Electric Water

Back 2 Life

2009-12-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

I very seriously doubt the few people that did take a look at what I wrote in the first place will still be checking around here after I've been off the radar for 2 years.

I've been through a lot, and I'm better for it on the other side.

I can't say that what I'll comment about now will be any more useful or interesting, but I am going to try to put up things on a more regular basis.

To any friends that only had this as a link to where I was, I'm still around. You need to catch up, drop me a line at chernab0g@hotmail.com.

To anyone else, I offer this to you - if you are in love, tell that person right now how much. If you are sad, listen to some music. It can be happy music that you can't resist, or it can be the darkest blues that help make you break through the sorrow, but let music do its magical best to help your mood. If you feel like you can't seem to find your Christmas spirit, give a gift of yourself to a stranger. Buying a gift for the friends at the office, or even your family can feel like just another part of a list, but if you do something selfless and different, you'll be hard pressed not to feel warm even on a cold, wet night like this...

Get Up Stand Up

2007-08-01T07:47:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if it's the juxtaposition of man's decent into a mutated sense of over-masculinity against the desire to understand the post-revolution woman, but I am faced with a very serious peeve.

Maybe I'm alone in this one, and I'm the one with the problem, but why are there so many piss sissies lately?

This phenomenon is limited to the men's bathroom, so allow me to clarify exactly what I mean (for those of you who have never been within). A gentleman's lavatory consists of: urinals, toilet stalls, sink(s) and paper towel dispenser, or the dreaded "blow dryer of death" that seems to assail you with enough force to peel skin, yet still leaves your hands moist.

For whatever reason, more and more men seem inclined to urinate standing up in a bathroom stall instead of using the urinal, for which it stands. Let me say that I completely understand that if the urinals are all occupado, then certainly the stall is your only option, and by all means, let loose like Victoria Falls, or the proverbial racehorse.

I'm not sure if these men are just ashamed of their penis size, or completely homo-phobic, but I'd probably guess the former over the latter as the root cause. I realize that there is a certain amount of pseudo-disrobing that is necessary, but unless you're an exhibitionist or you are actually saddled with a genuine voyeur, there's nothing exposed to any easily-visible sightlines. Maybe there's an entire generation of men that are coming from parents that allow school and television to teach, and something is simply missing in their education.

I suppose it could be worse - if the gents were heading into the stalls and sitting down to pee, that would be an even bigger problem.

Although this may seem like an odd grievance, I had to get it off my chest. I don't think it's too much to ask. We're not in Germany, and we aren't haunted by femi-nazi "toilet ghosts", so there's really no reason for all of this.

All I'm asking is that you stand up and take matters into your own hands. Man up, and use the urinals before they become extinct. If you allow that to happen, then maybe you're in the wrong restroom to begin with...

Light of Love

2007-04-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

there once was a shadow who longed
to be more, to reclaim wonder of long ago
the dark was thrilling and freeing
but there was much to slip between the fingers
resigned to the sentence of night
bound to the blackness of saying no
drunk on the most bitter tinctures
till only the aftertaste of regret lingers
abused, denied, betrayed and wronged
but the greatest wounds all self-inflicted
hope was the punchline to the funniest joke
that he would never learn to laugh

the shadow could smile, could mimic and pretend
this spectre would become son, brother or friend
white-washed just enough to nearly best
the noir that separated him from the rest

swinging around, as by a derelict puppeteer
slung poorly on strings of condemned and convicted
while mangled gestures and crude emotions
tumbled out along his blind path
he knew of the light of day, but not wholly
more like the etiolated impressions of infancy
stolen memories of someone he might have been
or perhaps just wished he could be
here is the character, almost solely
bound to the stone that whistles downward
through the abyss only the maker has seen
in the center of what could be a great heart

half hidden and heavy-lidded, he proceeds
driven but aimless, traveling without moving
skirting the light while tethered to the gravity
of mothing a flame he can neither possess nor extinguish
in twilight he grapples with the weight
of his flicker that will leave no proving
no anti-sun ever cast shade on the beaming world
yet even a dying light helps an umbra distinguish

if passing is my purpose, the footfalls full
as I lose my dreams, yet feel their pull
of shimmering, shining purpose untamed
only to sing the unsung with a title unnamed

though I cling to the life that beats me down
I have moments of purity that thrill my soul
by grace, I am still granted so much good
as the veil never obscures, and I live the lesson true
if I let pity reign, my tears would drown
I would rather battle and miss a worthy goal
I always strive to be more than misunderstood
by faith, cause dark substance, in a sunbeam, to imbue
I have loved light, and in return, but never can possess it
I have been accepted, but never belong, and I can only bless it
bless the light, the love, and those who bask
in the glow of that elusive bright
of the eyes that see this dimness, I can only ask
that you cast me in a forgiving light

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

2007-02-06T03:05:00.000-05:00

ALBUM REVIEW

If you've read any of my blog, then you'll notice that I really dig these guys. This album is no different. I do my very best to be objective, and I'll call them when they make a bad song. It's just that they really don't make that many. This album is being slated as the sequel to "Absolution", but I think that if it is, then it's a sequel like Empire is to A New Hope.

This album has so many different influences and styles on it, it would seem scattegorical mounted by anyone else. Matthew Bellamy's vocals wail and soar above the very dense sound that this three-piece can create. Chris Wolstenholme's bass work is sometimes limited by the straight-forward rhythm of some of the songs, but he usually finds ways to shine throughout. Dominic Howard provides the framework for all of thundering and pounding of the hardest rocking songs, and the understated backbone to the stripped down softer tunes. Musically, they never cease to amaze me. Vocally, the leads and the harmonies all sound fantastic to me. Lyrically, they even manage to step above the typical "goth" and give real feeling to some of their bleaker themes, and true heart in their poignant moments as well. This is a very fine album, so let me get into telling you why I think so.

I know that I may give you another band as a reference of how someone sounds. Even though I try to avoid it, it seems almost inevitable, and a very effective way to let you know what to expect. "Take A Bow" is techno- tinged Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I'm not just saying that because that band has my last name in it - I'm saying it because it's true. From the spacey keyboards that start things off to the guitars that eventually come in, this is grand, sweeping strokes. There is almost always a touch of outer space in all of Muse's work, but this one clearly embraces that aesthetic. It's not my favorite way to open an album, but it's no throw-away track either.

"Starlight" was the first track I latched onto from this album, and it's still one of my favorites. Vocals to the fore on this romantic track, and keyboards in the front seat also. The chorus is simple, and yet very evocative to me. I count this as one of my favorite songs they do overall. This definitely has already made it's way onto several mix CD's.

There's a bit of Mr. Roboto hiding in the circuits of "Supermassive Black Hole". The title of the track is given in a electrified voice effect, and that suits the song just fine. This is danceable, fuzzy guitared funkiness with a slithering vocal track that would make Prince proud. It's got a lot going on, and a lot going for it, and it's hard not to get into the groove.

The new new wave is here. Echoing guitars that sound like they're reverberating off the rings of Saturn drench this complex and intoxicating song. This song is so thick with sonic goodies, I feel full when I'm done listening to it. I think that "Map of the Problematic" is a fantastic song, and it might be where I introduce people to Muse from now on.

"Soldier's Poem" is a short, somber funeral. It's whispered vocals show that there is a beauty to mourning. The words are haunting, and particularly powerful right now. I don't like political statements, but this is almost so touching that it goes beyond that.

Guitars come whistling by like the howling wind in "Invincible", which plays out like a loping love poem written while listening to Pink Floyd. It's strong, and seamless, and very good stuff.

If the last song had you drifting, "Assassin" gets you racing. From the middle-eastern maelstrom of the intro, we slip into a thrashing beat. This is disciplined chaos, or frantic symmetry. Fast and fierce and relentless, and I love that about it.

"Exo-Politics" is probably my least favorite song on the album. That being said, it struts in like a bully, daring you to ignore it, and then has the nerve to throw a theremin in there, just because it can. The only real problem I have with it is that it sounds a little too much like other Muse songs, and just doesn't resonate with me as it's own new creation like the rest of the album.

Typically, the addition of strings in rock tends to either fail miserably, and just sound odd, or make the entire track sound like an ELO throwback. "City of Delusion" doesn't do either of those. It begins understated, with acoustic guitar, and it makes that first verse something special when the strings come in. The strings weave through the song, like the thick plume of smoke from the Arabian hookah that they seem spawned from. As a bonus, if you listen closely, you can hear a great impersonation of a didgeridoo.

"Hoodoo" is, by definition, a magic spell. From the opening drunken flamenco, that leads to pleading vocals seeking solace, this song puts a mean whammy on you. Piano comes crashing in like the locomotive hinted at in the lyrics at that point, and just adds more layers of intensity. A sampling of why I do enjoy these songs lyrically can be found at the end of this song:

I've had recurring nightmares
that I was loved for who I am
and missed the opportunity
to be a better man

If you think they saved the best for last, then you may be right. "Knights of Cydonia" is a fantastic song. It's an electro-galloping epic that the Magnificent Seven wish they had ridden to. If you're familiar with Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, this song belongs with Roland, and his ka-tet. For those of you unfamiliar, imagine a world with medieval chivalry, magic of the arcane and the technological, and a cowboy leading the way. It's such a satisfying way to end this album.

All in all, this might be my favorite Muse album. I'm trying to weigh it against the others, and be sure that it's not just the newness talking, but I do believe it's filled with many wonderful new songs that have and will continue to be great with each listen. I believe I've said before that Muse definitely has a sound, and if you really don't like it, you might want to leave them alone. I think it would be a shame not to listen to this album, even if you have tried them in the past.

Rating = ****1/2 out of 5 stars

Avenged Sevenfold

2007-01-31T05:38:00.000-05:00

Leave it to me not to put anything up here for so long, and come back on such an odd note, but it seems to be my way.

I know that it's not a recent film, and I certainly know now just what kind of a film it is, but I must warn you all of a menace. You know those movies that you mean to go see, but don't get to, and then you mean to rent, or watch on cable, and you still don't ever seem to be in the mood? One day, it just clicks, and you have motive and opportunity, and you flip on one of these movies.

It's a remake of a very good television show, with one of the hottest chicks that ever was on TV. The movie version has what should be a fantastic cast. Most of them can act their pants off (although the one you'd like to do that doesn't, at least in my opinion). For a bonus, it even has my favorite comedian in a small role.

I know I haven't given you much to work on there, so I'll end the suspense. The "movie" in question was "The Avengers". Classic TV, suave, and distinctly British, but in the good way, not in the one that makes you just want to slap 'em. The cast assembled is Ralph Fiennes, Sean Connery, and Uma Thurman. Sounds good so far, right? Oh, if only.

I will admit that I didn't pay complete attention to the entire film. That's not to say that my review of it isn't fair, or that I didn't see enough of it to give an accurate accounting of it's merit. It's just that I spent the better part of every scene looking around in disbelief, trying to find someone that could explain why the movie sucked so badly.

You know the cheesiness of a Pink Panther movie that's part of it's charm? Imagine achieving that unintentionally. The acting was weak on all accounts. The storyline was crack'd, even for over-the-top espionage plotlines. There was no chemistry between John Steed and Emma Peel, and that's just a travesty.

I'd give you a synopsis of the plot, but I really can't bring myself to do that. What I will talk just a little bit longer about is the singularly most bizarre element of the film. For no discernible reason, the bad guy(Connery) and his henchmen all don oversized, sports team mascot-like bear costumes. They're brightly colored, and look like a Grateful Dead album. There's an odd symmetry to that, because [please forgive the journey to the vulgarium] the writers of this film, if not the actors themselves, had to be TRIPPING BALLS to come up with something so ridiculously unnecessary and against type. I'm a man that's in full support of surrealism, but that's not what this was. It was just painful.

I love movies, and I enjoy a great deal of them. I like movies that I know are bad, but that's why I love them. This movie is bad in a way that only a mother could love, and she'd probably be lying too.

I really doubt that any of you reading this will have any reason or cause to watch something this old, but it happened to be On-Demand, and I watched it, and I wish I could have that time back. If I had any left, I'd say it stole my innocence. I see a movie like this, and I understand why there's a Die Hard 4 in production. I welcome a tired sequel at this point, with my arms wide open, and my disbelief as suspended as it can be...

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

2006-12-09T05:31:00.000-05:00

ALBUM REVIEW

I know this album isn't exactly new at this point, but it doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's safe to say that I've always been a fan of these guys, and what's continued to amaze me is that as they mellow, they've been able to produce some really choice songs that are often only fully appreciated with distance. I know that everyone heard "Under the Bridge" a zillion times, but if you can go back, and listen to it now, it's really something great.

While the fellas can still be madcap, zany, raunchy and wild, it's the moments when they show what they've learned along the way that really standout. This is a double album, which is an undertaking that immediately gains my attention. The question is always whether the artist just had a lot of junk laying around and couldn't edit themselves, or did they create a really big something good. I think that this album is the latter. Not only is the musicianship here some of the best the band's put forth, but there is a feeling that these two discs of music are a part of one cohesive record.

It doesn't hold a lot of rockers on it, but it does have a lot of guitar nonetheless. You can't have Flea in your band, and not end up with some great bass work, and that's still there as well. I will say that Anthony Kiedis' greatest strength as a vocalist is that he's not a great one. He gets the most out of what he has, and I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that both Flea and the returned John Frusciante provide backing and harmony vocals for him.

As with almost any album, there are some tracks I love, and others I could have done without. This is really a nice batch of music though, so let's get along to the cosmos they hath wrought.

If you haven't seen the video for the single "Dani California" then just listen to the song first. It is an excellent bouncing romp in typical fashion, and will have you hooked rather easily. There's a real thunder to the guitars in the chorus, but they're almost hidden behind the catchy vocals. The Peppers always seem to have a killer single from their albums, and this is no exception. Speaking of that video, it's one of the best of the year, as it takes us down many a musical path of the past with uncanny accuracy(and a freakin' awesome guitar solo).

The fluid guitar run that flows through "Snow (Hey Oh) is what grabbed me right away. The song tumbles along musically, and the vocals counterpoint at each juxtaposition. There's almost a rhythmic chant quality to this song, and it's definitely one of my favorites from the whole bunch.

There's nothing wrong with throwing a sunny, funky song that's just slap-bassy, and wacka-chicka guitary enough to make you feel at home. Sure, the guys can probably do "Charlie" standing on their head, and this might have just been some improv that became a song. It doesn't set the world on fire, but it doesn't make you want to leave either.

There's a very plaintive lilt to the spacey lyrics and the whole title track. "Stadium Arcadium" is all whispy and Milky Way, and as with some of the words, you might have to listen and delve a little to get the point, but there's always one there. Is it my favorite song? No, but it's really good music to have on to just lay back a little while.

Ahhh, the ultra funkee jam that is nothing but innuendo and bravado! Now we're in Pepperland. "Hump De Bump" is a straightforward song about Keidis' youth disguised as a Sly & the Family Stone jamboree. It's strictly undeniable, and a whole lot of fun with abandon.

For whatever reason, "She's Only 18" doesn't really grab me too much. It's once again a well-crafted song, and it's got hooks too. I am probably alone in my perception, but I feel like there's almost a bit of Cream in this one. I know that it's better to just describe a song on it's own merit, but I felt the need to put that one out there.

Maybe I was just gearing myself up for "Slow Cheetah" on that last track. This is a fantastically stripped-down ballad of dusty trails. It's sage brush and the way the shadows flicker from a campfire. If you listen really closely, I swear you can hear a coyote in the background. This has gotten many spins since my first listen, and it doesn't lose a thing.

"Torture Me" is a song that seems to be played at breakneck speed. I don't mean it's hyper-speed funk licks like Bad Brains or anything. I just mean that there's this feeling of being on the edge of control in this song. Everything seems pushed to the limits, and the keening vocals unpinned by softer, sweeter tones swirls together to make a very interesting blend.

I enjoy the sound that "Strip My Mind" has found. They've made vocals into their own instrument, and play a chorus of voices backmasked and warped over one another till it sounds like some mystical Native American chant from a sweat lodge fever dream. The lyrics might be cryptic, but the song is easy to understand as a plea against outward controls.

Have you ever wondered what an anthemic song with lyrics that seem to be an homage to Shel Silverstein would sound like? Grab yourself a seat, and listen in to "Especially In Michigan" and you'll be there. I've always been a big fan of nonsense, and there are a lot of songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers where the words are just a means to an end. I know that as musicians, it seems a shame to make a song that has lyrics if you're just going to make their delivery for delivering's sake, but I feel like that's what they've done here. Mind you, I think it's a very good song, even if I don't rightly know what it's about. Maybe you will...

I think that aside from the obvious connection, "Warlock" sounds a lot like "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" to me. There's that disjointed, stutter-step to the rhythm section that just keeps your interest all the way through. It doesn't hurt that it happens to have the late, great Billy Preston on there either.

There's another tribal feel to "C'mon Girl". The verses might be typical faire, but the chorus has a call-and-response sort of groove to it. That's not to say that those pace changes don't play well off of one another, and make for a very good song. It's a classic tale of boy meets girl, with dragons and laundromats.

The bluesy confessional of "Wet Sand" rolls along in an old pickup truck down a road with spanish moss hanging from the trees like curtains. It's one of those laid back ditties that I do so enjoy from these guys, and it's definitely another favorite. I think that it might be a real treat to see an acoustic set sometime in the future, with this featured.

We come to the end of disc one with "Hey", which sounds a little too much like some of the other songs we've heard before by this point. It's not a bad one, but it just seems like it could have been more.

Disc two starts of slowly. No big punch driving this one. It's "Desecration Smile" that comes humming in. It's a slow ballad, and very mellow. It's not pretty, but it's something close.

"Tell Me Baby" sounds a little bit like a mash-up of a few of the delivery methods of the band. It has the rap-like delivery of a "Give It Away", as well as the staccato bounce of a "Can't Stop", and then there's a sublime chorus that's instantly likeable, like the title track of Californication. If you've got to slap together a little retread Frankenstein's monster, then you could do a lot worse than this. It's definitely one of my favorite songs on here.

As the notes seem to fade and burn in and out in this song, "Hard To Concentrate" softly sneaks in some really touchingly sweet lyrics. This is a very romantic song, and also manages to be really enjoyable musically too. Another gem worth mining.

I should like "21st Century" more than I do. It has some blistering hot guitar work, and it even has a break that mimics the theme from Shaft, but overall, for whatever reason, it leaves me cold.

It's only fair that a song like "She Looks To Me" would become instantly appealing to me, based on the lyrics alone. Here is a roadsong, soaked in loneliness, and singing about the girl that looks to you to make things alright, and keep this world from making too little sense. This is definitely my favorite song on this disc, and I haven't decided if it's the best of both yet.

We delve a little heavier on "Readymade", and get some deep, grinding riffs going on. It's still not really heavy, but it's definitely the first song this disc that is a bit more straightforward from a rock standpoint. To me, it feels a little out of place here, and maybe a little like the drunk uncle in terms of awkwardness.

"If" doesn't share any of the same words as the Rudyard Kipling poem, but it is a poetic song. It's much like a lullaby, and is simple, and soft and beautiful. The guitar seems to coax it along, and the vocals are practically whispered. It's destined for heavy rotation on many mixdiscs.

Can you picture a throwback 60's pop song called "Make You Feel Better"? If you can't, then step right up, and press play, because that's what we have here. From the crisp drumming, the vocal nods, and the overall mood, this is just pure pop, and it's really good stuff.

"Animal Bar" has a lot of soul in it. You can feel it bubbling all the way through. For me, throw some Hammond organ on this, and a few sisters singing backup, and you've got a tour de force. As it is, it's a good tune, and definitely worth listening to, even if you can just hear the echoes of what might have been like I do.

We pick up the pace, and set it to frenetic on "So Much I". Vocal squawks and a desperation that lends itself to something between new wave and punk.

Straightforward rocker is the name of the game for "Storm In A Teacup". The story of a little girl lost, painted in broad musical strokes, and lyrical ones as well.

With a song titled "We Believe" you almost have to expect something anthemic. Although this isn't quite blatant, there's definitely a feel that the harmonics on the chorus, and all the backing vocals are made for a sweeping hook in the chorus, and the verses aren't too angular or odd to take away from the momentum of the song.

Just when I thought the disc was going to go out with a whimper, here comes "Turn It Again". From the tasty little lick that provides the waves to ride on this morsel o' goodness, to the strong chorus that drives the point home, this is what happens when a band that always keeps it funky can blend in the flavors to make something wholesome that'll stick to your ribs.

Swirling off into the cosmos they've painted, "Death Of A Martian" wraps things up with everything and the free-form poetry sink. It's more of a jangly, goofy note, but maybe that's how this should end. It's not cookie-cutter rock that needs to end on the power chord. It's odd, and it's special, and if you give it time, you may find that you really can enjoy what they're trying to do, even if you don't always know how they're getting you there.

I think this is a successful double album. I've heard that they have even more material to get into the studio on, and I can only think that's a good thing.

Rating = ***1/2 out of 5 stars

The Battle of Evermore

2006-11-07T05:27:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to put something up here about a movie that I've been excited to see since I took a gander at the graphic novel. Now that it's actually being made into a movie, and the trailer has landed, I'm ever more enthused to go see it.

The movie and book in question is simply named "300". It's a very visually compelling looking flick, and a whole lot of visceral fun. The same technique of filming everything against a blank digital slate, like Frank Miller's last project "Sin City", gives this film an other-worldy glow that seems to expand upon the grand scale of the battle.

The story here is one of legend, and it involves the combination of an irrepressable force of will, and the very best use of location on the battlefield. Our story centers around King Leonidas, his Spartans, and the Battle of Thermopylae.

You either love Frank Miller's style of storytelling or you don't. The same thing goes for the look of his projects in comic books. If you'd like a look at the source material, you can preview 7 pages of the graphic novel here.

If you check out the video diaries on the official site (linked in the title of this post), you can see some of the behind the scenes work. What is especially intriguing is the training sequence. You can see that the actors were put through rigorous training, unlike normal "get big and buff" type Hollywood stuff. These guys actually developed stamina and a bit of the iron strength that the Spartans they're portraying had, and it really shows the dedication to the craft.

If you like this sort of thing, then this should be the sort of thing you like. Wanna see the purty trailer, then Sparta up yon.

Thirty-Three

2006-10-10T02:58:00.000-04:00

I figured that since there's really no need to hide my age, I won't get the chance to use this song title as my subject line for any better purpose than today.

That many years ago, my mother saw fit to bring me into this world. I love her, and life very much. I've travelled many an odd and dark road to get to where I am today, but I truly feel that my best in life is yet to come. I still feel very young.

I suppose it's only natural to get a little introspective on your birthday, but I don't typically make a big deal about it. I don't really get a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the day. I'm actually working on my birthday, so it's not really a big deal. I'll get to celebrate with my family this Sunday, so I'm very happy to have that time with them.

I'm just very blessed to be alive, and have the people in my life that I do. I'm well and truly loved by a few, and that's far better than I deserve.

I hope that everyone can feel as cared for as I do on their birthday...

State of Man - Swallow Your Fears

2006-09-19T05:18:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

It's been a while since I've reviewed any music. There have been a few albums that I've listened to that I really need to get on here at blab about soon.

I couldn't keep putting this one off, because the CD was a gift. Not only is it signed, it's good. There's a southern rocker belle(that may sound like an improbable combination, but it's true) that is so connected with music it makes me terribly jealous. Lara's her name, and these fellas are her friends.

State of Man is getting a lot of good press, and from the four songs on the maxi-single I have, it's for a good reason. They're definitely radio-friendly, but not in some bereft way. These gents have latched on to a key element that it seems a lot of the marketing excuses for bands out there have skipped - how to craft a hook!

By the time you've heard any of these songs twice, you feel like you know them. They're well crafted, without being over-produced in any way. I don't even know what they are "categorized" as, but they're rock to me. There's a nice soulful touch to the vocals, and I think that you can hear the southeastern touch, without it ever being a bad thing. I think that lead singer, John Stringer, has an amazing ability to enunciate very clearly, and yet still infuse emotion into his voice. The guitars come over in a nice wave, and with moments of crunchiness that I'm very partial to. The rhythm section allows the tracks to remain simple, but also can pull along the driving force that's needed.

The single itself, Swallow Your Fears, comes sweeping in with a sparse arrangement and a nice wall of guitar sound. The real star here, for me, is the vocals, and when you get to the harmony in the chorus, it's instantly likeable. The lyrics are actually very positive too, and I hope it does very well. I'd much rather hear/see this on MTV than most of the stuff on there.

Echoing guitars strum "Be Still(My Heart)" into life. Once again, the lyrics are solid(I actually really like sentiment in the bridge), but the really choice thing is the way the chorus kicks in with the guitars sweeping up to meet it. I can see every crowd singing along to this song after the first verse. I've heard that State Of Man is great live, and with songs this accessible, I'm not surprised. This is anthemic, and could easily be a single itself.

"Bound In Chains" sounds the most southern to me - with it's piano and slower tempo. Maybe it's just me, but this song sounds laid back like a rainy day. The most soulful vocals come through on this one, and I really like it.

"Symmetry" wraps things up, and is probably the heaviest track. This has things cranked up, with the drums and the guitars to the fore. There's even an honest to goodness guitar solo on this song, and yet it still manages to have this infinitely catchy hook. Almost reminds me of Living Colour on this one, and if you know me, that's a pretty big compliment.

I think that if this is a taste of what they're capable of, then the full album is definitely worth snagging. Who couldn't use a few more rock songs in a row they can actually enjoy?

Rating = *** out of 5 stars

Done To Soon

2006-09-09T06:06:00.000-04:00

I know that I mentioned in my last post that I'd be getting some more on here soon. It's with a heavy heart that I put this one together.

My grandfather passed away earlier today.

He wasn't supposed to last as long as this, because he had already had a heart attack before, and had a pacemaker too. He had a variety of things against him, like diabetes(that I know he cheated about), sleep apnea, and probably other things I wasn't even aware of.

For some reason, the fact that he had lasted a lot longer than diagnosed made me have a feeling like he'd be around forever.

My father was there with his father when it happened, and my family seems to be doing well with things so far. The problem with my family is we tend to suppress, and I hope we can get through this in a more healthy fashion.

My grandfather was of the old school, and he was always wonderful to me. He was supremely generous, and always showed his love for me. I have many happy childhood memories with him. Many more memories of how he supported me while I was growing up, and even now that I'm older. I will miss him very much.

I am very glad that I was able to write him a long letter recently that recalled memories of us together, and let him know the ways I love and care about him. There is always a tendency to feel guilty about not spending more time, or telling someone you loved them enough. The truth is you can never tell them that enough, but I feel better knowing I told him fully, and it touched him.

I did reflect today on the dichotomy, and the fact that my wife was at a baby shower. Life does travel forward, and death is only a part of it. A very small part. I know I may not get over this for a while, but I do know that I would prefer to celebrate the rest of his life, instead of focusing on the end of it.

At the risk of sounding morbid, hug someone in your family today, and tell them you love them...

Big Foot

2006-09-05T07:54:00.000-04:00

You would think that as busy as I have been, when I finally got around to getting something else up here it would be something substantial.

Although I do have a lot that I want to get up here, and plan to try my best to maybe very much, it turns out that my news is something superficial.

I've been toying with the idea for a while, and decided yesterday to celebrate Labor Day by cutting 12 inches of hair off of my head. Believe it or not, this still leaves me with shoulder length locks, and although it's taking some getting used to feeling my ponytail brush across the back of my neck when I turn my head, I think it looks good, and is a nice change.

I haven't given up my long-hair credibility. I haven't gone the tragic way of the mullet.

I kinda like the feel of it so far. I'm not much of a judge of the look of it, because when I check out the mirror, it's all bad news, but I've gotten compliments already, so here's hoping...

Book of Dreams

2006-08-08T04:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, I done been tagged by Dave to chime in on some book questions, and I'm only too happy to oblige.

1. One book that changed your life

I have never read anything that can be so many different things at each subsequent sitting than the Bible. While I don't think it's the only inspired writing in the world, I do believe that it is divinely so, and it definitely has changed my life. In reading from the Bible, I always ask more questions than anything else, and I feel that asking questions is a very good thing.

If I were to limit the question to something written by one traditional author, then it would most definitely be The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. The first time I read that story, I really felt that I understood what well-written fantasy was all about. The more I've read it since, I think it just shows me what writing and dreaming are all about - and that's a far better thing indeed.

2. One book that you have read more than once

This distinction actually encompasses most of the books I've ever read. I think it would be a lot easier for me to list only the books I've read once. If we have to try to capture the ones I've read the most, then the aforementioned Narnia series is well-worn. From The Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz is a favorite of mine too. My copy of The Hobbit, and all the Lord of the Rings stories are really the worse for their wear. The Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice have haunted me several times. The Pendragon Cycle of Arthur, as told by Stephen Lawhead is still my favorite vision of that legend. For sheer numbers, I would have to turn to the catalogue of Dr. Seuss. Take any of his books, and I will have read them over and over more often than any other book put together.

3. One book you would want on a desert island

I think I would get the most long-term enjoyment out of a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. Not only could it make the term "coffee table book" really mean something, but the sheer mass of quality and variety really speaks to me. I really can't think of something that would serve me better for reading, or light furniture, in my island paradise.

4. One book that made you laugh

As a child there are many, many books that made me laugh. I still giggle incessantly when I read any of the collections of Shel Silverstein. For my laugh book, I'm going to go with Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. If you know me, then you probably won't be surprised that I picked a funny book that has to do with the apocalypse. What you will be surprised with is how great this book is when you sit down with it. You need to curl up with this book, and savor just how good it is to poke fun so perfectly.

5. One book you wish had been written

Aside from the few that I hope to pen myself, I would very much have loved to have been able to get Edgar Allen Poe to hammer something out with Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton. I know that Tim's not much of a writer, but just to have his touch in there would be enough for me. I don't care what they wrote about, but I know it would be nearly transcendental in wonder.

6. One book you wish had never been written

I have a hard time wishing a book had never been written. I will say that although I love Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, I think that his Cryptonomicon is just about the longest set of travels with the highest level of detail that I've ever been on - only to go nowhere.

7. One book that made you cry

I'm having a hard time thinking of this one. I would have to say that Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz did catch me off guard. It may be that it resonates with me a little more, but it certainly has the potential to be emotionally difficult.

8. One book you are currently reading

I'm currently reading The Wolf King by Alice Borchardt. It's an epic tale of intrigue, warfare and deceit with a werewolf on top. So far, it's a good read, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this series is wrapped up.

9. One book you have been meaning to read

I've been meaning to read a whole lot of books, and I have a hard time singling any one of them out. I do want to give the Lemony Snickett's a go, so we'll go with that...

2006-08-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

Long Distance Runaround

2006-07-29T05:09:00.000-04:00

Oy!

I know it's been forever since I put a darn thing on here, and the few people that actually did bother to read here have probably all since scurried on to more cozy nooks in the 'net.

I recently took some time off, and joined Amena in her annual sojourn to the Mary Kay convention. I will say that I went there in support of her, and must have been doing something right this year(I won the husband of the year award for her unit).

I'm not going to sugarcoat this - the trip wasn't great on the surface. Flying gave me a migraine, the days were very structured and didn't leave much time for anything else, I didn't even get that much time with Amena, the food was passable, everything was expensive, and Amena didn't feel well a lot of the time(which always gets me down), the hotel didn't have a pool, it was hot(Dallas in July - yeesh), I didn't rest much at all, and we had delays on our flight home.

I said all of that to get to this - I had a good trip, and I'm glad I went. This was my second time at this seminar, and I want to tell you one thing. Whatever your impression of Mary Kay is, as a brand or a company(unless you love it), is probably pale to the power of pink that it is. I have never seen a group of that many motivated women in my life. They employ more female millionaires than any company in the world. There are everyday women that tell their stories, and then step off the stage into free Cadillacs and receive diamonds and trips around the world.

It may be make-up as a product, but what they're selling is the opportunity for any woman to be independently successful. I've seen the behind-the-scenes in this. I've seen what it takes to make money in it, and I have to tell you that if any woman wants to be her own boss, this is the surest way to get there.

What I brought away from this trip was the fact that I don't know of any company that is able to be #1 in so many categories, and yet still stands by a philosophy that ranks God first, family second, and career third.

I'm not going to put a link to my wife's website so you'll go buy stuff from her, or even put a link to the Mary Kay website. All I'm saying is that if you have any interest, you owe it to yourself to check out the real facts(and I would put you in touch with Amena to answer any of those). More women should be doing this business, and the ones that I know who already do, are having way too much fun!

A History Of Violence

2006-05-27T02:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything here, and yet I'm fairly confident that it will be a new and unique tidbit of information for all.

Now, I went onto a Disney site to find out some info on my trip that didn't happen. While I was there, I registered, and played a few of the games they had, posted some questions on the threads of their forums, and so on.

Turns out, I ended up sounding interesting enough to someone to write me a message, and from there, I ended up chatting and gaining a lot of nice friends.

Okay, so rather like real life, I'm an odd sort. This becomes even more apparent when you have my flavor of odd on a site filled with people that spontaneously quote Mary Poppins.

What happened was that my posts and comments ended up making me this really interesting and mysterious figure on the boards. I'm not even trying to sound like I believe my own hype here, but I have a reputation.

Now, what's really crazy is the fact that I go to a Disney board, and you know what I end up doing based on something someone asks me while I'm there?

I've begun to write down my memories of my violent past.

Leave it to me to take Disney, and turn it into self-therapy for violent tendencies and a pain addiction.

What I can say is that even though I've only documented a few things so far, I really do feel a lot better recalling these things, and I think this is actually going to be good for me.

The good news is that so far, I'm a bit like a hero in the stories that I've recounted. The bad news is that the stories I've told so far only cover through the 7th grade. Things get much worse after that - MUCH worse.

Although I've told a few of these tales to family and friends, I intend to bear all the bad blood this time around. I don't think there's a market for it, but I've still told myself that I will submit it to a publisher when I'm finished- just to say that I did. I just hope that people that know me that read it don't hate what they find out.

For as much as I try to explain to people what I'm like, it still doesn't seem to register. Even my profile here hints at it.

I have another wacky analogy to add - I'm like an M&M peanut candy. If you're not familiar, find one, and bite it in half, and then check out the structure.

There is a thin, outer layer of coloring - that is the socially-acceptable nice guy that most people see, and know.

Just beneath that is the white candy shell - that's my dark edge that some people that know me a little better can attest to.

Next, we come to the chocolate layer - this layer is bigger than the other two, and this comprises the love and capacity for love I have - cuz that's the real sweet and yummy part.

Then we get to the heart of the matter - the peanut. That's the largest part of the confection, and that's where to real darkness lies. I'm not going to call this where my demons or nightmares are. It's really more like a hollow chasm that has the echoes of all my worst fears and memories reverberating in it.

Who knows, maybe I'll end up on Oprah's book club (although she's probably a little gun shy of white boys with issues right now).

I suppose that maybe I'm convincing myself that this is helpful or healthy just because I'm too cheap to have someone tell me to lie on the couch, and then ask me how I feel about everything I tell him/her.

Regardless, the main thing is that I really do feel better having put down a few details already. I think that exorcising these demons will help me be a better person in the long run. I'm not sure that this will drive them from me, but it's definitely bringing them closer to the surface than they've been in a long time.

The funny thing is how I do my very best to be as sweet and likeable on the boards over on the Disney site, and yet people still end up sensing, or being drawn to my darker half.

I guess it's only right that my signature right now on there is "The brightest light casts the darkest shadow..."

What's This?

2006-05-10T03:03:00.000-04:00

More good movie news - about a week after my birthday, and great timing for Halloween, Nightmare Before Christmas will be released into the theatres in digital 3-D!!!

That's the wonder of stop-motion perfection coupled with the newest three-dimensional treatment.

There is no way I will miss this. I fully expect to contact my lawyer tomorrow to make arrangements, and expect to be wheeled into a theater to see it even if I'm in a coma.

I'm more excited to see this than any other new release that I can think of right now.

I can hardly wait...

Back For The First Time

2006-05-10T02:57:00.000-04:00

I know that this isn't quite fresh and juicy news, but just on the off chance that you didn't already hear the proclamation - the original Star Wars Trilogy [pause for angelic choir and heavenly beam of light to descend] will be released in it's pure and unadulterated form.

No more digital cuteness, and no more, I say NO MORE, Greedo shoots first!

It will be available from September 12th through the end of the year, and should allow Lucas enough cash to buy himself a small island, like, say, Australia...

...And Justice For All

2006-03-29T01:13:00.000-05:00

Well, today I was forced to take part in one of the least favorite services for our government - the dreaded jury duty!

Normally, I wouldn't have really minded too much, because essentially it's a long day of waiting, and I get a good bit of reading done. Today wasn't really any different in that respect, except for the fact that I haven't had to do this on my current schedule.

What the day boiled down to was me waking up on Monday at 2:45pm, and not getting any sleep until 4:45pm Tuesday. The 26 hour day is not something that I recommend. In the days of my youth I've done longer, but it was always for a good cause, or, more likely, a good time. Now that I'm old, and the fact that my "day+" began with a full shift at both of my jobs, it was that much more interesting.

I was still awake enough that I never nodded, even though it was getting really difficult not to towards the afternoon. I should have been wide awake, since waiting in a jury selection room is such gripping stuff, and besides - there were TV's with soap operas and talk shows on too! (with the volume at maximum annoyance level - just loud enough that you can hear it, but not loud enough to actually be able to make out any of the words).

I was amazed at how dumb people are. Not that I don't spend a good portion of my day doing that, but we're talking rare specimens here. Of the 189 people that showed up, about 75% of them were unable to correctly fill out the small questionaire attached to the summons. This form included such doozies as "employer" and "home phone". I lucked out, and didn't have to have my name called to come fix anything, but I'm going to go snag a jury summons for dummies book just to be safe for next time.

Once you were called to come fix the form you had neglected to correctly complete, you were to put it face down in a tray on the tables at the front of the room. There were people that sat back down with their form in hand, ones that tried to hand it over to the orientation speaker, others that started to take it out to the front desk, a bunch that just sort of wandered around looking lost in a 3' circle until someone else put theirs where it belonged.

The topper on this was that the speaker was amazingly thorough, and obviously has been through this sea of Mensa before. She litterally repeated all important points of her speech three times. Even with those precautions, we were still quite a collective.

I had a comedian bailiff for the first trial I was pulled upstairs for. He was quite good. The judge looked like Tom Kinney, and I was excused from that trial. It was for a bunch of drug charges, as we were in the courthouse on "criminal case" Tuesday apparently.

Lunch was supposed to be around 1pm, but we had an announcement that there was only one trial left for the day(the calendar had begun with 27) and if we waited a little beyond 1pm, we may just be able to go home. That turned out to be a cruel jest, especially for someone as eager for sleep as myself. We were informed at 2:15pm that selection had not been made, and we were not only going to have a shortened lunch hour, but we would need to report up in the courtroom afterwards.

I struck out to Market Street, and snagged a slice of pizza and a Tastycake because you need organic healthfood when you're preparing your mind for serving the judiciary system.

Up to the second courtroom, without a cool bailiff, and without a celebrity clone judge either. I ended up being excused from that trial as well, which was another drug case. I was done with that at 3:15pm

Knowing that I was "technically" done for the day then, it was all the more nerve-wracking to remain in the jury selection room until 4:30pm, when we were finally allowed to go home.

In hindsight, I suppose it was my fault. Towards the end, I was starting to blur words together when I was trying to read. I decided that if I got up, and went into the back room with the vending machines and few PC's for internet surfing, that would cause things to be set into motion.

It's the same uncanny effect that I have on traffic, in that in a jam of any sort, no matter what lane I'm in will invariably become the slowest. I have proven this in a double-blind study, even though it was hard to explain the blindfolds to the police officer at the time.

This mutant ability to set things into motion at inopportune times is something that I've learned to twist to my advantage in the past. When someone is running late, whether I'm entertaining, or being picked up for any reason, I will begin some involved task, and it summons the tardy party almost instantly.

In my defense for recalcitrance today, I can only say that I was quite fatigued, and didn't think of going to check my email sooner.

The good news is that the earliest I'll get summoned again is 2 years from now.

The bad news is that I didn't get chosen for a jury.

I don't know why, but whenever I come to the sidebar review with the judge, and explain that I have an Old Testament sense of justice, and would enjoy punishing the wicked, I never seem to get to stick around...

This Cold

2006-03-22T04:19:00.000-05:00

Although we're no where near record-breaking temperatures right now, this isn't exactly the sort of weather you want your heater to go belly up in...unless you're me.

I love "the cold", but I can't say I love "this cold". The whole house is just a series of portable heaters to try to keep things livable.

I got a tech to take a look. It appears that my heater is a collectors edition, so they recommend replacing it utterly. Since that's $4000, we'll be taking another route.

The heater itself works fine, but the blower motor is what has gone kaput(actually it goes more like bzzzzzzzzzzt every time it tries to kick on - I thought it was the dryer going off at first). To replace the motor is a mere $669, so even though I'm not crazy about that idea either, it's on order as we speak.

I suppose that it could be worse, but I really wish this could have gone wrong in a warmer month.

I am going to give you all a free prognostication. If you're unsure whether to plan an outdoor event next week, go ahead and make it happen.

I'm getting a heater fixed, so I guarantee milder temps, and sunny skies...

Stardust

2006-03-08T00:10:00.000-05:00

Any Gaiman news is good news, as long as it's not a retirement announcement.

It appears that his story Stardust is going to be on a screen near us in the near future.

Although I would love to see almost any of his stories in the movies, this one could be very good.

It's going to be directed by Matthew Vaughn. He's not what I would call my first choice, but he's definitely an interesting choice. You may or may not have seen his debut film, Layer Cake, but it's definitely worth seeing.

I'm confident that Neil isn't going to just hand the keys to one of his treasures to anyone, so I'm sure that he sees the seeds of something special. It's a bit of an enigmatic choice for me, but at the same time it's very intriguing.

They've already gathered a good portion of the players, and they all sound pretty good. You may have heard of Robert De Niro, Michele Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, and Sienna Miller. They're all joined by Charlie Cox as the hero Tristran.

Like I said at the top, I'm all for more Gaiman on the loose. If they continue to do this, and they succeed, then maybe we'll get to see more. I would love to see American Gods directed by the Cohen Brothers...or David Fincher get his fangs into a decent portion of The Sandman storyline...maybe I could get a big budget Neverwhere with Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam co-directing...

Overjoyed

2006-03-07T01:25:00.000-05:00

Although I’m only now posting about my friends Dave and Catherine’s wedding(which was last Friday), it only speaks to my schedule, and not to my pleasure at being invited.

From start to finish, it was a wonderful evening, and I hope that they were able to appreciate just how well things seemed to get along. They deserve to have such a special day go so flawlessly. [Don’t have any concerns about not lighting the unity candle on the first try. The same thing happened to me, and several other weddings I’ve been to recently. I think that the candle makers doctor the middle candle’s wick just to add drama to wedding ceremonies]

The ceremony itself was held at the Wayside Chapel. This was a small, intimate place, and it perfectly conveyed that feeling. The music was lovely, and Christine’s singing was impressive. Even the Bible verses that were read were some of my favorites. If you ever want to read the Bible on a strictly poetic basis, take a look at the Song of Solomon. The ceremony wasn’t overly long, and seemed just right. It was hard not to feel the “rightness” of the marriage when you could see the love on the bride and groom’s faces. Marriage is the last great covenant that we have in the modern world, and I treat it with all the respect that it deserves. I enjoy seeing a man and a woman truly commit to one another, and I was honored to be allowed to bear witness.

The reception was only a few minutes away at a very nice inn. The room was perfectly suited for the group, feeling cozy but not crowded in any way. The tables looked wonderful, and the food turned out to be a match for the whole room itself.

The band was amazing! In the time between when the guests arrived and the bridal party attended, the band was noodling around with a few tunes. They even caused every guy at my table to perk up when they teased us with the opening chords of “The Wind Cries Mary”. All was forgiven when they actually played their version of “Little Wing”. They wove a Celtic strain through all of their songs, and it seemed to shine like gilt thread in the candlelight. The song selection was expectedly groovy given the couple, and I don’t think anyone left without enjoying themselves. It was a rare treat to be able to hear a real band play good music that flowed effortlessly from the traditional to the contemporary. I’m sure they weren’t purchased lightly, but they were well worth what they added to the night.

I was able to see a few friends that I hadn’t seen in quite some time. (Good to see you again, Brian. We longhairs must show our solidarity. Good to see you too, Mike. I don’t know if it was the Monkey or just you on that dance floor, but you were tearing it up for a white boy). I didn’t know many people there, but had a nice time getting to know the friends at my table.

I may not be Dave’s oldest friend, or best friend, but he’s one of mine. I am very lucky to have him, and I was blessed to be a part of his wedding celebration. While I have only known Catherine a short time, I’ve felt like a friend from the beginning. Although I’m sure Dave filled her in, I tend to think that it’s her way to share her heart with people. I’m very happy that she allowed my wife and I to come and join them on such a memorable day. I look forward to spending more time with the both of them.

I’ve been in a good mood since that evening, and I hope that wedded bliss is more than a cute little phrase to describe the happiness that both Catherine and Dave experience for many years to come. I’m so ecstatic for you both!

My earnest and continued prayers for you both are for all the love and happiness that you richly deserve together. May you continue to court each other, and grow in the knowledge of each other separately and as one.

{my apologies for the silly picture - it couldn't be helped}

Wild Thing

2006-03-02T03:34:00.000-05:00

I have another brazier of hot movie goodness for you to warm up to.

"Cautiously Optimistic" is the reaction that I have gotten from most people when they heard about the Dark Crystal sequel in the works.

Now, there is another beloved classic on it's way to the screen. Not a sequel this time, but a live action film feature-length film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are"!

If you're unfamiliar with the book, then you should order it on Amazon now, or better yet, don't wait for shipping, and just grab a copy at the nearest bookstore. The artwork is fantastic, and the quirky story is just wonderful. This is one of those books that falls in the category of "all-time classic children's books".

While I'm not entirely sure how they'll stretch the story into a movie, it does have the author's blessing. It also has an interesting director, and one whose work I do enjoy. Spike Jonze is at the helm, and also co-wrote the script.

If you want to see the limited details so far, then let the rumpus begin.

Katherine Keener is set to play the mother in the film, and she mentions some cool tidbits here.

I love the idea of filming in the other-worldly locales of New Zealand, and the fact that Henson's team will be working on the monsters is perfection.

This is shaping up to have all the right pieces in place. Now, I just have to wait to see who they cast as Max, and just how cool he looks in his wolf suit...

City Port

2006-02-23T01:27:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to start making this any sort of a partisan soapbox, because I despise government.
I'm sure you've heard the news officially or via the watercooler about the sale of major eastern seaboard ports to the United Arab Emirates.

Whether you're Republican, Democrat or anarchist, this is just plain fuckwittery.

I'm not going to debate whether it's right or wrong, but here's an interesting experiment.

Go to Google, and type in the word "failure". Then, hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.

Take a look and see what biography shows up on the page...

Dark and Metric

2006-02-01T02:36:00.000-05:00

This is so cool!

I know that it's still in it's pre-production, but I found some very cool news of a sequel that I'm actually looking forward to seeing (how often can you say that nowadays?).

It appears that Disney/Henson is going to be making a sequel to The Dark Crystal!!

They are going to use puppets again, and this time they'll be in a CG background world.

To add to the coolness quotient, we get Genndy Tartakovsky directing. For those of you unfamiliar, he's the creator of Samurai Jack & the Clone Wars cartoons. I think that it's an excellent choice, and I can't wait to see what they come up with. I'll be anxiously awaiting early images from this one.

To check out the short article in Variety, give a shout-out to Fizzgig here.

A Sort Of Homecoming

2006-01-27T04:51:00.000-05:00

Well, it's not exactly breaking news now, but Disney has put up 7.4 billion, and brought Pixar back into the fold.

What it gets them is the single most exciting and lucrative studio on the planet, and Steve Jobs on the board of directors.

Hopefully, what it will mean for the rest of us is better quality films from the house of mouse, and an end to these tedious direct-to-dvd sequels they keep insulting us with. Leave your second unit animators doing the television stuff, and put your A-Team (when he's on his meds, Murdoch is quite the skilled cell painter) back on some A-List projects.

There are tons of speculation just how much Apple influence this will all actually bring. I don't think that it would be a bad thing, to a certain extent. As long as they don't try to turn the whole Magic Kingdom park into a sleek G5-like Tomorrowland space bubble, we should be okay. I think that there are some interesting ideas for applications. Wouldn't it be groovy to be able to have your Fast-Pass beamed directly into your iPod, and plot out your whole day of rides at the park in one itinerary, with audio tracks for grooving, and trivia tracks for learning? Sounds kinda cool, no? [author's note - this is my own idea, not something that has been mentioned, and as such I expect to receive the royalties that is deserved of a...hack with a blog, and, umm, nevermind...]

I hope this revitalizes Disney's film studios. Although Disney has plundered the vault of fairy tales, there are more than enough to go around. They're nowhere near the bottom of that well, and there's no need to retread when there's so much territory that's never been explored.

I think that this is a good turn of events. I think that Disney was stupid to let Pixar get ticked off enough to leave in the first place. As in most cases, I blame Eisner, but thankfully he's been excised from being able to cause any further damage.

The vision of Disney is astounding, and I love the things that his company has created. I think that it's still a viable source of wonderment for all time, as long as they remain true to where they started, and the dreams that made them the best of what they are.

Ozomatli - Street Signs

2006-01-19T02:58:00.000-05:00

ALBUM REVIEW

I do so enjoy reviewing a band that I can unequivocally recommend to anyone. There aren't too many bands that fall into that category, but Ozomatli is definitely a forerunner.

I first heard their music in an SUV while helping some friends move. The single "Super Bowl Sundae" came on, and I was sold. The song was one great melting pot of wonderfulness. It had Latin rhythms, a funky horn section, Spanish vocals, and then a rap verse in the middle that didn't seem cheesy. It was fantastic!

I ran out and bought that album, and everything else since.

I have been a little behind on things, so the album "Street Signs" actually came out a little while ago. It's still new to me, and more than likely, will be new to most of you that visit here.

I have a few things to say about the band in general before I jump in to the review.

First, I find that although most of the words here are in Spanish, the songs hold a great deal of meaning and emotion to me. I think that although it's almost similar to listening to something that's strictly instrumental, hearing these songs in Spanish conveys a lot more than you might think. I've often found that if you listen closely enough, you can tell what someone's singing about in any language.

Secondly, this band is an amalgamation of goodness. You know those cool local coffee shop musicians that you and about 50 other people know about? That vibe that you get from a band at a festival that's just jamming? Throw all of that into one big pot, and stir in heaping helpings of Latin rhythms that would make Santana proud, and strings and horns, and even guest rappers, and you have one soulful stew.

Let's get on to the album at hand.

"Street Signs" is a lot better than their last album, which focused a little too much on the rap flavors for my tastes. That's not to say that I'm anti-rap. I'm quite the opposite, and have a large and varied collection of just that myself. It's just that this album feels a lot more like they're self-titled debut, and that's all for the best. I'm not going to give you translations of everything that's in Spanish, but I will translate the titles to help a little. You should just experience the rest yourself.

The album swirls into your speakers first with "Believe". With Bollywood strings, and Arabian rhythms twisting throughout, this song is great right from the start. The chorus is in English, but it could be in pig Latin, and still be cool. It's one of my favorite songs of the whole album.

You know those feel-good songs that they play over montages in movies where the characters are rebuilding a youth center, or cleaning up a neighborhood? They're always catchy, and well-crafted. "Love and Hope" is like that, but better quality than most. There are nice touches throughout that a band with this many sounds and members can provide, and make even something straightforward like this full and rich.
The strings alone here make it worth your while, and it is in English, so you can sing along a lot easier.

The title track is up next, and "Street Signs" begins with an intro straight out of Spanish Harlem. Latin jazz then fades into a rap verse. I know that this may sound odd, but the song remains the same, and blends the rap in. It's not just a means to an end with the rap, but combines with it, rejoins the horns for the chorus, and then melds back into another verse of rap. If you're totally not into rap, then this sort of thing may keep you from enjoying it. If you have any inclination, then you'll see that this is actually quite interesting. It's non-offensive rap, and something that you don't need to worry about gangstas busting caps and smacking their bitches.

"(Who Discovered) America?" is a love song to a woman that you know is wrong for you. It's basically a story told from the point of view of our 1492 ancestors coming from Spain. It's about the lure of a dangerous beauty, and what a woman like that can do to enthrall and entrap you. It's again in English, so you can file this one under low-maintenance. It's a laid back tempo number that sort of sounds like something that would be on one of Carlos Santana's recent albums with some hip person singing with him. It's not great, but it's certainly not something to toss aside either.

I mentioned earlier that their last album focused a little too much on the rap aspect. The other thing that I didn't much care for was the fact that they didn't have the guest rapper that they had on their first album, namely Chali2na. He has a very unique, deep voice, and I enjoy hearing it every time. He's actually a member of Jurassic 5, for anyone who's interested. "Who's To Blame" runs at a blistering pace, with the slithering bassline from a steamy market in Morocco. The tablas are thumping, and the rap is just as quick, and clever. Welcome back, Chali.

"Te Estoy Buscando" means "I'm looking for you". It has the pace of a modified tango. I'm sure there's a technical term in Spanish for this type of song. Almost like something that the parents would dance to at the carnival. The ones that actually have all the good moves, and go out and show the youngsters how it's done. It's all about the string section here, and a very nice vocal delivery. Quite enjoyable overall.

We get a bit of a guitar groove on "Saturday Night". The grunt of the sax and the horns run rampant alongside a crunchy guitar, and you have instant party jam. It's just dripping with swagger, which it should be since it's one of those "let's have a good time on the weekend" sort of tunes. It's got rap verses, and a hip-hop vibe throughout. There's a Sylvester Stewart moment, and a James Brown break thrown in for good measure. Good stuff for a good time.

"De'Jame En Paz" translates to "Leave Me In Peace". It's a salsa wonderland, with infectious rhythms, and such a fun song to listen to. This really shows the band's sense of humor, and their joy in what they do. They nail it musically, and still have time to get silly too.

After the blistering, boisterous fun of the last song, Ozomatli kicks out something a little more traditional with "Santiago". Here we find flamenco guitars spun around a song about the capital of Chile. The crisp percussion whisks the song along, and for it's more subdued tone, it's still very lively.

"Ya Viene El Sol" translates loosely to "The Sun Already Comes". It's a churning song with a call-and answer delivery that's hard not to get into. Driving drums, and vocals that show their happiness in any language.

"Dona Isabelle" means "For Isabelle". It's a minute long piano solo. Simple, and clean jazz piano. I wish it went a lot longer, because it's nice work. Nimble and well done.

Which flows directly into the tribal flow of "Nadie Te Tira", which literally means "Nobody Throws To You". I wasn't able to find the lyrics, even in Spanish on this one, so I can't even attempt to tell you what it's supposed to be about. What I will tell you is that it's one of the best examples of salsa/merenge fusion that you'll ever commit to memory, and enjoyable from beginning to end.

"Cuando Canto" means(again, loosely) "when I sing a song". It has great vocals, and I even like the "yeah yeah's" in it. You have to do something right for me to like nonsensical stuff like that. It's a fitting downshift. It's reserved pace and delivery ease you into a relaxed sense of closure for the album as a whole.

I apologize for the translations on the song titles. I had the internet helping me, and not a fluent native. Please feel free to correct me if you feel so inclined.

What I don't apologize for is my unwavering appreciation and enjoyment of Ozomatli. This is real music by craftsman that love what they're doing. There's palpable emotion in their songs, and I soak that up every time I listen. This may be a more "happy" album than their debut, and follow up. They are very politically active, and proactive. A lot of that comes out in their songs, but not so much on this record. I highly recommend their work to anyone. This is a really great album, and I don't even have a track that I don't like on some level.

On a side note, if you're lucky enough to have free time and inclination to go on the Dave Matthews cruise, you'll get treated to these guys too. I wish I had known, because the idea of cruising the tropics with music this good sounds like a dream vacation to me.

Rating = **** 1/2 out of 5 stars

King's X - Ogre Tones

2006-01-18T05:07:00.000-05:00

ALBUM REVIEW

Well, here we come to one of my favorite bands. I enjoy sharing this band with people, because they're largely unheard of. That's a real shame, because they've made some incredible music. Is this another brick in that wall? Not a very strong one, I'm afraid.

While there are definitely a few choice morsels on this album, there are more troublesome moments. It does sound a lot more like a "King's X" album should. It's not quite a return to form, but then again, form is really a fluid thing as long as you're an evolving musician.

I don't want to throw out the equivalent of the compliment, "she's got a great personality" to this album, but I really dig the cover art a lot. The boys are sort of hit of miss on this. They have some cover art(and music too) that makes me think they missed their place in time by about two decades. Some of their earlier albums would just look way wicked as an LP.

Enough of that, let's jump into the first track, "Alone". From the primal scream at the start, this song definitely gets your attention. It's so made-for-radio, single-friendly that it's painful. What keeps it from completely shambling off into forgettable crud is the solid harmony in that chorus. If you want to see something really odd, and almost disturbing in it's cheesiness, then head to their site and check out the video for this thing. Tre bizarre, if you ask me.

"Stay" has a lot of the elements of the band's sound, but it sounds to me like another attempt at a single. It's not a very good attempt either. When these guys hit on all cylinders, it's something special, but the lyrics here are weak and predictable, and the song isn't musically much better really.

This album is reviewed one of two ways most places I've checked. Some really dig it, and say it's like the good old days. Some really think it's a bit of contrived crap. I think it's a bit of both. It's certainly a mixed bag at best, and "Hurricane" is a song that I really want to like more than I do. I just can't get over the fact that they're recycling their own songs on this one. This is nothing more than a retread of the title track from "Faith Hope Love". Although I love that album, and song dearly, I just can't bring myself to enjoy this more because of it. I understand that most of music is a type of cannibalism at this point because it's all been done before, but eating your own young is a bit grotesque, even figuratively.

"Fly" is a swing back towards something fine and good. It has all the elements that makes this music wonderful - crunchy riffs, that electric-church vocal, and those soaring harmonies. This is definitely what you can categorize as a return to form. It's the first ray of hope in my mind on the album, although I don't think it really gets going till track seven.

On the other hand, "If" sounds like a song that could have been great if it was arranged a lot better. If you crank up the organ here, and throw the funky into high gear, then the stripped down delivery of this song would transcend what they've recorded and sent it skyward. As it is, it's another pretty okay track, but not what I'm used to.

Oh, wouldn't Little Richard be proud on this one? "Bebop" is a lot better than what's gone before. It's syncopated and almost disjointed rhythm make it unlike it's polished, radio-friendly forebears. The fact that the title eludes to the chorus that chants "whop bop a loo bop a wop bam boom" is fun for me. Maybe you'll think it's stupid, but I enjoyed seeing the fun side of this band on this one.

So, here we are at that seventh track that I said marked the beginning of the album for me. "Honesty" is a wonderful song. It's acoustic, and it's Ty singing, and it's a throwback in all the right ways. This is such a pretty song, and it could be a hit for almost anyone to sing. It's that good. It's a pity that most folks will never get the chance.

"Open My Eyes" is a little thicker and heavier than the earlier tracks, and it brings to mind Thin Lizzy to me. It's a solid song, and one that really makes me have faith for the rest of the album running out in high style. I guess I should just cuddle up with this one, because the ride gets pretty bumpy from here on in.

I'm not exactly sure what made the guys in this band sour to religion. They certainly seem to be a bit apostate at this point in their career. I'm not saying that they can't make good music because of that, but it's sort of sad to see an element of faith removed from their songwriting. "Freedom" is a good song, and it definitely mirrors the feelings that a lot of people have. I can only hope that beneath the veneer of their distaste of being a "christian band", they've kept the faith. This song is anthemic, without being burdensome, and it's a good one.

As a companion to the last song, "Get Away" is a conversation with God about the things that folks tend to have the hardest time understanding - how He could love us, but allow awful things to happen to good people. It's subdued, and drifts along on the course of bongos, and it's really a bittersweet song that I happen to like a lot.

"Sooner or Later" is many things to many people. It's got a smokey, jazz club like swagger to it, and then there are moments that definitely sound like their hometown is showing (Texas). I like them when they strip things down, and do a "slow" song. I also like that this track has some heft, since the rest of the bunch are just three minute blips on the radar. The only problem that I have with the length here is that it's not really filled with anything but a tacked on solo that doesn't really go anywhere.

I think that "Mudd" is the twin of "Hurricane", or the half-brother of "If". It's not a bad tune, but certainly not memorable. By this time on this album, you're actually seeing where they're taking you before you get there, and they've developed certain traits and sounds that are recognizable components, and that's not very interesting for the anxious listener.

I will mention the next track only because I can't just act like it's not here. I'd love to. I want to tell you about the next track instead. However, and for whatever reason, the band decided to remake a classic of theirs here in "Goldilox(reprise)". It isn't improved in the least, and I don't want to say that it stains the memory of the original, but it's going to take some Tarn-X and elbow grease to make it shine again. If you want to hear how this awesome song is supposed to sound, pick up "Out of the Silent Planet" and enjoy.

The final track here is called "Bam". I think it would have been an improvement if it was about the catch phrase of a certain over-exposed creole chef, but it's not. It's little more than a glorified sound clip, which sort of end things on a whimper instead of a bang, or a "bam".

Overall, I'm very disappointed with this album. I felt like when they weren't theoretically robbing their own catalog, they were literally doing it. I suppose that I may be a little harsher on them than I would another band because they're one of my favorites. The problem with that, and not to sound like a dad here, but I know they can do better. I've seen what they can do when they really put their minds and hearts to it, and this sort of leaves me cold. I'm not saying it's just a paycheck record that they made sound like their old stuff to appease some, but I'd rather be singing their praises for going in a new direction (even though I love their old sound) than being forced to play the grumbling ogre.

Rating = ** out of 5 stars.

Reelin' In The Years

2006-01-11T01:32:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. It was one of the best in recent memory, and I'm still replaying fond memories.

Now, we look forward to a new year. I really have a lot of high hopes for this year. Although some things have shifted in my overall plan, I should be able to return to the land of one job sometime this year. I can go back to being "normal" and have time to catch up with friends and family. Most importantly, I'll get to see the missus again, and return to courtship and couplehood.

My focus this year is definitely going to be about priorities. I want to spend as little of my time doing trivial things, and live instead. I don't make new year's resolutions, because I think that's limiting. I'm more of a multi-resolution per year kinda guy.

Although I have a generally positive outlook on things, I'm not a positive person. Which means that I'm looking forward to having a great year, but I'm dubious about my chances. Honestly, this feels like it could turn out to be a really good year. I think that I can definitely say that there will definitely be progress, and moving forward, and new challenges. I hope to manage to squeeze some living and memories in there too, even with my current schedule.

I hope that this is a year of jubilee for everyone. I think it's off to a good start, and there's more good on the way.

I apologize for the lack of posting in a bit, but the holidays are when I take vacation time, and I wasn't anywhere near a computer for a long while. That meant that once I got back to work, I had to play catch-up on all the lovely projects (at both jobs) that everyone else left for me to tackle. Not that I've ever been terribly consistent in putting up frequent posts, and not that it's a real treat to anyone other than me, but I should be back to my bi-weekly-ish, or better mode for the foreseeable future...

Wonderful Christmastime

2005-12-20T05:56:00.000-05:00

Wow!

I can safely say that even though I know that I'm in the one of the busiest weeks of the year at both of my jobs, I'm totally floating on a jubilant cloud after this weekend.

Amena and I had our annual Christmas party, and it really came together splendidly. Not only was I completely happy with the food, and the additional new menu items I had prepared, but everything about the party seemed to flow effortlessly.

Everyone liked the house, and our tree, and the food, and there was much laughter and conversation. It really seemed to gel, and just played out to perfection.

Seeing most of our friends (there were a few notable absences, but also some new additions) all together having fun is why we started throwing this party in the first place.

I got to see my long-lost compadre, Dave, and meet his fiance, Catherine too. It was wonderful to chat again, and I soaked that up like honey mead and a warm fire. I'm still excited by the idea that we're back in touch again, and I look forward to seeing more of them.

Amena's new friends from her job seemed to enjoy themselves too. As usual, there were shifts of attendance, and people came and went regularly. Some of them even left to make an appearance somewhere else, and then came back. Now that's a compliment!

Although there was a nice homey atmosphere, the one thing I wish I had more of was room and seating for everyone in one place. I think it was still one of our best times ever.

The night was great, and our friends are great. The gifts that were brought were wonderful, and everyone was very generous. None more so than the surprise of the evening. Although it was late, and most of our guests had departed, our friend Camille had apparently planned to define the "saved the best gift for last". It was a night with one surprise already, in that our friend Jerry that had been on the phone from "Oklahoma" earlier that evening made an appearance.

Now, Camille handed me a gift to open that would trump anything else that had come before. I started off in my usual way, by opening the gift with my eyes closed, and trying to guess what it was. I could tell that it was a figurine of some sort, but gave up trying to guess. It turned out to be an ornament with Mortie and Ferdie(Mickey Mouse's nephews) sitting in front of a 60's era television, with the "Wonderful World of Disney" on the screen. The ornament has a push button that lights up the screen with colors, and plays the sound of fireworks going off just like the classic intro to that show. After seeing this, I was psyched. I was handed a card that started off simple enough. It was talking about how much Camille loved my wife and I, and what good friends we are to her, and then it proceed to get a little strange.

About halfway into the card, there was a section that read something like this, "...so you need to pack your stuff, because in about 4 or 5 months, I'm taking you on a DISNEY CRUISE!!!!!!!!!!"

I was understandably floored. I think the only thing I could manage was an incredulous, "WHAT?!", surrounded by a comical look of disbelief. After that, I did the only thing I could think of. I threw the card to the side, ran over to Camille, and proceeded to hug and lift her off the floor, thanking her profusely.

If you know me at all, then you would know that a) I'm happy with any small gift from anyone, and appreciate everything I'm given, even if it's not a tangible gift to begin with [with the wonderful friends and reunions and times that I had already had that night, I was more than grateful], and b) I LOVE Disney! I love the magic that they have created on the screen, and the wonder of Disney World.

I'm still a bit dumbfounded by the whole thing. I've been telling everyone I know, and they can't believe it either. It's one the most thoughtful gifts I've ever been given. I'm not just saying that because I feel the need to gush because of the extravagance of the trip, but because it was given in the spirit of recognition for being someone's true friend. The gift shows that Camille also knows Amena and I well, because we're Disney fans, and had talked about going on the Disney Cruise since it was introduced a few years ago.

I'm just about glowing with all the good cheer I feel right now. I have so many good things in my life, and that was before the party. The blessings of true friends, the love that they bring, and the lives that we're all sharing has filled my heart with joy. I know that's a word that gets tossed around in some carols this time of year, but I really have it. It's not something that I'm typically known to have a lot of, but I hope I can keep it going as long as possible. It's made it really hard to stop smiling since Saturday.

I still have Christmas with my family around me, and a precious week off from both of my jobs to spend with my wife afterwards before the year's out. Maybe I'll get lucky, and my face will get stuck this way!

I want to thank everyone who came to the party for showing up, and sharing a wonderful night with us. I hope you all had as good a time as Amena and I did. I honestly can't remember a better party, and I couldn't ask for better company. You're all treasures to me, and I'm not just getting all sappy with that aforementioned joy overdose. My friends truly bless me just by being there, and I love you all.

I wish every single one of you, and your families, the very best and brightest Christmas ever this year...

Morphine & Chocolate

2005-12-16T01:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe the morphine is stretching it, but I'd be less than surprised if there was some sort of controlled substance in Arner's desserts.

To help put some direction to that randomness, Arner's is a small, simple restaurant in New Castle, DE. It's basically a diner that is right in the armpit of the New Castle Airport.

Their regular menu is fine, and I would recommend you eat there sometime if you're in the area, and looking for that sort of grub. It certainly beats the Denny's and IHOP located nearby.

We had our Christmas party at my first job today, and someone brought in an Arner's chocolate pie. Most people would call it a chocolate silk pie. In this case, that would really be a misnomer. This thing is smooth, but there's a decadence that can't really be captured in the word "silk".

This is more like...you know those long, black, velvet gloves that certain classy chicks in the 30's and 40's wore ? Those sultry torch singers in the preternaturally smokey clubs? This pie is like that. It's chocolate VELVET. To mention that it's huge, and that it's literally 8 inches tall in the pan, and that it's covered in crumbled Oreo cookie is almost too much.

I'm not a nut for dessert food, but the few things that I really enjoy do hit the heights. This is one of those things. They do an amazing job with all of their desserts, and there are fewer things less hypnotic than their spinning dessert rack. There are travelers there that haven't seen the light of day since the Carter administration.

I would highly recommend you sample some of their wares if you have the notion and the proximity. You'd be hard pressed to end up disappointed, no matter what you choose.

I'm really glad I cut myself a piece to take home. I may even wait till I get home to eat it.

If you want to see where they're at, then you can score a slice here...

Soulful Christmas

2005-12-10T01:38:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to sound like something from Hallmark, but can you feel the magic of the season yet?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much better I feel around this time of the year. It's more than the knowledge that I am going to get some good reactions to well-thought gifts. It's definitely greater than the anticipation of getting presents, although I am still the biggest kid I know, and thoroughly enjoy receiving. Heck, I like the surprise aspect of it so much, I unwrap gifts with my eyes closed, and try to guess what it is.

I know that things seem to just get more commercial as each passing year finds us, but December still does it for me. Turning the page on the calendar signifies all that's right in the world to me, and even though there are outside and self-induced worries along the way, I really feel the most at ease around this time.

That's the main reason that I save up time off, and always try to take the lion's share around Christmas each year. It's tough being patient, and watching all your co-workers take trips here and there through the year. The payoff is great! Being able to be at home during the time that I'm most happy is perfect.

I spend time with family, and friends, and my wife. It's all surrounded by decorations, Christmas trees, light displays, cold, clear nights, and all the intangible goodness that I feel.

I know that Thanksgiving is set aside to be mindful of our blessings, and I certainly do my best in that respect. However, Christmas is the time that I reflect on how wonderful life is here in the real world, and not just with Jimmy Stewart. Sure, we may have a lot stacked against us, but it's never so much that you can't see what's real, and true, and lovely if you care to look.

This time of year is good for my soul. I get warm feelings that go beyond a cup of hot chocolate (even with mini-marshmallows), or something stronger.

I love Christmas, and all the wonderful memories that go along with it. For it's sights and sounds, and all those who share it with me most of all.

God bless us, ev'ryone...

To Defy The Laws Of Tradition

2005-12-03T02:47:00.000-05:00

It's funny. I just don't feel like myself today...

Mr. Postman

2005-12-01T02:30:00.000-05:00

Although I will share a certain amount of culpability on this one, I'm desperately waiting for the mailperson (does anyone else feel weird when they have to say or write that?) to deliver the invitations for our Christmas party.

I may have waited a little too long to order them, and then the company decided to put them on backorder, even though their website said everything was everything.

I do assure those that have already been told about it that it is still a "go" for Saturday the 17th, and I promise that I will get the invitations to you as soon as I can.

According to modern party etiquette, I'm not really behind at all. An exerpt from a recent article on parties and planning states, "It is not only acceptable to send invitations as close as two weeks before an event, it's sometimes preferable. With careers and schedules so crowded these days, it's best not to send anything too early, or it will be forgotten instead of penciled in".

Since our Christmas party is very informal and kid-friendly, I didn't feel the need to make some huge announcement way ahead of time. I would have like to have gotten them out a little sooner, but I'm confident that we'll still be able to attract our usual modest crowd.

I know that this post is a little oddly personal and specific, and casual readers may not give a hoot's holler about it. I apologize for the indulgence. I just wanted to put something official on record for those friends that may happen along here, and be in any doubt.

With that being said, I promise to write something cooler next time. I'll try to ask the tough questions, like how would you suggest that I incorporate this quote from the Pharsalia by Lucanus into a tattoo design?

System of a Down - Hypnotize

2005-11-22T04:56:00.000-05:00

ALBUM REVIEW

You may remember me mentioning that SOAD's last album was the first part of a planned staggered release of a double album. You may also recall that I felt that the last album was a bit erratic, and hoped this this one would cement things, and bring it all together.

Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out the first album, Mezmerize, was the more cohesive of the two, and what we get on Hypnotize sounds a bit like leftovers to me. Like song ideas, and brainstorms that needed a lot more studio time to flesh out and turn into real songs. It sounds like a step back, all the way back to their first album and some of the misses on that.

Gone away are the endearing elements and pounding rock, and we have the screechy weirdness cranked up high instead. Did I mention that the politics are on steroids this time around too?

No sense in sugar-coating it. We might as well get started.

We jump in with a flurry of guitar speed, and bombast with "Attack". If you took out the unvarying chorus, this would actually be a pretty good song. As it is, it sort of sounds like a kid with a new word that tries to repeat it over and over just to get used to the way it sounds.

"Dreaming" is actually a very sad song about Armenian refugees. The lyrics are very dark, and the song itself sounds sort of muddled along with it. I hear the angst, but not real passion here, and that's what I expect from these guys. Sort of disappointing for me, but not nearly as bad as some we haven't gotten to yet.

Okay. "Kill Rock 'N Roll" gets some points for delivery alone. I think that guitarist Daron Malakian's homage to Bon Scott scores major points. This song's a little silly, which is definitely an element to some of SOAD's songs. It seems more like parody to me here, and leaves me wanting more. I grin, but I'm also wondering what might have been.

The title track "Hypnotize" sounds like it belongs on the last album. It's put together well, albeit on the short side, and it's a good tune. It's not great, but it's got it's own sound. It's the first single, so I'm sure you'll hear it.

"Stealing Society" starts off great. You've got nice guitars, and yells in there, and then it just loses it's steam. Bogged down with a pointless few verses, by the time you get to the "message" part of the song, you're already bored. They finally head back to the good intro riff at the end, but the bookends don't justify the tomes between.

If you thought that a song about refugees' body parts being stacked up was the most bleak point of the album, then think again. "Tentative" is another anti-war rant that has people rotting in fear of bombs dropping on their heads, and feeling that not even God can save them. Musically, I like this one though. It's quiet and reserved, and something that I really think this band should try a little more of. When they slow things down, they make some fine music, and not just another pseudo-ballad that can be used for some commercial or tribute montage or something.

With the next track, we're back to that theme of anti-war and repetitive chants. "U-Fig" is actually a pretty good song. I like the groove, and it definitely has the passion that was lacking earlier. The thing with passion is that it can be a little extreme, and since the chorus here is a call to take war supporters out in the street and " beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' ", I'd say a lot extreme. I give my approval to the song musically, but I have to give a pass on the message of being a pacifist, and beating anyone who doesn't agree with you.

"Holy Mountains" is pretty powerful stuff. The song is grand, and sweeping, and the themes are pretty heavy too. I don't pretend to know all the casualties in Azerbaijan that they're singing about, but there's a real Old Testament feel to this one. Like the mountains themselves are crying in outrage, and calling for justice. This song is raw, and it's honest, and I don't think you're really supposed to "enjoy" it, but you can tell it's something real.

Remember that song earlier that I said was a little silly? In my opinion, if you're going to be silly, you might as well go all the way, and "Vicinity of Obscenity" goes there and then some. It's got the lightning fast guitars and vocals. It even has this porn-groove bridge. I'm not even going to try to explain it lyrically. The song starts off with "Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracott terracotta pie!" and doesn't get any more sane as it goes along. I like it, but I'm not trying to figure it out.

It's pretty clear to me that drugs have directly or indirectly affected this band. They manage to get across some message of the barren and depraved nature of what drugs can do in a few of their songs, and "She's Like Heroin" is another. This strips it down to the very basic truths. This is all dirty back-alleys, and sad endings.

My favorite song of the album is "Lonely Day". It's another good example of the good songs that these guys can make when they're not coming at you at 100 decibels and 1000 mph. It's about the struggle of loneliness, which is an epidemic in our society in my opinion. It's not completely without hope, and is seen from a survivor's viewpoint in the end.

The first album, Mezmerize, had this short, noisy intro called "Soldier Side". It was all of about 30 seconds, and amounted to little at all. To close out this album, we get the whole song. By it's title, you can tell where they're going with this one. Another grim journey down the anti-war path, with mourners and graves and lies. It's fair to middlin' musically, and makes me want to throw in another SOAD album instead.

Overall, I really think that their reach exceeded their grasp on this double-album venture. There are barely enough good songs for one album if you cull from both. Unlike the first album though, even the songs that I like on this album don't shine all that brightly. I want them to be better, but it just never happens. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be able to state their point of view in their music, but I think there may be other ways. I'm sure they felt strongly about making a bold statement, and there's no doubt that they've done that. I just don't think that most people will hear that message because the record company won't let them make those songs a single, and the fans are going to skip those tracks because they're not all that good.

I think this is the weakest of their albums to date, and I can only hope that they spend a lot of time touring and writing new material before the next one. I still really like this band, and their style of music when they nail it. I'm still looking forward to their next one, but now they have something to prove to me.

Rating = ** out of 5 stars.

Blue Christmas

2005-11-11T02:42:00.000-05:00

Ahh, it's that time of year again. The change of the weather, and the crispness in the air. The falling leaves...and the fall of a great empire that I once called home.

It appears that Netflix and the DVD pricepoint have finally caught up with the ol' Blue and Gold. That's right, Blockbuster is in dire straits without a Knopfler. For the skinny on the figures and details, you can check here.

Not to say that all my experiences with Blockbuster were bad. I found some very good people while working there. A few good friends that I have to this day. A bunch of fun memories of late night inventories, and the countless Denny's runs after work. Heck, I even managed to snag a wife out of the deal, so I can't be too pissed at any place that gave me her.

So, I'm here to celebrate Blockbuster. Here's to Mr. Hoxster, and Mrs. Powell - the man with the patience and the drunk with only one story. Here's to Brownie, and Chuck, and Nick, and Tim, and Zack, and Travis. Wherever this finds you, or doesn't, I hope that you're living well. To the cavalcade of managers that waltzed through our store, I hope you learned something from me, because you sure didn't teach any of us anything on your way.

I've been back infrequently to my old store, and managed to see it's rapid decline from the pinnacle of the district to just another ghetto blockbuster store. It's sort of like a terrarium of urban decay, like a batch of blue-shirted sea monkeys.

Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share, but overall, I've got to chalk up Blockbuster as a fun time in my life. I've led a strange life so far, in so much as I started most things late, so Blockbuster was actually a part of my teenage wild oats phase.

I stuck around longer than I should have, put up with much more than was reasonable, but still managed to have a good time. I have to say that even though I'm ready to pick on her, I'll miss the old gal...

Kicking Against It

2005-11-10T02:09:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt like you were being punished for something?

Some recent developments have made me question whether I've done something really wrong, and I'm catching a lesson because of that.

The saddest part about this is that it all comes from me doing something generous, and good. It all stems from kindness, and love, and it's turned into headache and heartache.

I know I'm not the first person to have their generosity taken advantage of. I suppose I won't be the last one to feel frustrated and betrayed because of it.

My experiences of late seem to be oddly polarized.

Either I'm kicking ass, or getting my ass kicked.[see also attached image] There have been precious few gray areas lately. I'm either on top of the world, or the bottom of the barrel.

I realize this probably sounds like a commercial for Prozac, but I swear that's how things have been. I've been getting one hell of a one-two punch. From blessing to cursing has been par for the course.

I feel spread a bit thin by the whole thing, and yet I do remain genuinely hopeful. I may sound like a manic depressive, but that's not my flavor of crazy.

I hope that some equilibrium is in my stocking, and things level off. Maybe they'll do better than that, and things will get great!

Words

2005-11-10T01:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, now I hope that this isn't too much trouble for the few of you that actually do post comments on my blog.

I didn't want to have to do it, but I've added a word verification feature on "Electric Water".

The verification is very straightforward, and I'm sure you're all familiar.

As much as I want to "MAKE MONEY NOW!", I'd just as soon not have unrelated comments popping up all over the place here.

There was a part of me that wanted to keep it, since it actually was feedback of some sort, and it made it look as though people actually stopped by here. Once I realized how sad and stupid that was, I decided to make it easier on those that actually check out the comments.

We should see far fewer anonymous comments that are spam from now on. Unless they are in response specifically to the topic of Spam, and then, by all means, Spam away!

When We Were Young

2005-11-09T03:29:00.000-05:00

This may be a phenomenon that's unique to me, and if so, then I apologize for this sidetrack.

I find very few instances where I make any sort of "when I was young" sort of statements. Mainly because I don't feel I'm nearly old enough for that to be endearingly cute yet. The other reason is that I'd like to think I'm aware enough to realize the evolution of time, and the cyclical nature of all things.

That being said, does anyone else find it odd the way Christmas just keeps creeping earlier and earlier every year?

I don't even have children yet, and still I see the sneaking effects of this every time. When I was young, the decorations that pop up in the malls, and in parking lots and things like that didn't show up until the weekend after Thanksgiving. That's what Black Friday was all about - the opening of the official shopping frenzy floodgates.

Whether you condone the commercialization of a religious holiday is one thing. Maybe you're okay with it, like I am, because you realize that it's actually a pagan holiday, and the proper time to celebrate Jesus' birth is in January or April, depending on what you read --->If you're interested in some interesting secular observations on that, here's one sampling.

Anyway, what I'm getting on about is the way that the cobwebs and ghosts were hardly swept away before there were Christmas trees and garland slung from every available nook and cranny of every storefront.

As I've grown older, I realize that there's a lot of planning that's involved with actually buying the Christmas presents, and not just receiving them. I'm willing to accept that as adults, we're obligated to become planning coordinators juggling our schedules with family gatherings, holiday parties, and special events. If you throw in some traditions that you or your family like to maintain, then you've definitely got to start thinking about things ahead of time.

What I don't understand is why we have to rush it? I love Christmas time. You could leave the decorations up all year, and I wouldn't be complaining. I just think that the ninja-like strike of the stores and malls makes people panic, and frantic is no way to enjoy this time of year.

I know that it's not going to change. The time will continue to creep earlier. Heck, one of my favorite movies might actually help them, because "The Nightmare Before Christmas" combines Christmas and Halloween.

I would love a return to simpler times, and, dare I say it, slower times. When there was a glow and softness to even the air itself on winter nights, and you could enjoy them by the flicker of a fireplace. I've already seen the sea of humanity crashing on the shores of commerce at my local mall, and in King of Prussia. Maybe internet shopping will actually help cut down on some of the hustle and bustle.

I want people to slow down, and not speed their lives up in the coming months. I hope that anyone reading this can make an effort to put on the brakes when things get whirling, and try to savor the goodness that can be found in this season...

Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner

2005-10-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this post isn't about any Warren Zevon characters, but another famous Roland. Roland Deschain to be exact.

If you're any fan of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, then you may be excited to know(I certainly am) that there is a comic book adaptation coming in April of 2006.

This series will be written by King, and have the artwork of Jae Lee. Jae's art style is spot on for this subject material, and should make for some very good visual storytelling. If you'd like to see a sampling of Jae's comic book work, then spin over this-a-way.

The very best news here is that this isn't going to be a re-telling of the seven novels, but rather the backstory of Roland. This series is for those of us that think Wizard & Glass is the best novel, and can't get enough of Roland's tales.

This could be something special, but you don't have to take my work for it click here for the story at AICN with an additional link to the official Marvel site and art.

Ka is a wheel, and this is burning rubber down the Route 66 of cool for me...

You've Got A Friend

2005-10-28T03:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a really good friend that forced you to tell them some things that you thought may damage your relationship?

I was recently compelled to let a longstanding best friend of mine know how I felt about his dealings with his fiance. This wasn't in any preachy or teachy way, where I was trying to tell him how to love a girl, or anything like that. It's a situation where I care about her as a person, and he's done some very wrong things to her.

I know who he is better than he does himself, and I know enough about her to see how things are unfolding.

I know that I probably sound like some sort of busybody, but I really felt the need to let him know that he's being unkind to her. I'm not going to go into details, but the gist of the situation is a man who doesn't know what he wants betraying the trust of a relationship on several separate dalliances, and a woman who's too in love with an idea to move on from a guy who is happy to keep stringing her along.

I know that this may not be the right forum for this, and I don't really know why I'm writing this. It was easy for me to try to offer some advice, even though I knew that it might not be received well. Now that it's done, and I've told him how I feel, I know there's a very real chance that I'll lose that friendship.

I swear I'm not looking for any sort of sympathy here. I have a very highly developed sense of decency when it comes to romance, and I just couldn't be his "boy" or "homey" on this one. I couldn't play the complacent friend that could hear the sordid details of his escapades, and just chuckle along with it.

Aside from his dealings with females, he's always been a genuine person. He is a talented person using about a tenth of his potential. I can say that without rancor, because I know that I'm not nearly all that I can be most of the time either.

The closest thing that I can compare my aims to in all of this is a biblical term. In the New Testament, there are a lot of mentions of edification. The way it's couched has always sounded to me like what a true friend would do for another. First of all love, and always be willing to help each other be a better person. I don't want to go with a cliche, and say "tough love", but something akin to that is needed at times. A friendship where you can tell someone when you think they're off the path(and I'm not just talking about Christianity here, but life in general), and offer your experiences and advice to make them strive to be more. I would hope that if I was making a mistake, I'd have a good enough friend that they would tell me. Someone who wouldn't let pride or fear get in the way of helping me avoid a pitfall.

I suppose I'm writing here because I need the outlet to vent. I'm still hopeful that what I said to him will be received in the way it was intended, and we can continue to build each other up.

I just don't think it's a good sign when his email reply contains the formality of his complete name in the closing. Maybe it's just the initial shock of hearing it, and he'll come around.

I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm not a good friend. Maybe I need someone to step in and tell me what I've done wrong, because I seem to lose all my friends. I know that sounds like the coup de grace on a pity party, but I'm really just trying to sort this all out objectively.

I don't make a habit of interjecting my opinions into the lives of other people. There are even some that actually seek my insights out(God help them for that). I'm old enough to know that a good friendship is an invaluable thing that can stand the test of time and distance as long as it's foundation is sure.

I want more friendships, and not fewer. I hope I can salvage this one, and cultivate some new ones too. Although I may have a middling dose of the graces, I am a social beast. I look forward to putting down the gauntlet of my current schedule, and enjoying entertaining more, and being around people more than an office...

Hearts and Bones

2005-10-23T02:01:00.000-04:00

Well, it's the anniversary of the best decision I've made in my life today, and I'm basking in the happiness of the moment.

My lovely wife, Amena, and I have been together 6 years today, and we're still in love with each other.

Although I know I got the better end of the bargain, she still hasn't chosen to get rid of me. I think she lost the receipt anyway.

I do believe that we're stronger together now, and have learned a lot from each other already. We're struggling with the demands of my schedule, and missing each other so much, but we're in this for the long haul.

She knows that she's my only light and love, but I'll say it here again in case she happens by.

I hope that wherever God has our paths planned for the next 6 years it finds us even happier and closer to one another.

Amena's mother asked her the other day how a girl that grew up drawing hearts on everything could end up with a guy fascinated with dark things, death and skulls and bones.

I suppose the easy answer is to chalk it up to opposites attracting.

Although I'm not a disciple of zen, I tend to think we're more like yin and yang. We achieve perfect balance together, because even though she's bright and beautiful and giving, there's her dark, mischievous side. At the same time, even though I appear to be under a cloud, with flashes of violence and anger towards the whole world, she is where I show my tenderness.

Although this day has special meaning for us, we spend each one making our feelings for each other clear. We may not be a textbook happy couple, but then again, curriculum always needs to be updated...

Happy Birthday Blues

2005-10-11T04:16:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is. Another year in the bag for yours truly, and I celebrated it with the vigor it deserved. I went to both of my jobs, and did all of my work, and would have been downright depressed, but...

I was able to receive a gift from my wife this morning before I left (and not that one, because I get that all the time cuz I'm lucky), and now I have the #1 gift on my birthday list.

I was greeted at my first job by a delivery of roses just like these. They are just like the picture, and a very nice surprise. If your woman hasn't bought you flowers recently, then you ought to give her a reason to.

I came to the second job here and was treated to cards from a great friend and his wife, and some assorted cheesecake. The chocolate that I tried was phenomenally good.

So, for a birthday that I worked all day, this wasn't too bad. I have a few underlying dark feelings about the day as a whole, but the people that love me managed to make things seem alright.

I have to wait till Sunday to celebrate my birthday with my family, consisting of the traditional meal of my choosing, and presents and cake deal-a-ma-jig. I'm sure that everyone will be overly generous for someone like me.

Overall, I'm a blessed man. I'm grateful for all that I've been given. Although my life is a bit of a lonely blur right now, I'm confident that there are better things on the horizon for me.

I suppose whether you have a good birthday, even if you're not in the best spirits, is in how you decide to look at things.

I could take my cue from a famous quote like this:

Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave. Our birth is nothing but our death begun.
- Bishop Hall

or I could do my best to put some perspective on things, and enjoy my day in the light of higher things and ideals like this:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The soul that rises with us, our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come from God,
who is our home.
- William Wordsworth

I'm going with the poet, despite myself...

Kiss Me Deadly

2005-09-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

I don't get out to the movies nearly as much as I used to. There are good and bad things about that. The good thing is that it makes me appreciate the few films I do make time to see that much more. The bad thing is I miss wonderful movies like "Nascar 2 - Turn Left HARDER!!"...oh, wait...I guess that's not too bad really. You get the idea.

This Sunday was one of the good things. It's one of my top three directors going back to a style and a medium that has meant magic for him before. I'm speaking of Tim Burton, and his latest creation "The Corpse Bride".

This film is going to instantly be compared to "The Nightmare Before Christmas". I'm going to tell you right now that it's not as good as that movie. There's a perfect cohesion and synchronicity to Nightmare for me, and this story just doesn't quite get there.

That being said, it's a great film. I'm a fan of animation, and if you simply soak this up on that level, then you're in for some fantastic times. Time is something that I have a bit of an issue with here. The film clocks in on the short side, and I just feel that if we had a few more sequences, particularly in the land of the dead, it would have felt a little more grand.

The characters are wonderfully done, and the voice acting is superb. I think that there are moments in this film that are great. The first scene with Victor at the piano {check out the brand} and the second scene with Victor and the Bride's duet are wonderful. Just the look of everything is so crisp and surreal that it's almost like it's own version of hyper-reality.

The music and songs are hit or miss, really. The song that really nails it is the raucous bar-room honky-tonk jam about the titular Bride's story. There's also a melancholy number of the Bride singing about her heartbreak that's really touching.

The visuals, and the love triangle (quadrangle, really) is what really propels the movie, and made it enjoyable for me.

Like any good Tim Burton movie, it's a tale of love and tragedy. This is a good movie, and I hope that it spawns more stop-action animation projects from Tim, and anyone else up to the task. I love this style of animation, and would love to see more of it. This is definitely shaping up to be a part of a Halloween movie night favorite of mine. I honestly feel that it will get better with subsequent viewings too.

I haven't really been looking forward to too many movies this year, and this was definitely towards the top of the list. I really just have 3 more I'm dying to see in the near future - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardbrobe, and King Kong.

If those movies deliver on their goods like this film did, then I'll have a good cinema annum...

Cats In The Cradle

2005-09-24T02:23:00.000-04:00

Huzzah!

I know that it weighs in at 23 pounds, and it weighs pretty heavily on the wallet as well, but we have been given a wonderful set of three hardbound editions that contain "The Complete Calvin & Hobbes".

I don't think I've ever met anyone who disliked this comic strip. It was one of my favorites from the start, and I already own a few of the paperback collections available now. I can't say I'm going to run out and buy these right away, but they're definitely going to be in my collection at some point. Just take a look!

It's a shame that most people's exposure to Calvin at this point is all of those stupid bootleg stickers on the rear windows of cars. This set is something substantial, because it captures something that I found continuously funny and wonderfully imaginative. There haven't been that many strips that have had more of an impact and lasting memory, and the fact that it only lasted 10 years makes that fact even more impressive.

There's something really perfect about those travels with a boy and his tiger. I hope this set is purchased for someone who never got a chance to see them the first time around. I hope they're halfway through the first book laughing before they realize how good it really is, and then read the rest.

Foo Fighters - In Your Honor

2005-09-15T02:53:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

Although it took a tragedy to bring Dave Grohl fully to the fore, I've always been glad that he was given his own band. He doesn't make music that will change the world, but he does know how to rock. He does often end up with the "Foo Fighter" sound, which is dangerous. I hope that he continues to experiment, and go for more with each album.

Right off the bat, he gets points for this release simply because it's a double album. No one does these anymore, and I respect him for it. He even had the kitschy verve to go with the Mc DLT strategy, with one hot and one cool disc.

The first disc has him plugged in, while the second is a hushed acoustic sampling. As a whole, this is a good album if you like the Foo Fighters. It may even be a good buy for those who've never really bought any of their albums. I will admit that the acoustic disc is far superior.

For now, let's start with the 1st disc, the rockin' one.

The disc starts off well, with the title track "In Your Honor". There are waves of guitar that are pounded on the shore of thundering drums. I can hear the emotion in Dave's voice here, and it's one of the things that I enjoy in his songs that I really enjoy. This is a song about selfless sacrifice, and it strikes a cord with me particularly right there.

"No Way Back" is a good example of a "foo speed" song. This is the groove that you've heard before if you've ever bought one of their albums. The cadence, the vocals, the guitar are all the same routine. It's not a bad trick, per se, if you're a one-trick pony, but it just doesn't do much for me. I have always preferred the Foo Fighter songs that are a little more on the odd end of the spectrum, and this is just a little too middle of the road for me.

Ah, the 1st single of the album. This is normally the most hand-crafted and over-produced, catchy groove they can throw at you. "Best of You" is really pretty raw, and not just because Senor Grohl is really giving his vocal chords a good twanging. This is a very powerful song, both sonically and lyrically, and it's actually my favorite of the first platter.

"DOA" could easily be the second single released from this album. It's not quite as formulaic as it could be, and it's got an exceptionally melodic chorus. It serves as a nice chaser.

With a name like "Hell", you'd think that you'd be getting something dark. This song just sort of fills up space to me. If it's supposed to be angry, then I'm really not feeling it.

If you've read any of my previous reviews, then you know that I have a distinct distaste for the current crop of "pop punk" bands that have glutted the marketplace of late. "The Last Song" sounds dangerously close to one of those songs, and I really can't condone the similarity.

The next track is a bit slower than the rest, and it benefits from it. That, coupled with a stuttering beat marching along to tether the angst makes "Free Me" much better than the last track.

Although I'm sure that they've played plenty of dive bars in their time, "Resolve" sounds like it should come blaring out of a swinging door with a porthole window of some smoky hole in the wall. I'm not saying it's country & western, but it's definitely got boots on.

I enjoy the blues. I love them for what they represent on their own, as well as their imminent influence on all of rock music. If you're going to do a blues song with the title "The Deepest Blues Are Black" then you should be B.B. King, Buddy Guy, or John Lee Hooker. This song just doesn't cut it. Not even if you sharpened it all day.

Determined not to let the first album end on a downer, we're given "End Over End" to do the happy-head-bob to. It's got a nice sunny California vibe to it, almost like something from the Byrds, minus the 12-string.

Now, let's move on to the unplugged 2nd disc.

The first song sounds like Dave's trying to serenade someone who's already half asleep. His voice is barely above a whisper, as though he wants the dreamer to hear them, but not be wakened. It's really a wonderful change of pace, and mood, and delivery, and I like it a lot.

"What If I Do" is a straightforward ballad, with pretty good lyrics. It's something you would hear in a coffee shop near your house. I wonder if they have those fresh cran-muffins in today?

The next track has two things going for it. The first is that it's a simple, stripped-down arrangement of a sentimental love song. The second is that John Paul Jones plays piano on it.
That's makes "Miracle" a pretty good one-two punch in my book.

I guess that "Resolve" from the first disc wasn't enough of a sojourn through the dusty trail, because "Another Round" is coming straight from folk/country on Tom Petty Lane.

If you're going to "borrow" a riff from something, make it a good something. In this case, we have something that's awfully close to "King of Pain" by The Police running through the Foo's "Friend of a Friend". It's actually it's own song, and that riff is just the backdrop. What helps to seal the coolness here is that yet again we have John Paul Jones, this time on the mandolin.

"Over and Out" is a quiet, brooding anti-love song. Not really a stand-out track here by any stretch of the imagination.

"On The Mend" continues the lesser patch of this album by sounding the most like one of their regular formula songs just slowed down for effect. This is the only song on this disc that really feels that way to me, so I guess that's a good thing.

I didn't recognize the female backing vocal on "Virginia Moon" right away. It's such a nice song, with the pair of vocals, and the soft strumming guitar gently rolling along. The next time I was near a computer, I wanted to track down whose haunting tones those were. There was good reason for me to enjoy the ride, since it turns out that Norah Jones stopped by to help out on this song. It's not quite my favorite song on here, but it's one of the best.

I suppose that Dave Grohl wanted to empower another drummer to spread his wings a little. So, he let his drummer sing on "Cold Day In The Sun". The results to me, with the echo effect added to help him out, sound a lot like Rick Springfield. Pity this wasn't an acoustic "Jessie's Girl" cover instead.

They saved the best for last for me. Although this is probably the darkest beautiful song you'll ever hear, "Razor" absolutely shines. The vocals are back to the whisper where we started, and the guitar is classically inspired lines flowing behind all the while. I've been where this song sings about, and I know exactly where he's coming from. The loving way he sings about pain, backed by such wonderful guitar work is contrastic perfection.

Taking both albums together, this turns out to be a good record. Although we may not get a better sampling of songs, or a finer crafted album from the Foo Fighters, this definitely gives you a good idea of what they're about. I think there are tracks here that point to better music still to be made, and I hope that they continue to challenge themselves, and try new things.

Rating = * * * out of 5 stars.

System of a Down - Mezmerize

2005-09-09T00:50:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

Mezmerize is the first real new album we've had from my favorite Armenians, and it's another shot in the arm to modern rock. At their best, System of a Down is rather a lot like theatre to me. While some people may see their antics and delivery as extreme, I think that it's more an exaggeration for effect. This album sports their normal flair for classical themes hidden within devious crunching metal time signatures.

While as a whole this album didn't satisfy me quite like Toxicity did,
the gems here outshine almost anything else they've ever done.

The "Soldier Side" intro wasn't really necessary, and could have easily been skipped in my opinion. If you're going to give me an intro track, then I'd like to have a)an instrumental theme established, b)a humorous or rare sample, or c)the equivalent of a pallet-cleansing preface to the first real track of the album. This track's too short, and doesn't really go anywhere at all.

However, it does lead into "BYOB" which is phenomenal. This is the first single, and how it manages to pack a political message into such an interesting song is pretty amazing. I will admit that the political thing isn't my bag. I've said it before in other reviews too. Still, just focusing on the music alone, this is a wonderful song. We go from frenetic screams and blistering speed, and then seamlessly transition into a booty-grooving guitar chorus that's mockingly sweet and irresistible. This isn't my favorite track on the album, but it's definitely one of the best.

"Revenga" is a twisted tale of love, with warp speed guitars for the tender touch. Aside from the warped verses lyrics, this is a hyper-ballad at heart. Sort of like a country song girl-done-me-wrong sort of thing, but without a twang or pedal steel guitar in sight.

It's hard not to laugh at such a blatant tongue in cheek song like "Cigaro". This is the mantra of every rich and powerful corporate whore that we all hate. Played out and painted in the most bombastic lyrical onslaught, and with surging guitars to boot. The message here isn't hard to see, but it's fun to hear.

"Radio/Video" could easily be marked as one of the more "accessible" tracks on the album. It's a little more structured than some, and maybe even a bit easier to understand what's being sung throughout. It's easily one of my favorites of the album, but not because of those things. What I love about this song is the fact that it's really just traditional Armenian folk music disguised as a rock song. There is a beautiful bit of vocalization to the bridge that's easily missed too. Also, there's a great bit of fun as the song changes pace, and then goes whisper soft only to rip right back into a scream once you've been fooled into hugging the speaker. Very good stuff.

What honest rock album wouldn't have at least one song about drugs? In the spirit of that, we get "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song " which is a Lewis Carroll dive down the rabbit hole. Full of the rantings of paranoia and megalomania that are typical of the title "mood enhancing" drug, this song sweeps and swirls around you like city traffic in the summer.

Well, I suppose that since we had a drug song, we might as well get the trifecta out of the way, and get a sex song in here too. Not that the title "Violent Pornography" would have given that away or anything. It's actually a song with a very simple point. With as many weak people that we have given unlimited access to depravity, it's no wonder that we're reaping the harvest of reprobates and sociopaths.

Ah, now we've finally gotten to my favorite song. "Question!" is an operatic wonderment. This is progressive and classical, and yet modern and hard as hell too. Most people wouldn't be reminded of a symphony on their first listening of this track, but the influence is there. From the quiet acoustic plucking around the first stanza, through the emotional delivery of the titular question in the chorus, this song is powerful in a lot of nice ways.

"Sad Statue" is another political song, but it's slower pace, and poignant lyrics put it above and beyond most. The chorus may be a bit of an over-simplified encapsulation of our culture right now, but it's pretty darn close.

Let's kick off a tale of "Old School Hollywood" with some synth bass! We end up with a mix of Devo and Dio on this one, and although those are some strange bedfellows, it's not as odd as it sounds(for a System of a Down song).

Wrapping up the album is "Lost in Hollywood", a classic tale of disillusionment in tinsel town. The song is sung with a real empathy and sincerity. Like it's something a big brother would say to a younger sibling, instead of just saying "I told you so".

This album is a little erratic for me. The songs I like are great, and the rest is good, but not ground breaking. Those great songs are really something special though. Overall, the album is awfully short, and it's a good thing that it's merely the first of a planned double release. I'm looking forward to their next album, so I guess that's a pretty good testament to the music that they continue to make.

Rating = * * * 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Never Say Never

2005-08-27T01:04:00.000-04:00

If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, then I'm sure you have a well-worn copy of Neverwhere someplace that has been read about a thousand times.

If you haven't, then you should get one, or ask a friend for it as a gift at your next natal holiday or mitzvah.

If you like comic books as an artistic medium, which it most definitely is a most viable and vital example of, then you may be happy to know that the cool label of DC Comics, Vertigo, is currently producing a comic book adaptation of Neverwhere in a nine issue series.

I know that was a hella run-on sentance, and I don't care.

The art fits the mood of the story, even if I'm not crazy about the cover images(with the exception of this one). The interior work is much more in line with what I would expect.

If you'd like a visual alternative to the BBC production, then you could do much worse than checking it out. I've attached the cover shot of issue #1. I hope that I can snag these comics once they're all wrapped up, or maybe grab them as a trade paperback after the fact.

There's a sample of the first few pages yonder...

Summer In The City

2005-08-18T01:42:00.000-04:00

My company picnic was held at Dorney Park this year. Since I'm a sucker for roller coasters, I was definitely down.

Although the tickets and parking were free, the planning department didn't make any thoughts about the weather. The day was Saturday, and it broke records for heat in some areas around here. Of my company's attendee's, approximately 15 people suffered from one flavor of heat stroke or another.

Aside from being a bit warm towards the end of the day, and being baked a lovely shade of red for being so pale, I had a great time.

Amena and I hit all their coasters several times, and really enjoyed the Talon. Although Hydra is their newest coaster, it just didn't have the punch (or the "G's)that Talon did.

We skipped the water park entirely. Largely due to the fact that we knew that everyone else would be there with the mercury being what it was. From the reports of my peers that did go that route, I'm quite glad we weren't there. Wildwater Kingdom sported waiting in line for 45 minutes on the small attractions.

We were hitting a coaster, and then getting back in line again. We rode in the front of each of the coasters there at least once. The preferred back seat on Steel Force for the camelback whipping action too.

There were only two down sides to the day as a whole. The first was the construction on 476 that made the trip an hour longer than it should have been. The second was a mild asthma attack late in the day that sidelined Amena, and forced us to bow out of the renaissance faire the following day.

Other than that, a whole lot of fun. Now, I just have to get a day at Six Flags, so I can ride their new record holding coaster Kingda Ka...

Shake Hands With Beef

2005-08-02T04:10:00.000-04:00

This Sunday found me engaged in one of my favorite pursuits - entertaining guests. More specifically, cooking for said guests. They happened to be friends from my wife's job, and I started them off with simple family fare of a roast beef dinner.

It seemed to come off without a hitch, and several helpings were had by all. We talked and laughed and grubbed over a bottle of shiraz, and then retired to the dungeon for viewing pleasure.

Jason and Kaylee decided upon Samurai Champloo volume one, and we settled in for some anime goodness. Midway through, we attacked some very yummy dessert prepared by Kaylee (a wonderful cheesecake-brownie amalgam that almost tastes like peanut butter together, but so much more).

We parted with the promise to come over their place next time. I double checked with Amena that I hadn't embarrassed her in any way, and she was still on speaking terms with Jason at work the next day. I passed with flying colors.

I do enjoy a good get together, and with as few friends as I have, it's always nice to meet new people. Not that I'm all about quantity over quality though. The friends that I do have today are worth their weight in gold.

Octopus's Garden

2005-07-27T02:42:00.000-04:00

I traveled beneath the waves over the weekend, and enjoyed the trip immensely.

Although I'm still smitten by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the New Jersey State Aquarium in Camden had some very nice exhibits too.

We started by checking out the hippos. While it was pretty amazing to see them in an aquarium, what was more amazing was how photogenic they were. Not that I would know because I made a classic bonehead move and forgot my camera. There was the usual underwater viewing area where you could see the hippos swimming along. In the midst of an aquarium employee droning on all the little factoids about hippos, one of the hippos cruised along the bottom of the tank, and then decided to kick off and launch straight up in front of the glass until half of it's body was extended into the air! White men may not be able to jump, but hippos sure can. Seeing something like that made it a little easier to see how dangerous they can be in the wild.

From there, we went directly into a display of jellyfish. They were magical and glowing in the blueish light in a huge cylindrical tank. I could have stayed for hours there. It always strikes me how some of the smallest things capture my interest. I also was very fond of the seahorses, and sea dragons they had. Then, we were upon a monstrous tank that housed 27 sharks of varying types as well as some fish and rays. This was impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the tunnel of glass that you pass through where sharks glide menacingly towards you, and then swim directly over your head.

On a side note, while the gift shop was fairly reasonable as those go, do NOT wait to grab a bite to eat at the snack bar in the aquarium. There were four of us, and the bill was closer to $50 than $40 for heat-lamp tended burgers and fries. Not cool.

Anyway, we headed over to the waterfall area, and into some smaller exhibits with all sorts of fish ranging from moray eels to triggerfish. Towards the end of this area is another huge tank, and this time it was filled with sea turtles, manta rays with wingspans of over 8 feet, and bluefin tuna. The turtles were amazing, and the grace of the flight patterns of the rays was hypnotic.

We went over to the shark petting area, and I did so. Felt like smooth rubber, and it was very cool.

They have a "4-D" theatre experience that can be purchased separately, and after doing so, I would advise you to save your money. It has a shoddily CGI'd film that you view with 3-D glasses and the seats have coordinated movements. If you want to see this done well, then head to Disneyworld.

There were many other fish and sea creatures to be seen, but I don't want to ramble on indefinitely. I've always liked the water, and going to the aquarium inspired me to want to have a fish tank again. There's something uniquely soothing about watching fish swim around, and it's been proven to reduce stress too.

I think that anyone who has considered heading over to the aquarium definitely should give it a try. We had a great time, and will definitely be heading back again...

Don't Fear The Reaper

2005-07-23T05:50:00.000-04:00

I know that this has been around for awhile, but it sort of took a bit to become truly cult material.

This is one of the few funny skits from SNL in recent years.

It's come full circle, so that Will Ferrell actually came on and played with Queens of the Stone Age in May.

All I can say is "More Cowbell".

Check it out, baby

2005-07-23T04:27:00.000-04:00

"The T-X Interpretive Dance Troupe is infectious" raves critic Miles Bennet Dyson!

Dave Matthews Band - Stand Up

2005-07-23T03:24:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

I can remember the first time I heard Dave Matthews Band music. I willingly admit that I was almost instantly impressed, because it sounded like "real" music for a change. An actual band that was capable of creating some really good music.

I happen to own all of their studio recordings, and a few of the live discs too. They really are tremendous live, and highly recommended.

There are probably even a few tracks off of this album that could be turned into something special with a different arrangement live.

The problem I'm having with this latest outing is the choice of producer. Mark Batson should have been able to make a better album with the band he had to work with. I put a large portion of why I don't like this album on his shoulders.

I can understand not wanting to remain stagnant, and to try out new sounds. I just feel that this is either going to trick DMB into thinking they've done that, or it will sour them to the idea altogether, and that's bad for us either way.

Let's break things down track by (largely) banal track:

"Dreamgirl" starts off with the band wanting so badly to be Paul Simon. Queue the African choir, and let's get things started. This is actually a pretty good song, and a nice start. Even so, you can see the writing on the wall here. The lyrics aren't up to snuff, and they don't get better as we go along.

"Old Dirt Hill(Bring That Beat Back)" is a major sticking point for me. If you're going to have Carter Beauford to work with, on a song that has the subtitle of bringing a beat back, don't you think that you should...I don't know...maybe have him PLAY A BEAT!? Instead, we get a weak song that's driven insipidly by drum machine pablum.

I've seen it happen time and again, but it never fails to disappoint me anyway. Here, the titular track "Stand Up" sounds like it's trying too hard to be something good. We've got the rhythm section working on this one, and the guitars and vocals are clueless throughout.

There's an intro for the song "American Baby" that's just some piano with gunshots and whatnot, and then we get to the song proper. This is one of the songs that I liked. The guitar is plucked almost with banjo-like tautness, and it's a well made song. It's not going to butter your toast for you, but it's not bad.

Ahh, the bad boy Dave song. "Smooth Rider" is a laid back song for the cool cat that Dave wishes he was. It's almost full of itself, but the southern swagger isn't overbearing. Musically, it's meant to be "stripped down" but seems a bit sparse instead.

"Everybody Wake Up(Our Finest Hour Arrives)" has a throw-away title. It might as well be a cereal box that has a huge star-shaped accent in bright red that says something like "Now with 25% more preachy goodness!!". Note to jam bands: If you're going to get political on a song, don't make it so hamfisted that it stinks enough to overwhelm the smell of "patchouli", ya got it?

Okay, so at least we're past that. Now, we can move on to hopefully a better song. What's this one called? Oh, it's "Out of My Hands". Frighteningly fitting though it may be, we have no control here, and this song is essentially a quieter version of the last one. Not only does it drip with the undertones of the Birkenstockian sentiment that "it's sucks you guys have to go fight in Iraq", but it has the nerve to recycle lyrics. Not from someone else's song. Not from an early DMB tune. Not from a song from the beginning of the album, but the crappy song RIGHT BEFORE THIS ONE!! C'mon already.

After that one-two punch of a fiasco, we deserve "Hello Again". It's lazy gait down a dirt road rhythm is sweet. The syncopation shakes off the blues of those last two songs, and we're treated to one of the songs that I enjoy from this album. This album is a great case of mp3 piracy, because you would do well to glean the wheat from the chaff here, and not plunk down your lucre for the whole disc. [I'm not even getting into the fact that the disc has been copy-protected, and tries to auto-install software on your PC to ensure this that has been known to crash some machines]

"Louisiana Bayou" sounds like something DMB should make a song about. Heck, make my day, listen to some ancient blues and zydeco and crank out a whole album of songs from your roots. This gets mired in some bad lyrics, and a fair-to-middlin' attempt at keeping it real. I do actually like the hooted accent on the end of each line in the chorus. It reminds me of an old Harry Bellafonte song called "Hold 'Em Joe".

"Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd" is a great song title, and it's not a bad song either. Aside from the metronome of another canned beat, the gentle sweetness of the vocals compliments the sax throughout.

We've already had the band trying to do it's best Paul Simon impersonation. Now, we get them catching a bad case of Sting syndrome. "You Might Die Trying" sounds to me like the band doing a parody of themselves in a world where we're all supposed to see all the subtleties of their genius and be humbled by it. How a laid back group of guys like this can be made to come off that way is beyond me, but give it a listen, and see if you can hear what I'm saying.

If you've read any of my other album reviews, then you know that I'm a sucker for softly sung lullaby type songs. "Steady As We Go" is just Dave's voice, and a piano taking center stage. It's got simple and sweet lyrics filled with hope, and I like this one.

It only takes us 14 songs of traveling to come across anything that really resembles what the Dave Matthews Band sound is. "Hunger For The Great Light" could easily have come off of any of their other albums. Here's the band firing on all cylinders together to make a good song. Sure, it's formulaic. The fact that blending great vocals with acoustic electric guitar and an underrated bassist, a genius drummer, and both a violin and sax player is a formula isn't a bad thing here.

Overall, I can't recommend this album. If you know someone who bought it, or has a copy, then have them make you one. If you download music, then do that, give them all a listen, and then see if you keep all the tracks in your collection. There are some worthwhile listens to be had. They're just few and far between, and what's left is just clumsy and lazy.

Rating = * out of 5 stars

Ring of Fire

2005-07-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

there was a me of long ago
that viewed the world in wonder
and lived the daily moments like millennia
when i was too carefree to even know
what that word meant
years haven't made me old, but hollow
the glow of youth has left shadows to fall under
and the dark chitin of my regret to polish
innocence, lost at birth, now seems to show
that heavier things are due for rent
i climb a mountain to change my view
but seem to find the goal of it's peak
was merely a postcard in the giftshop
at the foot of a larger range
and i'm already running out of air
how much farther can i remain true
or continue to try to speak
to miles and ears that give no notice
as the pendulum swings on the strange
behind the brittle teeth in the smile i wear
my thoughts strobe like thunderstorms
in the close black of cloudless july
with the knowledge of the good i own
shining briefly across the carapace of my despair
only to make me ashamed of above and below
love has only visited me in a few forms
and i'm afraid to be forced to rely
on my ability to retain it
i clutch at it...like catching air
i may lose all semblance of hope in one blow
i have built so much that has fallen away
i have taught so many that no longer care
loved and hated with equal fervor besides
the whole of my existence is as strong
as the base of a house of cards
time laughs as the deck begins to sway
and winks in the way only the stacker dares
having sharpened his skills on bigger game
knowing i was a lost cause all along
missing all my marks by yards
i'm the man who wasn't
drawn like bows towards apples that never were
wrapped closely in the emperor's new cloak
against the cold dream of a unicorn
drawn across these days of (h)ours
like the teeth of a rusty saw
i'm the victor that doesn't
throttled by the life that may never concur
on the shores of mercury, lopes the silver man
who burns white, and sheds dross like a newborn
till there's not an ingot left to guild the flowers
laid fresh on the grave of intent
where the long blind scan the skyline
seeking the ghost they thought they knew
when all that remains is the wish and pain
and maybe darkness enough to fill the rifts
left etched by this heavy-tread repent
traced along this bitter coast, but for the shine
of a single dear star stuck in my heart
i'll fade with a smile if she knows my name
and maybe my dark tears will turn to diamond gifts

2005-07-02T02:06:00.000-04:00

Dracula just freakin' rocks!

2005-06-29T03:52:00.000-04:00

Although it was quite a triumph to win the stealth fighter contract, Gunther wasn't quite sure the new designer, Diana Prince, was on the right track...

Muse - Absolution

2005-06-29T02:36:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

Long live rock!

I can't help but feel that Muse is one of the bands keeping rock from slipping down the slippery slope of commercialism into oblivion.

There are the inevitable comparisons to early Radiohead. You know what? Early Radiohead kicks a lot of ass, so that's a good thing. As much as I enjoy all of Radiohead's albums, I sort of wish they would feel threatened by Muse, and come back with a really loud album. In the meantime, I'll just gobble this three-piece up like the delicious guilty pleasure they are.

Muse is fronted by singer Matt Bellamy's wonderful voice that can go from falsetto whisper to wail effortlessly. Their music is driven by classical oriented progressions shredded through walls of guitars. There's a very honest and emotional quality to each song, and they seem to put everything they have into each power chord.

This isn't a single influence in the songs on "Absolution" that I don't like. This band has become a bit of a high water mark for me personally, and I recommend their other two studio outings as well. With the volume cranked, and an open mind, let's dive in:

The album starts with an instrumental splash of some military marching drums, and then rolls right into the epic "Apocalypse Please". This song builds into a great crescendo, and gives you a good glimpse into what to expect throughout. It's loud and raucous, and almost too much.

"Time is Running Out" slinks out of the alley with a dirty, fuzzed-up bassline, and that's just for starters. The chorus punches in with mountains of guitar crunch, and the only thing that's strong enough to overpower them is Matt Bellamy's full throttle vocals. He's giving his all on this one, and you reap the benefit.

"Sing For Absolution" takes a slight break in the power angst, and comes across with a drifting vocal delivery along side of some organ that sounds like it's echoing down a haunted hallway.

Now I know what Nigel Tufnel meant when he described his amps going to eleven. "Stockholm Syndrome" starts with the guitars on high, racing along a pseudo-arabic vein, and swirling into space. The bass comes rolling in just as hard, and the drums get the skins pounded off them throughout. Just when you think this song is at it's absolute limit, it manages to crank it up harder than ever. It's hard to choose, but I think this may be my favorite of the album.

We travel next to the land of unplugged ballads, and we meet "Falling Away With You" there. It may not solve Pi, or do your taxes for you, but if you listen to the lyrics you'll find an achingly sweet song of regret.

Now, my theory on the interlude track before "Hysteria" (not to be confused with Def Leppard) is that they want you to hear the amps crying before they explode. When simple waves of feedback and hum give way to the track proper, you're immediately plunged into driving guitars that are racing all the way to the end. The licks here are as sweet as honey, and hit like the stinger's still in there too. Side effects may include dizziness and shortness of breath...

The strings come to visit on "Blackout", and make for one of the more beautiful melancholy songs I've ever heard. Matt uses his voice here like an instrument, at times almost playing the notes like another violin or cello. Truly wonderful stuff, if a bit too short.

We're back on the sweeping rock opera bus with "Butterflies and Hurricanes" that crawls along the underpinning bass plucking, and then rides the pianos and guitars home. There's a distinct focus on making the vocals easy to hear on this one, and with good measure, since it's really an uplifting and positive song.

There's enough attitude in "Small Print" to spread over a whole album. From the palpable sneer to the vocals, to that grinding guitar screaming along taunting you, this song bullies you into liking it while it's stealing your lunch money.

"Endlessly" is proof that Muse can do well even when they're not blaring at you. This subdued number is stripped down with snareless drums, and the pump of an organ's bass pedal. It's a love song, and it's clever enough to fool you into thinking it's tender.

"Thoughts of a Dying Athiest" is just a bit of silence. I suppose you can take from that what you will. I'm not going to chose now to jump into a philosophical discussion about religion. The album's almost over.

"Ruled By Secrecy" lifts us up to sweet heights, carried by a piano and voice. It's only fitting that a baroque opera of an album send us off with this wonderful morsel.

For all of it's sound and fury, this album gains depth in subsequent listenings. There are layers upon layers here (like parfait, I don't know nobody that don't like parfait), and picking out a new riff or melody is half the fun. Although you have to be mindful of the volume, this is also a very good album to listen to via headphones in the dark[act now, and we'll add instant dark - just close your eyes].

I don't know if you have some artists that you have found, and want everyone you know to have a listen to. I do, and Muse is definitely towards the top of my list. I don't even think this is my favorite album of theirs, but it's a great one.

Rating = * * * * out of 5 stars

TTFN

2005-06-28T03:07:00.000-04:00

Although there are a lot of passings every day, I felt the need to mention that Paul Winchell has left us.

Although most known and loved as the voice of Tigger, Paul also voiced countless other animated characters from Gargamel to Dick Dastardly.

He was an accomplished ventriloquist, and also an inventor with 30 patents. One of those was for an early artificial heart design that went on to help develop the most popular model used today.

Although Paul officially stopped being the voice of Tigger in 1999, I'm sure things will be a little less bouncy in the 100 Acre Wood from here on in...

2005-06-25T03:36:00.000-04:00

He's waxing his board, and shredding waves nice...Thrasher's for fries, and dinner at Grotto's for a slice...Santa Claus is going to town!

Remember The Time

2005-06-25T03:17:00.000-04:00

While it may seem cruel, or odd to think of it right now, as we swelter this weekend in the sticky wonder that is the weather of the Delaware Valley, it's exactly six months until Christmas.

I'm still one of the biggest kids I know, and thrill to the idea of Christmas Day all the time. It's my favorite holiday, and I can't wait till we're back there again.

The truth be told, I still feel like last Christmas was just a little while ago. This year has been a study of Tempus Fugit. I just wish I could justify the speed because I was having so much fun.

That's just the bitterness of a 6-day, 18 hour schedule talking. I just need to write the word "Christmas" again so I'll smile.

If you'd like to read up a little on the official history of the Christmas holiday, then you can jingle over this.

Happy Holidays!

2005-06-25T03:03:00.000-04:00

I can't see a "Power Glove" without thinking of "The Wizard". Damn you, Fred Savage...

Mindless Self Indulgence - You'll Rebel To Anything

2005-06-25T01:53:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

MSI's music is an acquired taste. It answers the question of "What would the jittery sugar-high punk rock of a kid off his meds sounds like"?

They are abrasive, and vulgar. Let's get that straight up front. If you're easily offended, then stick to James Taylor.

If you'd like to just try a taste of Atari-fueled madness, then come on in.

The album starts off typically enough with a healthy dose of self loathing in "Shut Me Up". It deflates any haters up front by letting you know that they're waiting for you to hate their music. Runner-up for best use of a whip crack in a song or composition.

"1989" is a manic rant that speaks of a simpler time, in a really loud and obnoxious voice. I like about half the songs on this album, and this isn't one of them.

I don't know if the parody is purposeful, or not, but "Straight To Video" showcases a really excellent Marilyn Manson delivery. Just latch on to the wonderful simile in the chorus about giving up, and going "like a bad girl, straight to video". Nice.

What can I say about "Tom Sawyer"? I'm a passing fan of Rush as a band, but a big fan of their music. What it basically boils down to is that I can't see the forest for the Lee. This cover crunches and speeds up the song itself, so the one thing I like is already gone. I'm not sure why MSI chose to cover this song, when I'm sure their humor and talents could have been put to better use twisting up something else.

The title track has some of the best lyrics I've seen the band produce. It strikes a chord with me. I'm so tired of all these bands making music about how messed up their parents treated them, and how awful life is. There are a crop of at least 30 or 40 of these pop punk bitches out right now that think if they smear enough mascara on, they can be Robert Smith while they play the X-Games and do a Mountain Dew commercial. Here's a sample of the chorus to give you an idea of what I mean: "Boo fuckin hoo you're not the only one whose life's a piece of shit
And yet miraculously somehow we all seem to deal with it". Great delivery, some nice start/stop touches make this sound more like what I'm used to from these guys. My favorite track of the album.

A little organ in the background on "What Do They Know?" makes the medicine go down. It's a little too "pretty" for my tastes, but not without merit.

Ahh, yes. We're back to lowest common denominator vulgarity. I bet you can't guess what the m & f stand for in "Stupid MF"? This track sounds like you're riding in an ambulance with the sirens wailing on it's way to Mercury. Lightning fast delivery, and a pause for refreshment right in the middle of the word "fucker" for the chorus. This may not suit my mood on a daily basis, but it brings a smile to my face when it does.

The hyperspace freakout that is "2 Hookers and an 8-Ball" will make your head spin. This track was actually performed live on their last record "Alienating Our Audience" too.

With "Prom", I've finally found the band that should have been playing for Carey White's little pig-blood party. I don't know if there's electronic horror camp as a defined genre yet, but I'm always ready for new things.

"Bullshit" is another one of my favorites from the album. Not only does it sound like it's a missing song from their first album, but Mindless Self Indulgence comes really close to a regular song at the beginning of this one. There's a really nice little guitar melody going before they put the spurs to her.

If the titles of the tracks, and my description of things haven't clued you in, this is not your average musical experience. This is pretty far out there in left field. The thing is, when they do it right, MSI can create some really fun and wonderfully loud decadence.

This album as a whole just sounded too produced. I prefer the gritty and smashed sound of their first studio LP "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy" (how's that for a unique title?). That record focused songs into vignettes that allowed for more impact, and furthered the feeling of ADD that epitomizes their style.

I'm all for getting better at the craft of producing, and getting better equipment, and things like that. I just hope that the next time around they realize that throwback isn't an evil word, and they can still make new with the old, and keep crazy folks like me smiling.

Rating = * * 1/2 out of 5 stars

Knock On Wood

2005-06-24T02:35:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, (God willing in only this way, for your sake) then you really enjoy learning the origins of popular phrases.

Language is a wonderful thing, and although English is a mess, it does have some fascinating tidbits strewn about the place.

So, if you're at all interested in checking on some etymology, then you can check these out - thing one and thing two .

There are a ton of other sites, and more than a few books dedicated to this, but I thought I'd throw out a few sites to give you a good tour of the basics. These origins make for some better than average water cooler chit-chat, even if it does bring you dangerously close to the Cliff Clavin end of the spectrum.

It still makes for an interesting read though.

2005-06-23T03:27:00.000-04:00

The Soviet Mind Game...

Coldplay - X & Y

2005-06-23T01:56:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

Coldplay's popularity is something that I personally believe is well deserved.

Are they pioneers, or visionaries....not quite.

What they do is take a solid foundation of a band, and continue to build upon it. This new album sees them adding more layers to their sound. At times it sounds a bit "over-produced" to me, but I like the depth and the concept overall.

If you've never tried a Coldplay album before, then you really should. Lead vocalist Chris Martin has one of the better voices in popular music, and makes the most of it on almost every song they make. Not to oversimplify what sets this band apart, but it's Chris' voice and the piano. Here is a band that's not afraid to add the sound of a piano (and we're not talking a keyboardist either). There have been many comparisons between Coldplay and Radiohead. While I think that those comparisons have some merit, I feel that it should be a compliment to both bands in question.

Let's take a look at the tracks this time around:

The album starts with what sounds to me like a not-so-subtle tribute to 2001 - A Space Odyssey, and begins in typical Coldplay fashion. Then, there's a U2 song inserted in the middle, including vocals, and then the song wraps up as a Coldplay song again. Aside from the schitzophrenic nature of the beast, I think that "Square One" is a nice start to things.

"What If" starts as a quiet piano song, and builds up into the crescendo that exemplifies Coldplay's sound. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it.

"White Shadows" should be one of my favorites off of the album, just based on the cool title alone. Unfortunately, for me, this is one of the songs that sounds like they're trying too hard. The canned drums and synthesized bassline don't really do the song any favors.

Coldplay is very skilled at making achingly touching songs. From their first hit "Yellow" they've proven that they can evoke tenderness and longing in a pop hit. "Fix You" is just such a song. It's very basic, and in the simplicity of the arrangement, all you get are the best nuances of Martin's voice. Definitely my highest ranked track on the disc.

Now, you may think I'm way off base here, but the guitar at the beginning of "Talk" sounds like bagpipes to me. I can close my eyes, and hear the sad timbre of the pipes in that opening lick. Although I usually tend to enjoy the more understated, and eclectic songs, this one is uptempo and brilliant. The Kraftwerk enthusiasts out there may recognize the influence on this track as well.

I wonder how many albums have good title tracks? That would be an interesting thing to study at some point. I would definitely have to include "X & Y" on that list. Not only do we have the melodies here, but we add the element of a string section that's here for real musical value and not just effect. It's not a symphony, but the way the guitar and the violins mimic each other is definitely good music.

It's long been the treasure of the fans that buy entire albums that they discover all the tracks that are leaps and bounds better than the radio single. This is almost always true. "Speed of Sound" may wreck the curve a little bit. This is a very well made song, and a good place for someone to get their first taste of the band. It's a good sampling of their best elements: that piano I love, the falsetto melodies, and the solid work of the band to bring it all together.

"A Message" is the song that would end up in the acoustic portion of a live performance, and be punctuated at the closing with the squeals of young ladies who think it's the sweetest thing they've ever heard, and jealous of Gwynneth Paltrow(singer Chris Martin's wifey). It's very soft and mellow, and the love ballad of the year thus far.

"Low" is another well made song. I enjoy the phrasing of the verses here, and the way lyrics are sort of casually tossed at the listener in an almost under-your-breath sigh. It's a love song about giving a damn.

The "Hardest Part" doesn't quite leave an impression on me. Lyrically, I'm sold, but the song just never really grabs me. Despite the piano to the fore, and everything, I just never seem to be won over with this one.

The sing-song nature of "Swallowed In The Sea" makes me wonder if it wasn't a lullaby from the new dad singer. When you get past the delivery, what you find underneath is a sweet song. The rhyming here may seem nursery, but the sentiment is post-graduate work.

We end things off with another song that gains momentum from quiet beginnings. "Twisted Logic" benefits from jangly guitars, and also the inclusion of a bonus track. "Til Kingdom Come" is a folksy country offering originally written for the late great Johnny Cash. While I would have loved to hear the Man In Black take it on, it's a nice little hidden send off here.

I think that this is another solid effort from Coldplay overall. Their albums tend to just get better each time you listen to them. While I still feel that "A Rush of Blood To the Head" is their best album running, this is a very good listen. I'm rating it based on the comparison to their other recordings, so please don't think that I'm not recommending it...

Rating = * * * 1/2 out of 5 stars

Given To Fly

2005-06-22T01:48:00.000-04:00

Ahh, summertime and the livin' is easy...

Happy solstice to everyone. I wanted to take a moment here, and reflect on the higher ideals in life.

However, I was interrupted from that by one of those things that you want to believe is fake. Of all the commercials I've seen recently, this one seemed the most likely to be a parody.

The sad fact is that there really is a fledgling group of aircraft now being run by the Hooters organization.

It's just a sad state of affairs when a man can't just wait to get to his vacation spot to get his T & A, and feels the need to supplement that on his journey there.

If you don't believe me, or just can't help yourself, then click this .

2005-06-18T06:36:00.000-04:00

Hiding his face in shame, Gerald realized that he had sealed his fate when he chose the Peter Lorre stool...

Beck - Guero

2005-06-18T05:06:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

If you are familiar at all with Beck Hansen's music, then this album should come as no surprise.

He's been the most dazzlingly funky white boy since he hit the scene with "Loser".

I love all his albums, and this one is no different. He continues to create musical tracks like fine cuisine. They may have some of the same ingredients as something he's prepared before, but they are each unique and delicious in their own right.

Although it may go against critical acclaim and thinking, I'm glad that Beck decided to steer back towards his roots on this album. His last outing, Sea Change, was not exactly something you'd want playing on suicide watch. Somber folk to the nth degree. Well done, but not really something you want to have in heavy rotation.

This album maintains it's fair share of samples and wonderful beats, courtesy of the Dust Brothers. It also manages to work new levels of musicality to the tracks. Even though by definition Beck's sound is the brainchild of the mixing table, there are songs here that you can really feel the band on.

With that, I'm sure this album will translate very well to the stage. If you've never had the treat of attending a Beck concert, please do so at your earliest convenience. You will not be disappointed. He is a consummate performer, and his DJ will make your head spin.

Let's examine each track along this trip by the barrio, through the backwoods, and into outer space discoland.

We kick things off with the radio single "E-Pro". It may not win any songwriter awards with it's na-na-na chorus, but the thing here is the beat. While it's courtesy of my favorite Beastie Boys song, it's tweaked here with some guitar crunch that goes down like a bowl of Boo-Berry on Saturday morning.

"Que Onda Guero" is straight from the street corner bodega. You can practically feel the dusty heat of the city, as Beck gives props to the latino backstreets. From the muted horns that sound like they're blasting from a circa 1982 boombox to the loping syncopation of the whole song, it's a gem.

"Girl" could easily be the very best musical bastard of the Beach Boys and Arlo Guthrie ever spawned. If you took the surf and the folk, and mushed them up with Beck brushing up on his croonerism, then there you have it. It's bright, cheery, and just generally a feel-good tune. (Not to be confused with feel-good movies, which I traditionally can do without)

Ah, yes. The cool breeze wafts past the cabana, and the smell of cocoa butter is only surpassed by pina colada, and here we find "Missing". With more bossa nova than a little bit, Beck dons an almost lounge delivery, and chalks up another favorite of mine. Although he doesn't go to this well too often, when he does, he usually comes through smooth. [see also "Tropicalia" from his Mutations album]

How often does something so white get so purple? If you don't believe in channeling, then you just might after hearing the way "Black Tambourine" puts Deep Purple's "Hush" in Beck's hands. There's something in the swagger of Beck's voice on this track that makes you believe he's the long lost cousin to the Rat Pack, and only the two of you know it. Toe tapping good times to be had by all.

"Earthquake Weather" breaks out the lava-lamp mack vibe. There's enough psychedelic bells and whistles here to give you a flashback even if you're sober. Just lay your head back in that beanbag chair, and mellow out.

There isn't one track on this album that I don't like something about, but this next one I like everything about. "Hell Yes" is as much fun as the title implies. It's 100% digital funk destined for cardboard and shelltops from here to Mars. Domo Arigato, Beck san.

For those who really did miss the Sea Change sound, "Broken Drum" is about as close as you're going to get this time around. It's lingeringly slow tempo is backed by the almost sleepy delivery of Beck's vocals. I know it may sound weird, but I think that his voice sounds good when he slows things down like this. Not my A+ favorite, but not a dud either.

Lyrically the strongest song on the album, "Scarecrow" has a echoing, eerie feeling to it. Self-examination must be hard to sing, but it seems Beck has found a way. Not exactly an uptempo number, but I think there's charm there if you're open to it.

Now, it's time to slide on down to the Delta, and visit the revival tent for some hand-clapping testifying. "Go It Alone" is a bluesy treat with certifiable badass lyrics. Not that Beck tends to strike me as a tough guy, but he sure can write like he'd like to be.

Nothing like a funeral song to get you going. Here, we find Beck with his cowboy hat on again, and amidst the dobro licks; you can hear the dust of the trail on "Farewell Ride".

Okay, now we have the pick me up track. If you ever wondered what would happen if Jimi was awakened by a Strawberry Alarm Clock, then check out "Rental Car". We've got the snazzy backup singers, and the organs, and a groovy sound that's really far out.

Although it's flavored with many things, "Emergency Exit" is at it's heart an old spiritual. The rhythmic pounding of the beat, and the melodies here speak to the songs of labor; of the field, the hammer, and the struggle.

Now, if you bought this at your local music chain, or pretty much anywhere else in the US for that matter, that's where your party ends. If you went for the deluxe treatment, then you can get the special 2-disc version of this album that snags you a DVD and some bonus tracks for your dollars.

If you don't want to quite go in for that because you think it's gauche, then you could just upgrade to the Japanese Import of "Guero" and come away with 3 very tasty bonus tracks.

The first of which is "Send A Message To Her" which finds Beck trying to convince you that Pete Best is a sucker, and he's really the missing Beatle. I challenge you to not find this song catchy.

Then we have a loud bunch of feedback freakout that would seem like a frenzied mess anywhere else. Maybe "Chain Reaction" is nothing more, but it's worth finding out for yourself.

Lastly, we have a show-stopper of a jungle beat with "Clap Hands". With the titular hand-claps within, this song can get the animals running better than Tarzan. I feel bad for any fan that doesn't have this Beck song.

So, there are some songs that I could skip over here if I was making a Beck compilation. That being said, there are also many that I couldn't think of leaving out. This isn't a perfect album, but it's a new experiment. Sometimes the science is in the method, and not every result. I would definitely recommend this album to you all, even if you've never bought a Beck album before. There are enough styles and subtleties layered within to provide lots of replay value for a good long time...

Rating = * * * * out of 5 stars

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

2005-06-17T05:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, here's the thing.

It's not bad enough that someone decided to create a cringe-worthy experience for television like bringing one hit wonders back to sing their hits, and then a current pop song.

It's not enough that they called that show "Hit Me Baby One More Time", and then decided to have it hosted by a Tom Wellig wannabe,limey dumbass.

The worst thing is...I watch this show. My evenings at Comcast are such that we typically watch the usual primetime drivel. I have broadened my co-workers horizons by watching a block of Food Network in the afternoon, and some other good shows.

Watching tonight's show was quite a surprise. If I had a DVR box, or a Tivo, or even a VCR that was still hooked up, I would have wanted to catch tonight's show. Bravo actually plays the reruns on Sundays. Check your local listings, and brace yourself.

The format is setup so that each performer does their hit tune, and then comes back and does their version of a new popular song. Tonight, I was totally sucker punched by something that should have been the worst idea ever, and ended up being the high point of my night.

Wang Chung came out, and started the show by running through "Everybody Have Fun Tonight". It's wasn't great, but not too shabby either. Then, when asked what song they would be doing later on in the show, they came up with Nelly's "Hot In Herre".

That is not a typo(despite the fact that the song itself is spelled incorrectly, apparently to be more "gangsta").

What happens next is truly amazing. They come out on stage with backup dancers, and they proceed to rap through the song, and DO IT WELL!!

Now, I know that Nelly makes some of the whitest rap around, but you have to see this to believe it.

Two middle-aged, used-to-be's from London are on stage rapping better than any white boy has a reason to. (Not including Mr's Diamond, Yauch & Horovitz, with special exceptions also for MC's Paul Barman, Chris, and Serch.

It was a very surreal experience, and if any of you have a chance, please take the time to let it blow your mind too...

2005-06-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

Yours Truly...

Eyes of a Child

2005-06-16T03:21:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you wish you were a cartoon character?

If so, then you may want to indulge yourself here.

Even if you don't have weird thoughts like that, you owe it to yourself to check this out. You can use a bevy of simple tools to make a South Park version of you, or a loved one. I made up one for each person at my office, and it was received with an instant "dude, you have GOT to send that to me!".

The worst thing I can say is that you do have to just copy and paste your finished product into the graphic editor of your choice. The best thing I can tell you about this is that it's a lot of fun, and if you try out things, you'll be amazed at how uncanny the resemblance can truly be...

2005-06-15T05:39:00.000-04:00

Not being satisfied with only one ripe fruit, Jack continued to search the guitar tree...

Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

2005-06-15T04:07:00.000-04:00

ALBUM REVIEW

I love music. It's only fitting that I add some music reviews to my blog here, and try to give you my opinion on some of the albums that I snag. We're going to start with something fairly recent, but don't be surprised to see entries in the future that run the gamut in both time and space.

Jack Johnson is a Hawaiian. The laid back current of that fact is present in everything he does. From his mellow vocal delivery to the overall vibe of relaxation across this disc, it's hard not to slip into the groove and hum along.

You can easily picture these songs being played on an acoustic guitar around a bonfire on the beach. Sometimes, there's enough blues flavor that you could see a song coming from a street performer huddled over his guitar case on Bourbon Street. There's also a lot of lines about love, and a gentle reminiscence to the delivery on a lot of the songs that make this album something you could fall asleep to (and I mean that in a good way).

The album starts off with the very catchy and sentimental "Better Together". A good sampling of what's to come for the remainder of the ride.

Next, we stroll into "Never Know", which rolls along on the rhythm of strumming guitar, and builds into one of the more contagious choruses around. The delivery on said chorus is almost self-parody, by drawing out each refrain into long, lingering notes, but you'll be hard pressed not to sing right along with them.

"Banana Pancakes" is a quirky love anthem of wasting a day in bed. It has some of the best lyrics of the album, and a wonderful playful side to it.

I'm not sure if there have been more than one single released from this album, but it seems to me that "Good People" is earmarked for that task. It has enough of the blues flavor going on, another top notch and singable chorus, and a viable question asking where all the good people have gone.

We next travel down an almost country road, with the lolling gait of "No Other Way". Once again, the simple arrangement of acoustic guitar to the fore, and a simple feel to the arrangement of the song creates a nice ride. I enjoy the lyrics on this one, because it almost sounds more like a poem being read, than a song being built.

The very accessible, and instantly enjoyable single, "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" isn't the best track on the album, but it's a lot better than most singles. Here's Jack Johnson with his blues turned on high, and the plaintive croon paying dividends on the chorus.

"Staple It Together" puts a spin on things, and actually has a better bassline than guitars for a change. Sort of an almost funky tune, but never taking it past radio-friendly.

Now, we have a vignette that seems a bit self-indulgent to me. "Situations" comes across as either an attempt to deliver a song by concentrate, or the germ of a song that was never fully developed. It feels sort of lost on the album, and could as easily leave you feeling the same way.

I've done my very best to point out the good, even on tracks that aren't really the stallions of the stable, but "Crying Shame" is really my least favorite track. Not only do the lyrics seem haphazard, but it's an attempt at a political/protest song almost by proxy. You can tell that it's put in there just to enhance the credibility of the "sensitive singer-songwriter". It seems phoned in, and I'd just as soon use caller ID, and wait for a better song.

In contrast to the last track, "If I Could" is one of my favorites. The guitar starts you off on a rhythm that you can't get away from, and the lyrics are poignant and interesting throughout.

There's a charming ache to the song "Breakdown" that I can't help but like. It speaks of losing time and touch, and it's playfully bittersweet through and through.

Now, next on the program we have another "snippet" of a song that actually does work. While I would prefer it to last longer, "Belle" starts off with some dexterous fret work, and then starts popping French. By the time you have your bearings again, it's already gone. It actually leaves you wanting more, and I think that's a good thing.

"Do You Remember" takes us on a journey. The arc of a relationship is caught in this time capsule, and you can almost feel the highs and lows of the whole thing. A very enjoyable song that almost sounds like something that should be played on someone's back porch.

We round out the disc with "Constellations" which is the closest thing to a lullaby I've ever enjoyed being awake for. There's a hushed tone to his voice here that just guides everything else, and makes for a very nice closer.

Overall, the best thing that I can say about this album is that I can almost listen to the whole thing through without skipping anything. The worst criticism that I think most people would level at it is that a lot of the tracks sound the same, and there aren't really any standout songs. Jack Johnson has always made music to chill by, and if you go into it ready to enjoy that, I'm sure that you'll be satisfied. You may end up being impressed by his chops, both vocal and guitar, but I think it's hard not to appreciate his effort for making a purely musical album from start to finish.

Rating = * * * * out of 5 stars

There Can Be Only One

2005-06-15T02:29:00.000-04:00

In the world of martial arts cinema, that one is an unfamiliar name.

His name is Tony Jaa, and his film is Ong Bak.

It's an intense and raw movie. Tony is destined to become a household name. There's a fluidity, and authenticity to his moves. Most martial arts stars can actually do about half of the things that they perform in movies. With this movie, you almost forget that these fights are choreographed, and it's not real. Tony looks like he's really kicking people's asses.

If you'd like to see a small sampling of the wonderment, then put an elbow strike here.

If you want to see the whole thing, then you only have to wait until August 30th, when this becomes available on DVD. I broke down and downloaded an international copy of this about 6 months ago, and I'm really looking forward to owning a professional transfer...

2005-06-11T05:12:00.000-04:00

A Dratsco Production...

My Name is Mok

2005-06-11T04:51:00.000-04:00

I know this is short notice, but gentlemen, start your wallets!

This coming Tuesday heralds another cult classic of animation in a snazzy, two-disc special edition.

Welcome to the world of Rock & Rule!!!! (Thank you London, goodnight!)

If you know what this is, then you're probably really jazzed about this news. If you've never heard of this, but you're intrigued, let me try to tempt you.

Imagine a Bakshi-esque [don't know who I'm referencing, check here]anime-style romp. Think Heavy Metal, but not as heavy. Then, throw the music of Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, and Earth, Wind & Fire in the mix.

If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then you don't know your oolong, buddy. For the rest of us, it's time to reunite with Angel and Omar's struggle, and dig on the "Hot Dogs & Sushi" good times...

Dark Night

2005-06-10T05:15:00.000-04:00

for dusk to die in the ash of night
high flung cinder shines as moon
over all the clean linens in a dirty home
whose address is my own

long hailed by small audiences
short sold to his own desires
widely known to be a contradiction
thinly veiled in the trappings of a man

drawing flies and circles for line of sight
lines in the sand like high noon
learning enough to plot a tome
only wingless from the moment flown

the muses are at odds, furies infuriated
with the mold too sad for God to break
visit the hostel where love checks in phony
but every guest is ultimately ejected

here, the threadbare hopes once luxuriated
by the fireplace that burned all it could take
soft dreams waxed hard and stoney
and a defective soul has quietly defected

one path led to the abyss
yet one heart beat the opposition
now i stumble more than i walk at all
and wonder if i have wandered amiss

for the curse i bring in closeness
is the only way i can stay alive
if each embrace shatters both hearts
cry heaven to be mended

how can my indescribable bliss
haunt this darkness like an apparition
i rend and tear, and slip and stall
but point my mouth towards each kiss

my mind builds rooms with no lights
so my shadow won't be afraid of it's love
my young heart with childhood in tow
is terrified because i'm afraid of my dark

and in the whisper of these stygian nights
i shudder with what i'm most fearful of
no matter how hard I try, I'm still so low
what if that's why i miss the mark

2005-06-09T04:33:00.000-04:00

some days, some nights, some live, some die in the way of the samurai...

Ni Ten Ichi Ryu

2005-06-09T03:26:00.000-04:00

ANIME REVIEW - SAMURAI CHAMPLOO (VOLUME 1 & 2)

Samurai Champloo is brought to us by director Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of Cowboy Bebop.

Similar to that masterful jazz and blues infused series, this series has found a way to make the soundtrack integral, and the anime far greater than the sum of it's parts.

Our story is representative of it's namesake (champloo is a word used in Asian cooking to describe the combination of many items and flavors). It adds equal parts of frenetic martial arts combat with hip-hop irreverence. Our three main ingredients are: Mugen, a scruffy wanderer with a temper as short as his appetite is long; Jin, a stoic ronin with an ice-cold air of mystery; Fuu, a wild child of a waitress with a quest for revenge, and for keeping the boys from killing each other along the way.

Volume One contains the first four episodes. Here's a brief description for each:

Episode One - Tempestuous Temperaments - Two travelers mete out their own justice, and meet with swords drawn in the process. Only one girl can use her "womanly" wiles to save them...

Episode Two - Redeye Reprisal - A one-handed man's revenge is unleashed by way of a huge scythe-wielding monster. Also, never trust hotties serving sake...

Episode Three - Hellhounds for Hire (Part 1) - When Mugen and Jin decide to ditch Fuu, and split up, they end up at odds with one another once again as they work for opposing clans. All three have to do their best not to get screwed...

Episode Four - Hellhounds for Hire (Part 2) - As Fuu is doing her best to settle things peacefully, honor and duty are the key to ending the feud, not Mugen's rampage...

Volume Two contains the next four episodes. And here's a synopsis for each one:

Episode Five - Artistic Anarchy - Fuu becomes a model for an artist with questionable connections, and Mugen and a detective labor to rescue her. Jin plays a chess game in more ways than one...

Episode Six - Stranger Searching - We start with an eating contest, and end up with one of the funniest lines of the series. In between, you can cue up the Blur song "Boys and Girls" as boys who like boys watch boys dressed as girls...

Episode Seven - A Risky Racket - A boy's desire to help his sick mother pushes him to the wrong side of the law. Fuu falls victim, and ends up being a friend to the family...

Episode Eight - The Art of Altercation - One man's quest to take on a master with glasses puts him on a collision course with Jin, and all the beatboxing theme music in the world can't help him once they meet...

This series is a standard 26 episode affair, and although the stories have meandered a bit already, there's one constant - style. This series is all about style. It's not always over substance, but it's always cool. I'm looking forward to making the rest of this series a part of my collection, and I'm definitely trying to snag the soundtrack. From the opening theme of "Battlecry" to the jazzy "Song of Four Seasons" ending tune, it's all worthwhile.

If you'd like to take a closer look at some things, then please check any or all of these sites here: ichi - ni - san . If you're looking for the best place to snag the DVD's, then look no further than here for the best price on most domestic anime titles (and most DVD's in general, really)...

2005-06-08T02:26:00.000-04:00

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights...

The Rainbow Connection

2005-06-08T02:14:00.000-04:00

One of the enduring wonders of my childhood is finally making it's way to DVD in full season format the way God intended.

In two months from now, you will be able to own the entire first season of The Muppet Show. This is definitely one of the top ten shows ever made, and something that I'm very happy about.

I'm quite the fan of pretty much anything that Jim Henson every put his hand to. If you're interested in a wonderful book to give the scoop on his work from the beginning, then I suggest you click here and enjoy. That book is too good to be piled in with other "coffee table" books of it's ilk. There are too many great stories, and wonderful photos. It's more like a scrapbook of family memories to me.

For a look at the official press release for this set, look no further than here .

Bonus of bonuses, I get the Vincent Price episode in this set too. Huzzah!

2005-06-07T06:53:00.000-04:00

Tiger who?

Swingin'

2005-06-07T06:35:00.000-04:00

Ahh, the zen-like tranquility of the course. The gentle murmur of the water as it cascades down the stones. The verdant breeze filled with honeysuckle. An iron club in my hand.

Yes, this Sunday found me enjoying the sunny weather playing miniature golf (because the "real" stuff with the carts and snobs can piss off).

Miniature golf makes me feel like a kid, even though I've played more of it as a young adult, and now an older adult, than I ever did as a child. While I don't pretend to be good at it, I still always have a good time playing.

It's rather a lot like billiards. While I understand the fundementals of the game, I lack the time to dedicate to practice and become proficient.

Miniature golf courses seem to be fading away in most places. They seem to only be able to maintain them down at the shore, and other tourist traps.

If anyone happens to know of a good, quality course around these parts, then let me know.

I received a report from my friend Doug. He let me know that a new course is nearly complete up in the Lancaster area. Since I tend to make semi-regular pilgrimages in that area (the outlets, and the Fuddruckers do call me so), we definitely plan on making a day of that in the near future.

Although I know the local forecast is a bit on the schitzo side this week; I would encourage everyone to go play a round of miniature golf soon. There's something transcendent about putting through a windmill...

Man In the Mirror

2005-06-07T06:11:00.000-04:00

If what people say is true about everyone having a twin somewhere in the world, then I have an idea where mine may live.

Although I don't know if your twin is supposed to have opposite tastes, and interests, what I've discovered is a bit odd.

If you want to see what my first name's projects in Filipino music promotion looks like, then click here

If you want to see where my surname's twin would live, then click on over yonder to get a look at Remlap, AL.

It's a strange little world we live in, and I do all I can to prove it.

2005-06-04T06:39:00.000-04:00

Random act of violets...

Here Comes the Bride...

2005-06-04T04:35:00.000-04:00

I know that I haven't gotten around to writing up a list of some of my favorite films or directors as of yet. I will do my best to remedy that in the near future.

In the meantime, there is a project on the horizon (release date September 23rd) that I am most anxiously awaiting. To give you an idea, I'm a Star Wars geek, and THIS is the movie I'm most looking forward to seeing this year.

Tim Burton has taken on a classic and creepy Russian fairy tale, and is making a stop-action animated film of "The Corpse Bride".

It's no secret that I'm infatuated with The Nightmare Before Christmas. One of my top three movies of all time - bar none.

If you've been living under a rock that lives under that rock that people always ask if you live under if you haven't heard of something, then please go buy that movie and watch it 100 times. We'll all meet you back here in the five days that would take you.

Needless to say, I'm very happily counting down the months to this new film. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, then take the pause that refreshes here.

If that's not quite enough for you, and you'd like to get a nice synopsis of the plot, some in depth discussions about the whole process, and a few stills from the set itself, then check this out.

It's a report from Ain't It Cool News by Moriarity. He's Harry Knowles' (creator of said site) right hand man, and someone who's views and reviews on movies I trust.

From the tale itself, to the voice cast, and most importantly - the animation style and the hand that guides it all - I'm 100% on board. I can't wait for three more months to fly by at the speed that this whole year has zoomed so far...

2005-06-04T04:25:00.000-04:00

Playin' the hits top to bottom 'cuz you know we got 'em...

How I Could Just Kill A Man...

2005-06-04T03:52:00.000-04:00

Although I did warn you early on in my posts that this would be a scary place to visit, it appears that I may have frightened some readers by my post from last night.

I assure you that while everything in it was genuine, my resolve is steadfast. There's nothing to fear but fear itself.

Besides, "I haven't killed anyone since 1984".

Everything is cool.

What you witnessed there was akin to the whistling of a pressure cooker. It's a necessary vent. It prevents explosions, and that's a good thing.

No voy a matar a cualquier persona...ahora.

So, in conclusion, everything is everything. In the vein of my recent post, I have placed a calming image above to counterpoint my little caricature from yesterday (although there was a striking resemblance there). I could only hope to be as hip as Mel Mounds one day...heck, I'd just like to be half as cool as that afro...

2005-06-04T03:51:00.000-04:00

We're gonna turn it on...we're gonna bring you the power...We're gonna light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way!

The Electric Slide

2005-06-04T03:10:00.000-04:00

We're going to play a little phrase association. When I say, "HEY YOU GUYS!" what is the first thing that comes to mind?**

If you were a child of the 70's, with any access to a television, this probably conjures up fond memories of a world of silliness and Spiderman. The world of The Electric Company.

Although I'm still patiently waiting for the release of the old school Sesame Street shows that I grew up with (not the new Elmo-fied mutation), I have some very groovy news.

Apparently, we should have The Electric Company on DVD later this year. You can see the article for yourself right here

**Although predated by Rita Moreno by about nine years, the other acceptable answer would have been Sloth from The Goonies**

2005-06-03T05:12:00.000-04:00

Jason currently feels: You want a smiley? Here's my f#cking smiley!!

Violent Mood Swings...

2005-06-03T04:49:00.000-04:00

There are nights when the darkness isn't just an absence of the sun for me. For every good moment in a single day, I have a corresponding shadow.

There are some people that would think that my anger tonight boils up from some petty selfishness. I think it's something more.

I work 18 hours a day, and I don't exaggerate when I say that I miss my wife for all of them. Half of that time is here on the overnight shift. At least 2/3 of the time that I'm here, the two people that I share this shift with sleep. This is not an exaggeration. I brought this to management's attention in my first month working here. I was reprimanded for my trouble.

Now, I have to tolerate the uvulal cacaphony in stereo as both of my "peers" snore their night away. Knowing full well that if I made a similar lapse, it would be caught and reported...knowing that they are getting paid just the same...knowing that the excuses for supervisors here will never say a thing. Wishing for all the world that I could spend this time at home instead, and coming very close to sacrilege. So very close to praying for their deaths...

I've stated it before, and I'll reiterate it here for posterity's sake. My wife draws me to the better things in this world by her very nature. I make no mistake in understanding her role in my sanity and temperament. May God create in me a more loving man each day, and barring that, may he allow me to die before her.

Not that I would want to ever abandon her in any way, but so that I would never give in to the baser desires of what is essentially a heart of rage in her absence from me.

INSERT EXERPT FROM FLAWED FILM WITH SOME GREAT MOMENTS HERE:

Even now I can feel it, buried somewhere deep inside.
Watching me...waiting.

But you know what scares me the most?
When I can't fight it anymore, when it takes over, when I totally lose control...

I like it!

2005-06-03T03:02:00.000-04:00

Experience the sleek European sports car stylings...

Geek USA...

2005-06-03T02:33:00.000-04:00

I know this news is about a week old, but have you seen the sweetness that is the new Playstation3? (well, of course you have now, because the picture is right up above)

Not only does she look pretty, but as expected, the games that will be available for launch are much more impressive than it's rival. Although XBox gets the jump on the release, and should have Christmas to itself, it's still all about the Sony.

On top of all of that, peep the technical spec comparison

Things are tipped in Sony's favor. That doesn't even really take into account the fact that Sony's machine is being built on an entirely new chip platform made from the ground up by IBM. It also barely touches on the fact that NVIDIA is designing the graphics chip for the Sony as well. Now, from a PC standpoint, ATI has been the 800lb gorilla of the market for quite some time, but with the advent of NVIDIA's SLI breakthrough and a real attention to design, they've finally gotten the upper hand.

If you put all of that in perspective with the Blu-ray DVD trump card, then it would seem that the Playstation is still going to come out of this on top. Although they're a bit of a juggernaut themselves, I like the idea of them continuing to beat up on billionaire Bill.

For all of you XBox purists, please don't take any offense. I'm sure it's very rewarding to buy an entire game system just to play Halo...

Synchronicity...

2005-06-02T04:28:00.000-04:00

Have you happened upon the subculture of audio mash-ups?

One of the more famous examples is the Grey Album. It's the product of DJ Danger Mouse, and it blends together Jay-Z's "Black Album" with the Beatles "White Album". While I think the album and the genre itself are a bit hit or miss at this point, it's a fascinating musical niche.

There are some truly bizarre combinations out there that would appear to be as grotesque as relish ice cream. Imagine crunching together The Rolling Stones and Biz Markie? It's been done. While the majority of the tunes do seem to pair something with rap, there are a wide range of goodies out there to be found. I won't kid you. There are some real failures, and painful dogs out there, but then again, there's plenty of those in any genre of music nowadays. I like the spirit of the thing, and even when they fail, you can usually see where the creator was trying to go.

Believe it or not, I said all of that to get to this. I stumbled over something that has the potential to be a wonderful mash-up of a different kind. Submitted for your approval, imagine a world where an afro-wearing samurai voiced by Samuel L. Jackson wreaked havok on a plethora of bad guys in a gritty, anachronistic anime? This is the next best thing to Jim Kelly in Black Belt Jones and Black Samurai! This is sort of a time-twister, alternatate reality version of what might have happened if Jules from Pulp Fiction went ahead and "walked the earth". If you'd like to get a glimpse at some of the art designs, and download some bitchin' wallpaper from the original promo manga, then here's your egress.

This one is definitely going on my radar, and I can't imagine it not ending up in my collection...

Istanbul(not Constantinople)...

2005-06-01T04:56:00.000-04:00

The Provenance of Croissants -

Although a croissant still suggests "breakfast in Paris" to many of us, its origins are actually Hungarian. In 1686, Hungarian bakers working the night shift to prepare morning pastries heard Turkish invaders tunneling under the city. Thanks to the bakers' warning, the Hungarian army was able to rally and defeat the Turks. The Hungarian government rewarded the bakers with a mandate to create a pastry in the shape of the crescent symbol on the Turkish flag. Soon all of Europe was nibbling on the symbol of Turkish defeat...

Uncomfortable...

2005-06-01T03:19:00.000-04:00

Part of my mornings involves making outbound calls to people early in the day (7am EST). While this in and of itself is a nuisance that I'd just as soon not be a part of, there are some things that I just refuse to do.

We have a client that is located in a particular city in New York. We're required to state that we're calling from that client if we get to speak to anyone or leave a message.

I refuse to work any of the cases from a credit union in Coxsackie. Who's bright idea was it to name a town this? Is this a Native American word for jock itch? Did someone have this unfortunate thing as a surname? Was their first idea for the town "Dickballs"?

What makes this even worse is the other item that I discovered. I have access to the internet, and a lot of free time, so I actually searched this place out. In the process, I found out that there's actually a coxsackie virus. It's transmitted by feces, and can develop into meningitis and encephalitis.

The next time someone asks me where I'm from (Delaware native), and I have to explain to them that it's not somewhere in Pennsylvania, I'll be thankful that I don't have all the colorful backstory that a Coxsackian can lay claim to.

Yeesh...

2005-06-01T03:13:00.000-04:00

2005-06-01T03:08:00.000-04:00

Give Me Sight Beyond Sight...

Cat Scratch Fever...

2005-06-01T02:55:00.000-04:00

While this may be old news to those of you that are fanatical fans, it's wonderful to know that we're finally getting the Thundercats first season on DVD. Not only does it include 33 Episodes, but since it's the first season, we get to see Lion-O struggle through the trials with each of the other Thundercats. Although I haven't jumped on the bandwagon by buying some of the 80's cartoons that I love(Transformers, G.I. Joe, etc), this set really appeals to me. Just check out the cover art above...