this may seem like a good idea to most, I think we're talking about starting something that will empower, or give too much empowerment to entertainers. Football players are athletes getting paid to do a job that they happen to love. A job that pays very well and that provides a lot of viewing pleasure for the masses. But this would be like making the day after the Oscar's a national holiday. Holiday's need to be reserved for remembering something special and integral to our country (or the world), not a sporting event.

I like football, I love football, but to make it a national holiday is ridiculous. All the hype and money and TV time that goes into one game to which it makes the actual game and afterthought is insanity. I get so tired of hearing about the Super Bowl in the two weeks building up to it that I almost don't want to watch it. I've heard every outcome, every possibility, and every scenario. It leaves no surprises and no excitement. I even stopped listening to the radio at my desk the last week and a half to escape. And to take me away from sports talk radio is like taking a bottle from a baby. Or cocaine from Kate Moss.

The "controversy" over the halftime show is even worse. Complaining that Prince looked like he was masturbating with his guitar is taking griping about an artist a little too far. Sure, boobiegate was something that will live on in TV blooper history. "Remember the time that black tit popped out on TV???" Too much for middle America to handle I'm sure. But people complaining they had to remove their children from the room because of Prince simulating masturbation? Come on, give me a fucking break. If you have a child 11 to 12 or under they don't know what he's doing. If they are 12 or older, chances are they'd be doing it in their rooms in a couple hours anyway. So what's the harm in watching a 40 something Prince do it with a guitar? And the fact that this is happening to CBS again is all the more hilarious. I mean come on, didn't the person or people involved who booked Prince or ok'ed Prince to perform familiarize themselves at all with the last, gee I don't know, 25 fucking years he's been performing on a stage?? Has it been so long that we forgot Prince is a little controversial? Or have we been too desensitzed by Paris Hilton having sex with her boyfriend in night vision or by Britney Spears showing off her no-no parts for every papparzzi in the greater Los Angeles area? Or did we just forget that a guy who posed practically nude in the late 80's for God's sake on an album cover is capable of jerking off a guitar in front of several hundred million people?

Gratuitous NFL Fan Complaint Paragraph...

I'd like the Super Bowl more if my team were activly competing to be in it. Sadly, they seem to be content to wallow in the NFC West for the time being. For the record, as I sit at my desk wearing my 49ers t-shirt, I'm at least happy to say that there is a gilmmer of hope for the next season. They seem to really be trying out there, God bless 'em.

Back to my point...

Also, the other thing that is burining me up is ESPN's coverage after the game. Not more than 1 hour after the game was over they were already talking about who was going to win next year!! Jesus God, are you kidding me? Are our attention span's so short that we have to focus on what will happen next year no more than 60 minutes after the culmination of the season has just been completed. It almost makes me want to stop watching professional football. It's just the whole thing kind of stinks that it's just a perpetual motion to which there doesn't seem to be an end. Let the Colts have their moment in the sun and pick back up when I start to care about the NFL again which is the NFL Draft, and even then I'll forget about it until training camp and the yearly release of Madden football for my Xbox.

Oh well, at least now I have the NBA, Baseball, and NASCAR* to watch.

*Just kidding, NASCAR sucks, just in case you didn't know already.

Currently listening : Broken Boy Soldiers By The Raconteurs Release date: 16 May, 2006