Taking Ya Back to Highschool

High school can be a tragic time for some, while for others, it is the peak of their existence on a specific rung in the social ladder.   All of the cliques apply, and every stereotype is true.   Jocks, Nerds, popular girls, ugly girls and even racial lines; those four years of your life were all about how you fit into one category or another.  Many individuals will look back on their high school days and feel the urge to erase, many look back and gladly reminisce.  

Whatever the case may be the music you listened to back then was all too important.  Whenever a familiar song is played, it can take you back to where you were, and who you were there with.  The music may not have been as good when you look back, but in the moment, the song had relevance in your life.   Since Rolling Stone and Spin are putting out their 2010 playlists,  I decided that I would put out mine.  So here it is, most of these songs will take you back to somewhere between the years of 2002 – 2006, my “When I was in High School” Playlist.

Linkin Park

Taking Back in Sunday

Brand New

Finch

My Chemical Romance

Muse

New Found Glory

Blink 182

Alien Ant Farm

AFI

Sum 41

In 10 years we are all going to think this music was terrible, but for now it’s not too embarrassing.

The Boxer Rebellion: A New Marketing Plan

The recent decline in legal music sales has forced music marketers and artists to promote differently.   As CD stores fade away, a new medium of music integration has arrived at our theaters and TV screens.  In the past, after ‘Googling’, I have discovered bands through television advertisements.  Anytime I hear the song “1901” by Phoenix, I always think Cadillac.  Ford also featured the Band of Skulls song, “Light of the Morning”, in their 2011 Mustang commercial.  A movie soundtrack is always available after a little probing, but never has a band so readily jumped out at me as The Boxer Rebellion; featured in the movie, Going The Distance.  So ‘congrats’ to all you suits, your initiative worked.  In the film (spoiler alert) Justin Long’s character winds up fictionally managing, this non-fictional band.  An obvious display of the band’s webpage is shown, and two performances are featured in the movie as well.

Upon review of the The Boxer Rebellion’s music I am pleasantly surprised and actually thankful that I sat through this movie long enough to be interested. Following the death of his mother, singer Nathan Nicholson moved from Tennessee to England.  Through an internet posting he was connected with guitarist Todd Howe and the remainder of the band, Adam Harrison and Piers Hewitt.  While planning to tour with The Killers after the debut of their EP, TBR had to cancel after Nate’s appendix burst while on tour, requiring 5 hours of surgery, resulting in months of subsequent recovery.  The band has been successful since then, through their movie promotion, touring, and iTunes album sales.

The Boxer Rebellion has released two full-length studio albums.  The first, released in 2005, is entitled Exits.  Their second studio album, Union, was released in 2009 exclusively through iTunes.  A third studio album is promised for 2011; the title forecast for this album is The Cold Still. The Boxer Rebellion is actually a loaded phrase, and finding a catchy band name is becoming increasingly difficult as more musical acts emerge.  Digging around Wikipedia, I uncovered that the band derived its name from an uprising in Northern China between the years of 1899 and 1901 against Western Imperialism and the spread of Christianity.  The Boxers were known for their athleticism because they were under the impression that through the proper training, they could become impervious to gunfire and knife attacks.  As stupid as this sounds, the revolt lead to a siege of foreign embassies in Beijing and costly damages to European spheres of influence in China. 

I have listened thoroughly to the album, Union,  which sounds like less depressing Radio Head and is hitting the proverbial ‘spot’ with me during my stay here in wintry NJ.  Not only was Union named album of the year in 2009 by iTunes, but Spin Magazine named The Boxer Rebellion “Best Men in Black” at South by Southwest.  My favorite track on the album has to be No. 9, entitled “Evacuate”.

These guys are worth a listen if you will take the time.  The Indy scene can be disappointing and does require a great deal of sieving, but that’s what I’m here for.  Enjoy.

Money Never Sleeps, Kid

Sunday is always a day of relaxation, or at least an attempt.  New Jersey has apparently forgotten that this month is December.  The temperature is 50 degrees and rain is falling diagonally.  I cannot wait to walk my dog in a half hour.

Yesterday I sat down and watched Oliver Stone’s Wall Street:  Money Never Sleeps.  Before the film even started I had two issues with the administration behind the movie.  First, the byline; couldn’t you just call the film ‘Wall Street 2’?  Money never sleeps is a terrible caption.  In addition,  Michael Douglas uses this notorious line throughout the movie, taking away from it’s usefulness and adding to the cornyness.  Second, Shia Lebouf should not be in a leading role yet.  He is good in a supporting position, but as a lead, Lebouf is not ready.  Had the movie focused more on Douglas then it might have been more entertaining.

The film could have been better, but it could have been worse as well.  Starting with the good, I am always a sucker for high definition, wide angle New York City cinematography.  The hustle and cut throat nature of Wall Street was accurately portrayed along with the backwards nature of rumors, insider trading, and the recent meltdown of the U.S. financial system.  The movies premise is that Douglas, Gordan Gecko, has just been released from prison after 8 years.  Upon writing a book, he is attempting to make a comeback in the financial services industry and re-establish his name in the new world of equities and investments.  Michael Douglas, was as always, on point with his monologuing and egotistical musings.

The film had some weak points, at times the interconnections between the characters became convoluted, and a few moments of corny script writing took away from the overall seriousness of the movie.  A random action scene with Street Bike riding was thrown it, which was completely unnecessary.  Finally the ending seemed unsatisfactory.  There are certain movies that have double endings, where the writer could have left the plot at the cliff hanger, and saved the story, rather than look for resolution.  This is one such movie, and rather than spoil it for you, I’ll just say that Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps could have ended about 20 minutes earlier than it did.  I give it a 6.0


Going the Distance
Last night I was talked into watching “Going The Distance”  starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.  Romantic comedy’s tend to disappoint, and this one was no different.  It feels as though writers of these movies use the same formula over and over.  The comedy seemed forced, and overly dirty although Long, and Barrymore both performed well.  If you would like to see Charlie Day (Charlie Kelly, the guy from Its Always Sunny with the high voice) as the exact same character in a different movie, than you’d be into this flick.  The banter between the friends was funny at times, but ended up being more of the same.  The only thing that saved this film for me, is the fact that I am in a long distance relationship. It was easy to relate to some of the conflicts that the characters were facing.  To conclude, if you are in a similar pickle, then this movie might help you feel better about it, otherwise don’t waste your time unless you are really bored and have watched every other good movie in your possession 934509823589234958 times already.

On an extremely positive note the movies soundtrack was stellar.  Through the film I was able to discover a band named The Boxer Rebellion, Check them out here.  They are your better than average indy band living in California from across the pond; UK.  100% worth the listen.   

They have some more up-tempo stuff, but this song was in the movie.

Also if you are into Dexter, which I am, then you know that the season finale is on tonight. 101.9 RXP, the best rock station in the country right now, interviewed Michael C. Hall about the series this past week. Here is the interview, I enjoyed it on my way to work that morning

Just some linkage

Big Geek Moment.

You should definitely check out this visual representation of Girl Talk's All Day Visual Mash Up!

I have been attempting to use twitter increasingly.  At the release of the website I was quite aprehensive of it's usefulness, I made an account but never really used it.  As of late I have been following my favorite music artists and websites along with Spin, Rolling Stone, and NME magazines.  The most notable epiphany from my new use of twitter has been the gorilla'z advent calendar along with the announcement of their new album recoreded solely on an iPad.  http://gorillaz.com/xmas

The West Coast is back!

Loving Broken Bells right now, although not enjoying their radio single as much as this song:

It is cold, but I guess I’m okay with that

Walking out of the house this morning, the mercury reads 20 F.  Frost has seized the grass that crunches beneath my feet and the extremities of my vehicle.  It smells like winter; a blend of dry, frigid air mixed with the aroma of burning wood. As my breath condenses into water vapor, I insert my key into the ignition to warm up the car before heading to work.  The sky threatens of snow, as gray clouds collide to form a low ceiling of gloom.

 

Moving from South Florida back to New Jersey has been an adjustment to say the least.

Living back with the family and renewing the northeastern attitudes have been cake, but the most glaring difference has been the weather. 

 Down there it’s in the 50’s and people are complaining that it is cold.   The forecast for Palm Beach this week is dry and sunny everyday with little chance of precipitation.  The weather isn’t the key variable though; weather merely reflects the tone of residents and the overall mood of the area.  In Florida, it is always the weekend, life’s always a beach, and it is probably 5 o’clock somewhere (I hate you Jimmy Buffett).  Here in New Jersey life is all about the deep water ports and the coming and going of personnel and goods.  Cheaper, suburban living is constantly sought out as most commute into the Big City.  The time to work is always, and everyone a hustler.  If you want to make a buck, then here is the place. Sleep is for the weak and the pace is quickened.  Walk briskly with your head down, your iPod blaring, and your coat drawn.   

Sometimes I miss my life in the South, but I guess I’m okay with Jersey for now, at least this is home.  

Shipping Up to Boston

Last night I decided to delve into both sides of the Crime movie coin, both comedy and drama.    I’ll start with the more lighthearted of the two first.  The movie Bottle Rocket, directed by Wes Anderson was first in the queue.   Starring Luke and Owen Wilson, the plot follows Luke Wilson’s voluntary release from a mental hospital and his antics with friend Owen Wilson (Dingman) as they attempt to pull off seemingly simple heists.   This film was recommended to me by a friend at work and I Ioved it, but many of my co-workers complained that they never get Wes Anderson’s movies.  Maybe it’s the dialogue or the mood of the movies that make viewers take them too seriously.  The banter between Owen and Luke was great, Owen Wilson never fails to disappoint with his ignoramus statements and blundering false intelligence.  The key factor in the chemistry between the two was Luke Wilsons melancholy attitude vs. Owen Wilsons enthusiasm throughout.  

Wes Anderson did a great job in directing what was not a hilarious movie, but rather a brilliantly funny movie. 

As a side note, this movie did not make any money.  The budget was estimated at 7 million, and the movie only grossed just over 1 million. 

Second, and more notably, I caved and watched The Town last night, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck.  When I first saw the trailer for this movie, warning alarms, buzzers, lights, laser beams and motion capture cameras all activated in the fortress of my brain.  “Here comes a terrible movie” my inner psyche defiantly declared.  In my mind, I imagined the movie byline, “Its Ben Affleck as you’ve never seen him before, in Boston, with the accent, a chip on his shoulder, smarter than his peers, and going for the good girl when he knows he can’t have her.”  Sounds to me like Good Will Hunting with automatic weaponry.  I even heard someone call this movie a cross between the Departed and Heat, which is one of the boldest movie statements made in the history of the universe.   

Much to my avail, this movie was acceptable.  I was pleasantly surprised by the acting, the dialogue and the plot.  The first scene had very high energy to set the tone;  although it does not surpass the opening scene of Heat or The Dark Knight, it was good enough.  Portraying the underworld of Boston’s criminal organizations, the warring ghettos and past debts; the movie shines just enough light into Doug MacRay’s (Affleck) character to make you feel bad for him.  I don’t even like Ben Affleck and I hate everything about Boston… yet this movie is still deserving of a look regardless of any pre-conceived hatred of its elements. 

And here are some related videos, the first, always makes me want to drink Guinness and punch the nearest person in the face.

 

The King is Back

Atlanta’s self proclaimed King of South will be releasing his 7^th studio album on this coming Tuesday .  About a week early, the full album leaked on the internet and I was able to get a listen.  Entitled, No Mercy (changed from King Uncaged), the record is meant to be the third in a trilogy that included T.I. vs T.I.P. and Paper Trail.  Featuring the likes of Eminem, Drake, Christina Aguilera and the Neptunes, the album sports the classic southern swag we have all grown to love from Mr. Clifford Joseph Harris.  There are a few throw away tracks on the album, but right away I picked out four stand out songs after my  second listen through:

Track 5: That’s All She Wrote Ft. Eminem

Track 6: No Mercy Ft. The-Dream

Track 12: Poppin Bottles Ft. Drake – pay special attention to the Drakes verse

Track 14: Castle Walls ft Christina Aguilera – hook might be a little corny but I like the songs overall feel.

A noticeable difference in darkness between No Mercy and Paper Trail is evident, most likely due to T.I.’s recent release from prison on drug charges (which he has gotten in trouble for again).  While Paper Trail featured club banger after club banger, No mercy takes a darker turn.  Call it a downgrade on the energy and an upgrade on the lyricism.  I’ve been following T.I. for quite some time now, and looking all the way back to King, he has had quite the career.  

Have the skills fallen off?  Not really, although the production could have been better.  At times some of the beats feel repetitive and not as catchy as I would like.  Other than that, my gripes are limited so for now, the King is Back.  The south is definitely due for an ignition, and this is sure to start it up.  Be on the lookout for Wayne’s return to the limelight, coming straight out of Louisiana to combust hip hop heads everywhere with The Carter 4

Also,

Here is another great video that I found the other day through the usual mediums.  Love the music that goes with it as well.  

Turkey Fest Hangover

Much to my dismay this morning, I was awoken by a perturbing ringing.  My eyes opened and my vision grew clear as I began to slowly acclimatize to my surroundings.  What is this odd sound I asked?  What is this strange light blinding me from the night stand?  A few moments pass; I laid there in disbelief surrounded by the comfort of my bed.  Reaching out, I grasp my phone to silence this disturbing annoyance.  The time reads 7AM, but why am I waking up so early?  Thanksgiving break is over, and it’s time to go round the circle of the real world one more time this joyous Monday morning.   

To review some entertainment I consumed over the all too short, 4 day Turkey Fest….

This weekend was a festival of weird.  I finally finished Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, which was a sad and strange commentary on the depravity of man and the backward thinking of war as a whole.  The novel could be compared to Heart of Darkness (Conrad), but in Italy in the 40’s.  Add some sarcasm, an oddly cyclical plot, strange ranting and puns and you get Catch 22.  Heller’s writing is genius and the novel is an intense read.  I found myself having to look up words here or there; the book was a vocabulary expander.  In the end it wasn’t all that satisfying.  Although it had its moments, I found myself reading it just to finish it.  If you are into historical fiction, and you want to scoff at some very dry, ironic, puns, this is definitely the book for you, but be prepared for mayhem and confusion.  The tale has been called one of the greatest literary works of the twentieth century, and I can see why.  It just wouldn’t be my 1^st choice as a genre.
Next up on my reading list is Carrie, by Stephen King.  I am about 20 pages in, and hooked just from the foreword along with the opening pages. 

Movies

Recently, I watched the movie Being John Malkovich, I know its older, but I had never seen it.  The movie stars John Cusack who find a portal at his office into the mind of John Malkovich.  He can then control and become John Malkovich, using his notoriety to pursue his ailing puppeteering career.  By far one of the oddest movies I have seen but worth it to watch Malkovich at his best.  Exploring the dichotomy of mind and body is difficult to express well through cinema, but Spike Jones translates the writing of Charlie Kaufman to the silver screen accurately.  The movie is just weird, it leaves you with an odd satisfaction along with the feeling that what you have just witnessed scrambled up your brains like an egg on Sunday Morning.  If you haven’t seen it, this movie is worth a watch, or even a second look;  A very intriguing depiction of mind control as insane as the plot may be.

New Music Album, 4x4 = 12 – Deadmau5

The Planet’s hottest house music dj is back to drop another album on December 6^th, but it has already leaked, purposefully or not, no one can be sure; but it is floating out there.  Whether you find it pre-release or wait, this album is worth a listen when you get your grubby little hands on it. 

Featuring the classic Deadmau5 energy and sound spectrum, the album is on par with the best of the previous installments.  11 tracks of club bangers, each song will get your hands in the air or your foot on the gas pedal.  Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman) is 29 years old and hails from Ontario, Canada.  One the biggest main stream Djs as of late, his notoriety came from a song he sold on beatport entitled “This Is The Hook” which he wrote to mock how easy it is to compose a catchy house music track.  Obviously it is very simple for Zimmerman to make tracks because he has released 11 Discs worth of Albums, EPs, Mix Albums and digital releases with no noticeable drop off in composition or inspiration level.

A total geek, gear head, and non grassroots DJ, Deadmau5 is something of an oddity in the world of Electronic Dance Music.  According to a Rolling Stone article, he doesn’t even like to party, and if it weren’t for his gig as an artist he would not even be clubbing.  Either way this guy is tearing up dance floors all over the world, co-headlining at UMF this past February in Miami and gigging across the globe.  His live show is great and his new album is worth a listen so go out and get it! 

And finally, here is a sick quote from my buddy Chuck Palahniuk. 

…no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close

Your Black Friday Fix

TV

Dexter

Usually TV is lame, drawn out, and commercial filled.  It is rare for me to find a show really worth watching. The only time you will find me watching TV will be during a sporting event or if I have something that I am following DVR’d. Lately, I am following not one, but two shows religiously.  The first show is Dexter airing on Showtime on Sunday nights at 9PM.  Based upon the novels by Jeff Lindsay, the show is set in Miami and follows a forensic blood spatter analyst played by Michael C Hall through his turbulent, double-sided life.  The shows central conflict revolves around Dexter’s issues from his childhood and his battle to juggle his personal, professional, and serial killer life. 

I discovered this show after the first three seasons had aired, and through the beauty of movie rentals my friends and I consumed all 3 seasons in 2 weeks.  I have been addicted ever since.  If you aren’t watching this show already you need too.  I have had some friends complain about the acting, but I don’t agree with them.  The voice over is great and the plot is always disturbing.  Definitely worth a look.

The Walking Dead

The second show that I have recently caught up on is The Walking Dead.  Recommended to me by my comic book crazed cousins, this zombie show, on AMC on Sunday nights at 10PM, is by far the coolest thing to hit television this year.  Based on the comic book created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, the show follows Rick Grimes a small town deputy in his journey through a zombie filled Georgia.  The show is chock full of kills, and also some very interesting drama fueled by well written dialogue.  Good Zombie movies are hard to come by and I often feel dissatisfied with most, although Call of Duty keeps my hope in the Zombie concept alive.  This show is definitely worth your attention if you can get caught up. 

Also if you are a fan of the zombie idea, check out Zombie Land, and the book World War Z (by Max Brookes), both of them were most recent endeavors I had into the zombie world and completely worth it.

Movies.  Zombies are the counterculture to the vampire-retardedness going on as of late so get out there and be a nonconformist.

Movies

Inception

Well it finally came out on DVD, sort of.  I watched Inception last night for the second time since seeing it in the movie theater long ago.  The movie is just as good the second time around, although I guess the experience isn’t as good due to the lack of an Imax theater in my house.  This movie was one of the best this year, and Dicaprio is better than ever in it, I don’t even mind Juno (Ellen Page) in it either.  Combining elements of the Matrix and James Bond, Inception is a mind melter, leaving the audience wondering at the films end.  Many complained that they didn’t get this movie, which I cannot understand at all.  They couldn’t figure out all the levels and which was real and which was not.  It all made perfect sense to me.  If you have half a brain you will understand this movie, so sit on your couch, blast the volume and be prepared to have your world shattered by Christopher Nolan.

Music – No New Albums to Report, but here’s some cool stuff anyway.

Hit this whole playlist up, definitely in a house mood today.

I also just thought this was an awesome picture so I am throwing it in here.  

Some Thanksgiving Pregaming

Ah, the week of Thanksgiving, a time of stuffing your face, spending time with your family, watching football and overall vegetation, an ode to the pillaging of a race of indigenous people happening to live where the white man landed. :) Just kidding, I don't care.  A shortened work week is sure to give me some time, and aid in my endless search for all things awesome.  I had a busy weekend, but I did manage to delve into some entertainment and hopefully bring you the best of it. 

Movies

As of late, I have been on this whole 90’s crime binge with my movies.  Over the weekend I watched both Rounders, and Knockaround guys. 

Rounders follows Matt Damon, and friend Ed Norton in their path to grandeur as they attempt to build a fortune by way of high stakes card games, most notably no limit Texas hold'em.  Although I am not a fan of poker, I don’t play, not really interested in the game at all, the movie still held my attention.  Norton is one of my favorite actors, and the chemistry between him and Damon was portrayed well.  On a more fundamental level, I can relate to the theme of the movie.  Damon is a law student in the movie who also struggles with his love for high stakes card games.  He is torn between having a stable, yet boring life as a lawyer and the thrilling life of a gambler.  Struggling between stability and excitement/creativity is something I struggle with all the time, juggling the 9 to 5 with some real creativity and production at night time.  Overall I give the movie a 7.5

Knockaround Guys was a decent movie, I love John Malkovich, but I hate Vin Diesel.  There were both moments of brilliance, and utter cheesiness.  As an action star, Diesel is great, but the second he opens his mouth and starts monologing about street fights, or about how he lives his life a quarter mile at a time, something inside me dies.  The whole plot of the movie follows Barry Pepper in his quest to make his own way and not be overshadowed by his Mob boss father, who has given him everything.   He and his crew end up in the Midwest after a job goes wrong which in the end makes Matty Demrest (Pepper) realize what he wants in life.  I give it a 6, I was hoping for a deeper, more gangster plot; when really the comedy was lost somewhere between Vin Diesel’s monologing and intermittent intensity. 

I definitely will be movie binging over the weekend.  Inception, PI and Being John Malkovich should all be on their way. 

Music

Musically, this week has been somewhat dry.  The crown jewel is definitely the release of the Tron Legacy Soundtrack.  The French duo Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo and Thomas Bangalter both composed and produced this album.  It is filled with epically classic music that will definitely get you psyched for the movie release.  Don’t expect any club hits though, this is not the Daft Punk of old.

Here are some other songs I have been vibing too as the week has gone one. I hope you enjoy, I also have been listening to All Killer No Filler by Sum41, hit it up, it will take you back.  

Also, Eminem is on the cover of Rolling Stone, if you can get your hands on the issue the article about him is great (I am a biased fan).  America can simply not get enough of Mr. Marshall Bruce Matthers.  I am still blasting The Recovery in my car. I only hope for more greatness as the release of Dr. Dre's long awaited Detox is officially, about half way done (according to Em) 

Stay thirsty my friends.

A Mid-Week Fix For All My Fiends

My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys

So this morning I stumbled upon My Chemical Romance’s new album entitled Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys  and I am shocked by the quality of the record.  I am not going to sit here and lie to you about how I was such a big MCR fan growing up and how I think that their earlier stuff was sooooo much better than their new stuff.  I liked Three Cheers, barely liked the Black Parade, and have not really dabbled any further into the band.  After reading an article in Rolling Stone about My Chem and how they completely scrapped a finished album and started over, I was greatly anticipating this new one.  The lyrics in the album are in the same dark-ish tone as the usual My Chemical Romance tradition, but the music tends to lean to more light, arena rock, drive fast in your car,tone.  I like it, although many may not, but I guarantee that they get on the radio again and that MCR’s up and coming tour will be very successful.

Be sure to listen to the Only Hope For Me Is You, its light, possibly corny, but I enjoyed it.

Here are some other songs that came to mind today although I am not sure why.  

Check this Fly like a G6 remix by my friend The Get, you'll love it.

Far East Movement - Like a G6 (The Get Remix) *DL LINK IN DESC* by The Get

Can't get over this song

11/15 - Monday Night Entertainment

It is Monday night, and all is quiet.  As usual, I am watching sports, the Redskins are playing the Eagles in a mud filled, rain driven display of athleticism on the grid iron.  Currently Michael Vick, convicted felon, is putting on a clinic for eagerly watching quarterbacks across the states.  Washington has just returned with a touchdown of their own, yet the score remains at 35-7 in the second quarter.  Vick is focused, a result of his 23 months in prison...lots of time for push-ups and thinking in there.


Here is some entertainment to hopefully get you through this work week.

Movies

I slacked on movies this weekend due to a riotous arrival and departure from my current favorite place on earth West Palm Beach Florida.  I will write about this trip further, but that is for another entry.  As of now all I have to offer is  a short review of Audio Slave Live in Cuba, a concert DVD portraying Cuba’s first ever American band stand.  The communist government of Cuba, for some reason, allowed Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk to play a free show for one night in Havana.  The DVD rocked, but left me wanting.  Although I am a fan, maybe my nostalgia over the break up of Rage Against the Machine has lead me to be unimpressed by Audioslave.  Cornell’s vocals sounded weak at the venue, but the musical stylings of Morello kept my hope alive.  In conclusion, the DVD just made me miss Rage Against the Machine more.  Midway through the show, the band played Bulls on Parade and People of the Sun, that first note of snare in BOP still gives me chills as the bass kicks in and Tom Morello grinds away.  I’ll never forget what the crowd looked like when I watched RATM at Randall’s or the wide angle shot of their Live at the Olympic Auditorium in LA DVD.  

I highly recommend Live at the Olympic Auditorium and also Live at Slane Castle, which is the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing for 50,000 people in Ireland.

I do have a few movies in the queue which I will review as the week progresses.  I bought Toy Story 3 on blue ray as a gift for my newly 7 year old sister.  An attempt to choke back tears will be made, I remember seeing the movie release and it was a highly entertaining and emotional movie.  More name dropping to come. 

 Music

Kanye West’s Dark Twisted Fantasy is out, and I must say I am unimpressed.  It warrants no overzealous pomp, as did 808’s and Heartbreak.  There are a few throw away tracks and a few winners although most of those feature other strong artists.  It would seem that the d-bag has outweighed the genius at the moment.  I only hope that he does not make a fool of himself any further in the upcoming days.  Already he has been captured free styling over the PA system on a flight, which might I add, was not all that great.  I give it a 6, but I am going to keep listening to see if the album grows on me.  The video for Runaway is cool though, 

A Day To Remember released a new album this week as well entitled What Separates Me From You.  I am undecided about it, while listening to it all the way through I was not unimpressed by the songs, yet none stood out to me. It was difficult to pull out a single or an overly strong track.  Again I will continue to listen, but at a glance I am not blown away.

Finally, Girl Talk, crack-Dj from Philadelphia has released a new album for free called All Day which is actually impressive.  I have been a fan since the release of Night Ripper and have always thought that Greg Gillis was on point with all of his mash ups.  My only gripe was that his mixes often seemed scattered and too short, hopping to quickly without allowing me to settle into a grove.  All Day does away with all my issues, longer grooves, sicker mash ups and a free album, you cant beat it.  Find it here, don’be worried if you don’t get it on the first try, it took me a few times.  



To bring back an oldie, while browsing NME’s front page I stumbled upon a list of top 25 debut albums.  The Smith’s self titled album was up at the top, and definitely worth a re listen. These guys have been named the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British Independent Rock Scene, a large boast, and probably true.  

Book

I am Still reading Catch-22 I got through a good deal of it on my plane rides and have made it about half way through.  The book is a hilarious and somewhat confusing satire about World War 2 written by Joseph Heller.  Filled with punch lines countless circular flashbacks and flashforwards, Heller focuses on character description and development.  J.J. Abrams, co-writer of Lost must have been taking notes when he read the book because the roots of Heller’s story weaving can definitely be traced into the overall theme of Lost, minus the dripping sarcasm of course.  The book definitely has my attention.  It is not an easy read, filled with a high level vocabulary and complex imagery.  Although very descriptive, I am not yet bored of the picture Heller paints, he never overdoes it.  


Carrie or Gunslinger by Stephen King are next on my “To Read” list.

Enjoy your work week!  Stay motivated and always have something to look forward to!