Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Break Up

I am shocked and amazed at how much the collaborative album between Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, Break Up, doesn't suck. If I would have known that it is as good as it is, I would have listened to it quite some time ago. You know, like in 2009 when it came out. Sorry for the late arrival, guys.

First of all, I didn't even know Johansson had an album (if you can really call it that). She apparently put out a debut album in 2008, Anywhere I Lay My Head, comprised of one original song and 10 Tom Waits covers, which is pretty freakin' weird. What's even weirder is that she's really not half bad. I can kind of see why Yorn picked her for the Serge Gainsbourg and Bridget Bardot-esque album. I mean, she's no Bardot, that's a given, but she's got an old school, gravelly voice in the best sense of the term. Sort of Karen Bergquist from Over the Rhine, but less mature. The duo hits the mark somewhere between Gainsbourg/Bardot and Ward/Deschanel.

The beginning of this album is utterly fantastic. Really. I'm not even being sarcastic here, so take it while you can get it. It opens with the "hit" of the album, "Relator", which is one of the few songs on here that seems to have a good balance of Johansson and Yorn. They're both quiet, and they play off of each other so well over an old-school guitar line and minimalistic, well, everything else. It's nothing fancy, it's good, old-fashioned rock music. Followed by the slightly 60's, somewhat island like, Jack Johnson sounding "Wear and Tear", the album really just sucks you in with awe. Perhaps that's just me, though, because I really expected this album to be terrible. "I Don't Know What to Do" blends ScarJo's smokey voice and Yorn's whisper-y vocals into a classic alt-country ballad, while "Search Your Heart" has Johansson perfecting those "whoa-ohs".

While I'm generally a lukewarm Pete Yorn fan (read: a musicforthemorningafter fan) I find myself anxiously awaiting Johansson's parts and wondering when she's going to get a song of her own on the album, and then it comes...

The ridiculous, pointless cover of Big Star Bell's "I Am the Cosmos". It's weak and bland, and generally just no good. After that, this album becomes a trainwreck. Thank god that song is 2/3 of the way into the album. After that, it's just three, uninspired songs that feel like they were just stuck at the end of the album to fill some space. Man, I hate that. At least if you know that some of those songs suck, mix it up a little bit, dammit.

As for Yorn, anything after musicforthemorningafter has been pretty, lame. Just your standard, run of the mill pop music that tends to get lost in the sea of mediocre pop albums produced every day, so I really wasn't expecting much from him. He sounds pretty much like he does on every album, but at least this time, he has someone else to shake things up a little bit. 

It's amazing how quickly this album turns around. With such a promising beginning, the rest of the album is such a sore let down. I can tell you one thing, though. The thing that I took away from this, is that I will definitely be watching out for the new Johansson album! It gets a B, minus, only because the beginning is so damn good. Such a shame about the end.

You can actually check out the whole album streaming on their Myspace, as well as a few tracks from both of them, separately. Check 'em out!

"Relator"



"Wear and Tear"


 "I Don't Know What to Do"

Ke$ha - Cannibal

In a posthumous movie about John Travolta's life, who would play him? Ke$ha.
Anyway, onto the music!

I never really listened to Ke$ha (or at least not that I was entirely aware of) until yesterday. I saw the episode of The Simpsons where they made fun of "Tik Tok" and apparently they play that "Take It Off" song at the bar that I frequent, but I never realized that it was her.

I have a soft spot for shitty pop music...I really do. I find it quite hard to believe that she has any real talent, but this album is downright entertaining. Autotune? Bring it on. Vocorder? There's enough of it on here to fill 50 million Brittany Spears albums. Ke$ha is the poor man's Lady Gaga. While Gaga's singing about "the Jag, the jet, and the mansion", Ke$ha is singing about how her and her friends are those girls who take your drink off the table at a bar when you leave. Okay, well...that part's kinda gross, but you get what I mean.

Cannibal is your standard, terrible pop album and I love it in that way that dogs love rolling in garbage. Yeah, it smells bad, but by god, it's fun. It's got such heartfelt lyrics as, "You should know that I love you a lot, but I just can't date a dude with a vaj" in the horrendously misspelled "Grow A Pear" and "Yup, I'll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer" in the eponymous single, "Cannibal". She's like a drunker (if you can even imagine that) Lily Allen.

Also, in "Cannibal", she tries to do this sexy, Christina Aguilera scale thing and fails so miserably you can't help but get a kick out of it. Every time I hear it I can imaging little Ke$ha on the short bus and it makes me smile inside. Imagine a mentally challenged kid just saying "Oh" over and over into a vocorder. That's what you get.

Even for all the humor of this album, there's not nearly as much funny shit as on her first album. I mean, Animal had such classics as "Blah Blah Blah" with the line "Cut to the chase kid, 'cause I know you don't care what my middle name is. I wanna get naked and you're wasted", and "Party at A Rich Dude's House", which is pretty self explainatory. She does include the mandatory pop-ballad per album with "The Harold Song", "They say that true love hurts, well this could almost kill me. Young love murder, that is what this must be." Ohhhhh, poor KeSha. Try not talking about boning half the population. That might help your whole "relationship issue" situation.

Long story short, this is not the album of the year. It's not even really that good, but I get a kick out of people talking about drinking, because I like drinking. This is a great album to put on while you're getting ready to go out, or you're drunk. Or you just wish you were drunk. It gets a solid C from me.

Check out the entire album, streaming on her Myspace, now.

Ke$ha - We R Who We R (Someone get this girl to a spelling class, STAT!)

Girl Talk - All Day

Three weeks in and I simply can't stop listening to Girl Talk's newest album, All Day. It's a little bit ridiculous actually. The fifth effort from Pittsburgh native, Gregg Gillis, is by far his best yet. At least in my opinion. I can't believe that there's actually been negative reviews on this album. A negative review of Girl talk is a negative review of almost 400 songs. If you can't find something to like on here, stop listening to music because your life is over.

It's amazing to see how far he's come since 2002's Secret Diary. This album is fitter, happier, and more productive. It's cleaner and so well produced. What's awesome about Girl Talk in general, is that no matter what, there's some part of a track that you're bound to like. Classic rock with hardcore rap with happy hardcore with 80's pop. And somehow...it just makes sense. Also, it makes it okay for me to rock out to songs that I would otherwise feel a little embarrassed to enjoy. Case in point: Beyonce's "Single Ladies" or Rhianna's "Rude Boy" (Note: this statement does not apply if I am in a three block vicinity of a gay bar. Then it simply can't be helped).

Also, Girl Talk has changed the way I feel about rap, in general. I always thoroughly enjoyed the beats in rap songs...if only the people singing in them would just shut the fuck UP, already. Girl Talk remedies this quite nicely. You get only the best parts of three hundred and seventy-some songs. It is the ultimately party playlist. The mashups on this album are the best of the best, though. One of my personal favorites has got to be the call and answer of The Beastie Boys' "Hey Ladies" to Lady Gaga's "Lovegame". Okay, OR Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" vs. Ludacris' "Move Bitch" ("I'm doin' a hundred on the highway so if you do the speed limit, get the fuck outta my way. I'm D.U.I., hardly ever caught sober, and you about to get ran the fuck over.") Classy. Okay, OR any one of the other 1000 incredible mashups on this album. The whole thing is simply fucking phenomenal.

Oh, and have you heard about this "Gregg Gillis Day" situation? Alright, let's get on a personal Girl Talk for a minute hear. As stated before, we attended the same high school and her grew up like, two towns over from me. I didn't know him, but it still give me a warm, fuzzy feeling that something awesome happened in my neck of the woods. Anyway, Pittsburgh has declared December 7th (also the day of the attacks on Pearl Harbor) Gregg Gillis Day. How 'bout that. Is there a Michael Jackson Day? No. Is there a Beatles Day? No. Is there a Lady Gaga Day? No. Suck it, other cities. We have Gregg Gillis and you don't. We like him so much, we made him his very own special day. I really want to make the most of this. Gregg Gillis Day party next year? Yes, please.We'll mash up some various alcoholic drinks? MOJITOS!!! I declare the official drink of Gregg Gillis Day mojitos.

I did miss his live show here recently, which was a bummer. It's incredible that it sold out as quickly as it did and hell, I'm happy for him. I hope the half-naked, hairy, maniac that he becomes live entertained a whole lot of people at Pittsburgh's new Stage AE. Perhaps one of these days, I'll have to catch him.

Okay, back to the album:

It's one of those albums that you can just put on repeat and walk away. You never hear the same song twice. There's always that new layer of that other track that you didn't hear last time and somehow, it's always a welcome addition. It's ridiculously awesome and like most of Girl Talk's work, absolutely free. Head on over to Illegal Art and download your copy now. It's well worth your time. You can also stream it from his Myspace. A!

Jupiter One - Sunshower

Woo hoo! Two great bands in two days! This is awesome.

The founding members of Jupiter One, K. Ishibashi and Zac Colwell, actually met as traveling, orchestral musicians with Barnum and Bailey. Freakin' weird right? But, also awesome. Add in Ishibashi's wife, Mocha, drummer David Heilman, and bass player Pat "Panda" Dougherty and you have Jupiter One. And yes, they ARE named after the spaceship in Lost In Space.


I can tell you one thing for sure about their sophomore album, Sunshower: I purchased it. I used real, American, dollars to buy music. That's a pretty rare occurrence in my life, but these guys are awesome.

It's been a long time since I've actually enjoyed every song on an album and this one really hits the mark. There's such a diverse array of music that it doesn't get boring. From the funky "Find Me A Place" to the indie rock "Lights Go Out" to the 80's new-wave "Anna" to the reggae inspired "Simple Stones" to the pop hit "Volcano", this album's got something for everyone.

They're also popping up everywhere, from video games (Madden NFL '08, NHL '08, Burnout Paradise, FIFA '08, and FIFA '09) to commercials (Payless and Mazda) to television (MLB Network, Heroes, and Kyle XY). They've also toured with Regina Spektor on her last two circuits, which is pretty sweet. That sounds like a lethal combo of AWESOME!

You can check out the new album, Sunshower, streaming on their Myspace now and read more about the band over at their site. Check 'em out! This album gets a resounding A from me!

"Volcano"



"Anna"



"Lights Go Out"

Things Behind the Sun

Well, look at that...Lancaster, PA has more to offer than Amish people, Magic the Gathering conventions, and farmer's markets. From their Myspace:

"Things Behind The Sun is a Lancaster-based Indie Rock band made up of four beardless men who had a dream. A dream of making great music, and of one day having beards that would rival those of kings. Giving up on the latter part, they decided to write some music - with unconventional instrumentation featuring the unique timbres of violin and cello, driving rhythms and catchy choruses, emotional melodies and climaxes, and mood-evoking lyrics. The debut EP "The Beards of Kings" will be released sometime in late 2010."

 This also prompted this drawing in an email:

Yes, my friends, this is an emo cello. Do not let said cello fool you, though, this indie-rock quartet is oh-so-much more than that. However, I AM a sucker for a good cello.


They're insanely infectious. In fact, I think I'll have to apologize to my friends and co-workers in advance, because they only have four tracks up on their Myspace and I've been consistently listening to them on repeat since the later hours of the morning. You can actually download one of their songs, "Captured in Colors" for free. Well, not free I guess, but in exchange for a simple Tweet or Facebook post. It's well worth it.

Falling into this new, "Baroque Rock", folk category with bands like the Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, and Iron and Wine, Things Behind The Sun is a welcome addition to my music collection. While they are similar to other bands when it comes to the music, Jordan Taylor's voice owns. Imagine that Maynard Keenan and Serj Tankian had a baby. And that it's an angel. That's Jordan Taylor. Maybe the lack of beard helps. A lot of these singers are mumbling lyrics at you through the thickest of hipster beards, see?

 

Robin Pecknold from the Fleet Foxes

Sam Beam from Iron & Wine

Colin Meloy from The Decemberists

And that's just three examples! Look how delightfully beardless Things Behind the Sun are!

I think we can now make the informed decision that naked faces make better rockers. Wow, this blog went totally off tangent...

Long story short: Things Behind the Sun is an awesome, awesome band and you should check them out. Also: PA REPRESENT! Keep an eye out for their debut album, "The Beards of Kings" coming soon!

Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day - November 5, 2010

From the Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day website, a call to all concerned citizens:

About whaling:

Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil.  Its earliest forms date from at least 3,000 BC.  Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance from whaling and harvesting beached whales.  Industrial whaling emerged with organized fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of factory ships along with the concept of whale harvesting in the first half of the 20th century.

As technology increased and demand for the seemingly vast resources remained high, catches far exceeded the carrying capacity of whale stocks. In the late 1930s, more than 50,000 whales were killed annually, and by the middle of the century whale stocks were not being replenished.  In 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling so that stocks might recover.

While the moratorium has been successful in averting the extinction of whale species due to overhunting, contemporary whaling is subject to intense debate.  Pro-whaling countries wish to lift the ban on stocks they believe have recovered sufficiently to sustain limited hunting.  Anti-whaling countries and environmental groups contend that those stocks remain vulnerable and that whaling is immoral and should remain banned.

When the commercial whaling moratorium was introduced by the IWC in 1982, Japan lodged an official objection. However, in response to U.S. threats to cut Japan's fishing quota in U.S. territorial waters under the terms of the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment, Japan withdrew its objection in 1987.  According to the BBC, America went back on this promise, effectively destroying the deal. Since Japan could not resume commercial whaling, it began whaling on a scientific-research basis. Groups dispute the Japanese claim of research "as a disguise for commercial whaling."

The stated purpose of the research program is to establish the size and dynamics of whale populations.  The Japanese government wishes to resume whaling in a sustainable manner under the oversight of the IWC, both for whale products, (meat, etc.), and to help preserve fishing resources by culling whales.  Anti-whaling organizations claim that the research program is a front for commercial whaling, that the sample size is needlessly large and that equivalent information can be obtained by non-lethal means, for example by studying samples of whale tissue (such as skin).  The Japanese government sponsored Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which conducts the research, disagrees, stating that the information obtainable from tissue samples is insufficient and that the sample size is necessary in order to be representative.

Around 950 long-finned pilot whales are caught annually in the Danish controlled Faroe Islands, mainly during the summer.  Occasionally, other species are hunted as well, such as the northern bottlenose whale and Atlantic white-sided dolphin. The hunt is known as the Grindadráp. Faroese whaling is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the IWC, which does not regulate the catching of small cetaceans. Most Faroese consider the hunt an important part of their culture and history, and arguments about the topic raise strong emotions.  Animal-rights groups criticize the hunt as being cruel and unnecessary.  Hunters claim that most journalists lack knowledge of the methods used to capture and kill the whales, or of the hunt's economic significance.

Japan's scientific whaling program is controversial in anti-whaling countries.  Countries opposed to whaling have passed non-binding resolutions in the IWC urging Japan to stop the program.  Japan claims that whale stocks for some species are sufficiently large to sustain commercial hunting and blame filibustering by the anti-whaling side for the continuation of scientific whaling.

About the protests:

The idea of the Anti-Whaling Day protests is the result of an American’s indignation with the relentless massacre of whales. This heinous act is perpetrated by several countries, primarily Japan, who indiscriminately slaughter whales in sanctuaries and in territorial waters of countries such as Australia, New Zealand and around the Antarctic. 

In June this year, in Morocco, during the IWC meeting, Japan, Norway and Iceland lobbied for the lifting of the whaling moratorium, which was denied. Despite the IWC’s decision, Japan continues to massacre whales under the banner of “scientific research," in spite of not having published its “research" in any internationally recognized scientific journal. November 5, 2010 is now the international demonstration day against whaling because it is when the Japanese officially open their whaling season.

Through the creation of a group on Facebook, the initial idea of a small localized protest in Philadelphia turned into a worldwide event, with groups being formed in several countries ranging from the USA to New Zealand, and from Portugal to Japan.  Each country is free to organize its own peaceful protests while always following the format outlined by headquarters located in Philadelphia, PA.
Below are some examples of what is being organized worldwide on Facebook:

“Let it be known that enforcement by the IWC needs to take place in the Southern Ocean as well as the Faeroe Islands.  Whaling for meat, culture, or fun is not acceptable.
Our main objective is to raise awareness about the Japanese Whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.  The Japanese whaling vessels may use an LRAD on their ships, but we can use our voices and our numbers to tell them what they are doing is WRONG. Support the cause, join the fight, and spread awareness.”

The idea is that each country protests peacefully, yet being free to add its cultural and local “flavors" to their protests, capitalizing on exposure in their local media; TV, newspaper, radio, and other means of communication, with the objective of generating maximum exposure of the message and awareness of what is actually happening in regard to whaling.

Many organizers are choosing to peacefully parade through key areas of their cities, demonstrating in front of Japanese embassies, consulates or official delegations.  In Wellington, New Zealand, demonstrations will parade through the Japanese Embassy and culminate in front of the Parliament building where a petition will be given to a government representative.

So come out and help stop this cruelty and injustice. This is another world-wide event, people, so find a protest in your city and go, go, go!!!

For the Pittsburgh protest, it will be held at the fountain at Point State Park on November 5, 2010 from 4:00pm until 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

HALLOWEEN'S ALMOST HERE!!!!!

So, every year, me and The Husband buy those fake, semi-foamy, carvable pumpkins. We've done a few different things like carving faces and painting them, but I really wanted to do something awesome this year. We went to the Halloween store last night to look for some last minute costume parts, and I saw one of those carving kits that come with the stencil things. So, I get it home, and we're looking through the stencils and some were cute, but none of them were really awesome. Then the idea struck me...I could do whatever I wanted, through the awesome powers of the internet! So, I did this:

It is my pride and joy. It still needs a little thinning out, but it's pretty awesome, right? Inside, we got this disc light thing that changes colors. I am a huge fan of this sickly green:

Then there was the orange, which I found rather appropriate for Halloween:

Man! Coolest pumpkin, EVER! So pumped! There's also blue, but the picture didn't come out that great. Also, I'm being Gaz for Halloween! The costume's not quite there yet, but there is a preview here. Aaaaand, today is our first Halloween party of the season! Damn, I love Halloween in case you couldn't tell! And this one's gonna be AWESOME!

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart

Sometimes, I really love when an album gets mixed reviews. Okay, I like it all the time. I hate when an album comes out and everyone's all, "OMG BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIMEZ!!!11!!11one!11". Sometimes it's true, but more often that not, it's not. Not everyone likes the same type of music, and that's the way it's supposed to be.

Despite what appears to be a rather lukewarm reception, I like this album. I also like Sara Bareilles as a whole (um, piano? That's where it's at). Be forewarned, there is no "Love Song" on this album. There is no forcibly radio-friendly pop song, so if that's what you're looking for out of Sara, well...you're not gonna get it. On her junior effort, Kaleidoscope Heart, Bareilles uses complex vocal melodies, classically constructed arrangements, and good, old-fashioned talent to keep this album afloat. It's more of a return to her beginnings, as heard on 2004's Careful Confessions (or the other 12 tracks on Little Voice, for that matter). Bluesy, soulful, and while hindered in sound, it's just as emotionally compelling.

Once again, the "hit single" on this album, "King of Anything", is not even remotely the best song. That would be "Gonna Get Over You". It's the one that catches my ear on every play-through. It's got that same up-tempo beat /slash/ angry girl rock, kick-him-to-the-curb attitude as so many of her other tracks. And while she does do it on a regular basis, it never really gets old. This could be due to the fact that I do, indeed, have ovaries, but there's something that I really just love about angry, independent girls.

While she does recycle some of the same mentalities, she also veers off-course with two pure, acoustic, guitar tracks, "Basket Case" and "Let the Rain". More in a singer-songwritery-vein, they really bring her voice to light. It's really kind of amazing how it sounds without the clamor of her piano. Don't get me wrong, I love that piano, it's just nice to get a little variation every now and again. While I absolutely don't wish the curse of being a one-hit-wonder on her, I really enjoy where Bareilles is going with this album. It's a little more personal and a little less about the record company (aka: the people who pretty much commissioned her to sing "Love Song").

In a sea of auto-tuned female pop stars, it's refreshing to see someone with genuine talent making music. If you're looking for another easily-digestible, radio-ready pop album, this one's not for you. If you're looking for some actual female talent and compelling songs, it is. While I want to give this album an A, I've also heard Careful Confessions, which was just so filled with raw emotion and musically inspiring tracks, I just can't. So, it gets a B.

You can actually here it streaming now on her Myspace and you can check out more news'n'stuff over on her website.

"Gonna Get Over You"

Less Than Jake - TV/EP

So...Less Than Jake made an entire album out of TV show theme songs, aptly named TV/EP. I'm not sure what to think about this. I mean, this is really what they're doing with their time?

I don't mean to sound critical, but LTJ is definitely on my list of favorite bands of all time. So, what are they doing? Yes, it's fun, it's campy, and they love them some cover songs, but I would have much rather had one or two of these per album on subsequent albums, rather than 16 songs that I've already heard all lumped into one. They have come out with an album of original material since 2008's GNV FLA, and it's sad, dammit.

What I love about Less Then Jake is their absolute dedication to making the best album possible (also, live shows. They're fucking incredible live) and this just seems like a half-assed effort to keep their name on the lips of fans. Well, we're already fans and we'd like some actual music, thanks.

From the standpoint that this is a real album, well, I'm not interested. From the standpoint that this is just something fun that they did to fill the time until a real album comes out, like I said, it's fun and silly and campy. I mean, they do that pirate credit report commercial song, which is rad. And the Malcolm in the Middle song. And the That 70's Show theme song. On the other hand, they do the Scooby Doo and Spongebob Squarepants themes. Like those haven't been done 2384502938502935 times already. 

I am disappointed in Less Than Jake for the first time in my life. This is not okay, you guys. They should have made an original album and made this a free download when you bought in online or something. Or just make a new album, soon, and I'll forgive them. I don't think I could stay mad at them for long. It's like when your adorable new puppy eats a shoe. Yeah, you're pissed, but you know they'll grow out of it. I want to rub Less Than Jake's nose in this album.

So, long story short, beg, borrow, or steal this album. It's not worth your $5.99 (MP3 Download) or $7.99 (album). Actually, you can listen to the whole thing over on their Myspace. For long time fans, it's another notch in the collection and something you can show your friends (the cover art is pretty fun), but not something you'll be listening to repeatedly.

I'm sorry, Less Than Jake. :( I still love you. I hope we can still be friends. C
Still, make sure to check out their site for all the good news.

The Top Five Most Underrated Artists (That You've Possibly Heard Of)

You know, once I thought more about this, they're all one hit wonders, who were surprisingly awesome. The kind of bands that you buy the album because of your insane addiction to that one song that you heard and then couldn't get out of your head. Well, here's my ode to the underdogs...

5. Poe
Remember her? The "Angry Johnny" or "Hey Pretty" chick? Well yeah, she's awesome. And what's even better is that she's supposed to be making music again, which she hasn't done since 2000's Haunted, a semi-autobiographical album and outlet for her grief after her father's death. I listened to that album, went a read her brother, Mark Danielewski's book, House of Leaves, then went back and listened to it again and it was even better. Both of her albums are utterly fantastic in their own ways. Hello was edgier. It was gritty, angry, girl rock and I loved every minute of it. In the decade of her "disappearance", she did occasionally make her voice heard. Collaborations with Conjure One and Fastball, as well as a few solo tracks for soundtracks and what not, leaked their way out. Also, she was the voice of the "single mother" in Repo: A Genetic Opera. There's your weird trivia for the day. Also, she's fucking phenomenal live. Absolutely electric.

4. Joan Osbourne
The "What If God Was One of Us" lady. That song is a mere fluke. It's the only song on any of her albums that even remotely sounds like that and it's sad that that was the one famous song she got. And what's even more amazing is that she's made like, ten albums. I cannot even say that I know all of them, but the ones that I have listened to are amazing. The rest of Relish was phenomenal. She's not that one-hit wonder that you know from the radio, she full of soul and funk and blues. She came out around the same time as a slew of radio friendly female vocalists along the lines of Alanis Morrisette and Sheryl Crow, but never really got all the way there, which is a damn shame. She's opened for The Dead (not the Grateful Kind, but still), Phil Lesh, and The Funk Brothers. The girl's got soul and you certainly don't hear it on the one song that a record label thought would sound good on the radio and sell records to teenage kids. She was Amy Winehouse before Amy Winehouse was Amy Winehouse, except, you know, without the drug addiction and domestic abuse.

3. Gravity Kills
Ohhhh, being an early teen "goth kid". Gravity Kills still has a spot in my heart along with black lipstick and hair dye. Their best known album, and my favorite, their self-titled, is a classic. Their following albums, Manipulated, Perversion, and Superstarved were pretty damn good, too. Gravity Kills was every bit as good as other industrial bands who actually made it big, like KMFDM and Ministry, but they just never seemed to really make it big after their first hit single, "Guilty". Their lack of touring may have had something to do with this, but hey, they were different, dammit. And they were always so...elusive. They didn't tour, they didn't have crazy antics. They made music. And I think they were on "120 Minutes" on MTV once. Maybe. Even now, they don't have a website, they barely have a Wikipedia entry, and good luck with trying to find a decent biography on these guys. Everything is vague insinuations and rumors and assumptions, but that's just Gravity Kills for you.

2. Marcy Playground
Yup, the "Sex and Candy" guys. They've released four entirely different albums. Yes, people still make music after a one hit wonder. While minimalistic in style, they're always entertaining. And they're always looking out for number one...you're not going to see John Wozniak, or any other member of the band for that matter, playing the corporate rock game. Listening to their albums in succession is like getting a bird's eye view of Wozniak's life. You start with childhood on the 1997 self-titled album and work your way to the present with their 2009 release, Leaving Wonderland...In A Fit of Rage. They're awesome, catchy (but not annoyingly so), an genuinely cool dudes. Also, I think John Wozniak looks like Kyle MacLachlin in Blue Velvet and I find that terribly creepy, yet...sexy. I'm a huge Kyle MacLachlin fan in the sexy sense, but that movie's just so damn creepy, I have a hard time admitting that. Okay, well even minus the creepy/sexy factor, they're still an awesome band.

1. Third Eye Blind
I fucking love Third Eye Blind. Okay, so they were like a three hit wonder, but still, there's so much more to them than "Jumper" or "Semi-Charmed Life" (which is a fantastic song by the way, have you ever actually listened to the lyrics!?). Stephen Jenkins, the lyrical mastermind behind the band, is a seriously effed up dude, and I can appreciate that. With so many musicians out there these days that, well, quite frankly suck (Ex: Soulja Boy, he makes a song out of two words, and just repeats them for three minutes.), it's refreshing to see a band with actual lyrics. Even their most recent album, Ursa Major was good. How many bands can you actually say that about? They've managed to make four albums of heartfelt, intense music and no two songs sound the same. While describing a life of decadence, sleaze, and drug addiction, there's somehow a hopeful radiance that comes out of it. Like, "Hey, yeah this happened, but we're still here". They write and play songs that everyone can relate to, but not cheesy pop hits. If you've only ever heard the songs on the radio, go beg, borrow, or steal Out of the Vein. You can thank me later.

Twitter Mouseover Problems

Whoa! So really, I only have a Twitter because of blogging (okay, and I love a good one liner), but this shit is crazy today. I went to reply to an @, and then all of a sudden, it's telling me that I'm RT something from Unilever or something like that. Eek!

Apparently, Twitter's gone haywire with a spam-link generating bug, with the site getting about 140,000 new tweets of this variety every 10 seconds. Ouch, Twitter. Merely hovering over an affected link with automatically have you posting various smut sites in a matter of seconds, as my account is doing as we speak.

I've read a variety of things, that it will be fixed in three hours, maybe five, but Twitter hasn't released anything on their official blog. Real nice, Twitter. Security firm, Sophos, detected the vulnerability earlier today, so we'll see how long this takes to fix.

That's one hell of a whale fail right there, and I imagine there's going to be some serious Twitter withdrawal going on worldwide today. Apparently, you can still get your fix by using any number of third party sites, including my favorite, Ping.

Good luck, Twitter users! Be safe out there.

UPDATE: Twitter has finally posted something on their blog. Even if it is short and useless.

Go Periscope - Mixtape

Yaaaay, new Go Periscope! Kinda.
And know what's super awesome about it? It's free and you can go download it here right now!

It opens with the anthem "She Gets Around The World", a party time mashup of the popular Daft Punk track, with the guys adding their own vocals, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. There's quite a few mashups actually, including a kick ass track featuring their hit "Crush Me" and Bass Kleph's "Spend My Money" as well as the sexy mashup of "Yesterday's Chemistry" vs. The Glitch Mob's "Drive It Like You Stole It". There's also quite a few remixes including "Binary Love" from Blake Lewis, "Fourth of July" by Kelis and "When She Turns 18" from Christian TV.

Definitely check it out. What have you got to lose? It's FREE! Make sure to check out the guys' website for all the latest news, tracks, and general fun. B!

"Spend My Money"

Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade

Finally, finally, FINALLY...the boys of Morcheeba have brought back Skye Edwards. While I'm also a Daisy Martey fan, there's just something about Skye Edwards and Morcheeba that can't be changed. It's like her voice was meant for the music and the other way around.

Not since bits of pieces of Charango, have I heard such soul out of Morcheeba. Fragments of Freedom rocked my world for the most part, but it just wasn't what I expected and it certainly didn't sound like the Morcheeba that I've come to know and love. And shit, Dive Deep was just a catastrophe. Who let them release that? It was incoherent at best and downright bad at the worst.

While listening to this album, it's hard to believe that it's new. I prefer to think of it as a lost album that should have been released after Big Calm. It's has the maturity of a progressive flow of music, it's just a bit (well, five years) past it's time. They say that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to be able to find your way up...well, Dive Deep was the bottom of that well and their new release, Blood Like Lemonade is the very first handhold for the climb back up. I hope we can only continue climbing from here on out.

This album's got some seriously eerie undertones, but they blend so, so well with Edwards' languid vocals. Everything from vikings to vampires to middle class murders oozes it's way into this album, making it the perfect addition to welcoming fall, in my book.

Oh god, oh god, OH GOD! "Mandala". There's not even Skye's vocals on this one, but it's like her seduction has worked it's way into the Godfrey brothers' souls. They've returned to the irresistible formula of jazzy, trip hop beats, lush vocals, a major lounge factor, and just enough funk to keep you coming back for more (as seen in another semi-instrumental, "Cut to the Chase"). The vocal tracks, well, they involve Skye Edwards, so I'm down. The only song that falls a little flat is "I Am the Spring", and for a 13 track album, that's a pretty good number. As a whole, the album does lack the faster-paced tracks of it's predecessors, but it's got it's own thing going on. It's cohesive, well rounded, and smooth. Oh, so very smooth. For long time listeners, you'll feel like you're right back in 1998. For the new listeners, this is just the album that will prompt you to dive head-long in the wonderment that is Morcheeba. It's really a win-win for everyone involved, so definitely check it out! B

You can actually check it out now, streaming for free on Myspace. Be sure to check the website for all the latest news, as well.

Angus and Julia Stone - Down the Way

Aussies Angus and Julia Stone actually released their sophomore, self-produced album, Down the Way back in March, but hey, I'm running a little behind. A brother/sister band, a la The White Stripes, they've spend the previous three years touring the world, promoting their debut album, A Book Like This, and finally made it back into the studio (and old sawmill on the river banks of Cornwall, and water tank in Coolangatta, and their second home in London, and Queens, New York, for that matter) to release this gem of an album.

Starting from a musical family including another older sister (who I guess didn't make the cut for the band?), Angus and Julia have been collaborating since the early days, including in their father's school band. They didn't really do it professionally until about 2006. Before then, they were both performing, but mostly solo acts at open mic nights. Actually, they still kind of do their own solo things. Angus released a solo album, Smoking Gun, under the name Lady of the Sunshine in 2009, and Julia's working on her own, The Memory Machine.

As for them together...well, it's awesome. It still has the minimal element of A Book Like This, though just ever so slightly fuller. With a new variety of instruments including banjos and harmonicas, more complex arrangements, and a boost of confidence, they fill over an hour with thirteen beautifully composed songs. Juxtaposed, yet complimentary, the siblings alternate vocals. From Julia's fragile, delicate vocals reminiscent of Emiliana Torrini or Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) to Angus' slightly tougher vocals. There's a sense of...roots, folk, whatever you want to call it to this album that I haven't really heard since The Decemberist's Hazards of Love, and it's just remarkable. It's quiet and introspective and really just quite beautiful. Definitely check it out. B

PS: Make sure to check out their website, because it's super awesome.

Technorati Validation

Dear god, this is a pain in the ass. Please ignore, thanks.

ZJ7C4SP6E8C6

Aaaaand We're Back! With A Centipede Drama.

Remember how I told you that you might not hear from me for a week or two? Well, make that a month apparently. We're officially all moved in and mostly unpacked. Not so bad! It's actually starting to feel like home. There's always those things that you find after you move into a new apartment, though, like the fact that we don't have lukewarm water (we have cold, hot, and boil your insides), or that all the faucets are backwards, or that all the floors are crooked, or you don't actually have an address. Generally, I think that our house was built by a left-handed Pollock. Also, there's bugs. There are bugs in my house, you guys.

They aren't adorable, handsome bugs like this guy, either.

 Where's Allie Brosh when you need her? I need a hilarious MS Paint picture of me cowering in a corner with a bottle of Raid.

When we moved in, there was a considerable amount of webs and bugs and things, but I figured that it had been empty for a month...these things are bound to happen. Well, this is what I thought until that fateful day...

I mean, it's not like we have an infestation, but one bug is seriously too many. Last Friday, Adam and I are hanging out in the office (which I have not yet used for blogging, BTW), watching True Blood, having a glass of wine, and generally relaxing when here comes this Goliath of a centipede racing across the floor. And I mean RACING. Holy shit are those bastards fast. So, at this point, I start screaming at the top of my lungs and pull the classic "dumb bitch in a horror movie". I run INTO the corner because for some reason I think that's a good idea. Now, I don't have any recollection of this part, but I can thank Adam for filling me in after I got my heart to stop beating out of my chest, I start screaming, "Stop" and "No" at it, obviously expecting this centipede to speak English and cease it's running directly towards me. Well folks, I'll inform you: Centipedes do not speak English. At this point, I'm cowering the in the corner using my easel as a shield, because THAT'S appropriate, and this thing is still hell bent on crawling on my feet (I just know that's what he was thinking), so I use the only weapon at hand, and throw my easel at it. I threw an easel. At a centipede. It's like the adrenaline rushed mom lifting a car off of a baby. Except it's me screaming like I'm being murdered throwing an easel at a centipede. I cannot even begin to imagine what the neighbors thought. (Sorry, neighbors!) I only succeed in hitting Adam with the easel and the centipede gets away. Five days later, I still won't go into the office without a chaperone. So then, yesterday, I'm reading about how to get rid of/prevent this situation from happening again, and I read that they can live for THREE TO SEVEN YEARS. I hope that little bastard found his way out of the office. Please, oh please, oh please, let him find his way out of the office. Or hopefully I scared the living shit out of him and he had a little centipede heart attack somewhere behind my bookshelf.

Scariest picture on the internet. The centipede in my office was a cross between this thing and King Kong.

 We do have spiders in the basement and on the porches, which can be expected, and tiny, tiny millipedes. The millipedes are actually kinda cute. They're just like little black inchworms. And I can't see their legs, so we're cool. Also, I'm starting to be okay with the spiders. As long as they're not huge and/or hairy or on me, we're cool. They eat other bugs, such as said centipede, so as long as they do their fucking job, I won't kill them. After Friday's incident, I did kill a few on the porch to set an example. Tell your friends, spiders.

Also in my research of creepy crawlies yesterday, I found this stuff, Eco Exempt D. It's eco-friendly, all natural, and will apparently kill just about anything including ants, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, firebrats (whatever those are), fleas, millipedes, pill bugs, scorpions, sowbugs, spiders, hornets, wasps, bees, and yellow jackets. Mother fuckers are going down. I just ordered it on the internets yesterday, but I can't wait for it to get here. I gladly fronted the $40 in exchange for Adam spraying the house. He can do the gross boy jobs, thanks. Once we get it sprayed, I'll let you guys know how it works out. Hopefully, it doesn't kill my cat either. It's good for six to twelve months, too, which is pretty cool.

Oh, the adventures of moving. Sheesh.

Hey! It's obscure Soul Coughing/Mike Doughty day!

Well, at least it is in my world. Sorry for the lack of posts, folks. It's been pretty crazy around here with all the working and the moving and the unpacking. *whew* In the mean time, enjoy these lesser-known gems from the Monster Man.

"Lemon Lime" (I don't think anyone could have picked a less attractive picture of Doughty for this song.) This song was only on the Japanese version of Irresistible Bliss, along with "Blow My Only".



"Needle to the Bar" - An outtake from El Oso, featuring DJ Casual from Hieroglyphics. 



"Rare Star Ball" - Oh, those Japanese, how do they always get the good stuff? This song was released on the Japanese version of El Oso.

Sex Dungeon For Sale is now for the illiterate!

Remember that hilarious guy, Patrick Wensink, with the hilarious book of short stories called Sex Dungeon For Sale? Well, yeah, now there's a short little movie thing done by Hank Rothrock and Bradley Buehring. It's super awesome and I appreciate how they didn't try to add anything or make it over the top, it's just the story. The story was awesome to begin with...why fix what's not broken? (Tell that to Hollywood, I know.)

I don't know who the actors were, but the female first time home buyer cracks me right the fuck up at the end (UPDATE! Hey! That's the author's wife! How cool!) That shrug is just priceless.


Dear Fictional Girl,
Your fictional boyfriend is lame. In the words of Dan Savage, "DTMFA" and get yourself a Sex Dungeon!
Sincerely,
That Girl With A Blog

The Last Airbender

It's taken every ounce of my self control not to title this "Avatar". Goddamn James Cameron has to screw everything up. I remember when the first rumors started flying about this movie and I started seeing previews and I was like, "Why is everyone blue?", "What the hell IS this movie?" Now, I see why I was so confused.

For those not familiar with the show, from the Wikipedia:

One hundred years ago, a twelve-year-old Airbender named Aang learns he is the new Avatar, the only person in his generation capable of controlling and manipulating all four elements to his will and the one tasked with maintaining peace between the Four Nations of the world. Fearful of the heavy responsibilities of being the Avatar, Aang flees from home on his animal guide, a flying bison called Appa. Caught by a fierce storm, they crash into the ocean, and Aang's protective Avatar State freezes them in a state of suspended animation inside an iceberg. Right after his disappearance, Fire Lord Sozin launches a genocidal campaign against the Air Nomads in hopes of wiping out the Avatar so he can achieve his plot for the Fire Nation to rule the world.
In the present, Aang becomes unfrozen by a fourteen-year-old Waterbender girl named Katara, and her older warrior brother, Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe. This attracts the attention of Zuko, the Prince of the Fire Nation who was exiled by his father: The current Fire Lord Ozai. Arriving to Southern Water Tribe, Zuko demands the elderly under the impression that Avatar is an old person until Aang is found. Aang surrenders himself to Zuko as long as he agrees to leave the village alone. Aboard Zuko's ship, Aang is at Zuko's mercy, but he eventually manages to maneuver away from the guards before Katara and Sokka arrive on Appa, making their escape. Aang and friends visit the Southern Air Temple where the Avatar learns that he was in the ice for a century and the Fire Nation wiped out every on he knew there, entering the Avatar State and meeting a dragon spirit. It was there Aang meets up with the only known remaining "winged lemurbat", naming it "Momo" as it joins Aang's group. Meanwhile, Zuko and his uncle, the military genius Iroh, run into Commander Zhao, who belittles the exiled prince.
Arriving in a small Earth Kingdom town that is controlled by the Fire Nation, Aang's group are arrested while helping a boy named Haru. They then incite a rebellion with an inspiring speech. Soon after, Katara finds a waterbending scroll that she uses to perfect her skills while helping Aang master waterbending as they make their way to the Northen Water Tribe and liberate more Earth Kingdom villages in the process. During a side track to the Northern Air Temple on his own, Aang is captured by a group of Fire Nation Yuu Yan archers, commanded by Admiral Zhao. However, a masked marauder, the "Blue Spirit," rescues Aang from Zhao before being knocked unconscious during the escape. Discovering that his rescuer is Zuko, Aang takes him to safety under a cloak of fog before leaving him to continue his journey. Aware that Zuko is the "Blue Spirit," Zhao arranges the prince's demise. But Zuko survives the attempt on his life and, with Iroh's help, sneaks aboard Zhao's lead ship as his fleet departs for the Northern Water Tribe to execute the plan he and Ozai set up with the scrolls from the Library detailing the spirits there.
Upon arriving, Aang's group is welcomed warmly by the citizens of the Northern Water Tribe as Sokka falls in love with princess Yue while Aang and Katara master their waterbending skills under Pakku. Once the Fire Nation armada arrives, Zhao begins his attack while Zuko infiltrates the tribe on his own, capturing Aang while he entered the spirit world to find the dragon spirit to give him the wisdom to defeat the Fire Nation. Coming to, Aang battles Zuko before Katara freezes him. As the battles escalates, Iroh is unable to stop Zhao's plan to slay the moon spirit Tui, causing the waterbenders to lose their ability to waterbend. However, Yue, who was imbued with some of the energy of the Moon spirit when she was a newborn, sacrifices her life to revive the Moon spirit. As Zhao is drowned by Waterbenders after Zuko and Iroh leave him to his fate, Aang uses the ocean to drive the armada back. When news of Zhao's death and Iroh's betrayal reaches him, Ozai appoints his daughter Azula to pursue Aang and hinder him in any way before Sozin's Comet makes its return in three years' time.

And that's only the first book!

This movie was far better than I expected it to be. There's both pros and cons for people who have watched the show and people who haven't. The movie is separated into the same "books" as the show, just a lot more cut. I'll tell you right now, M. Night Shyamalan: If you don't make the sequels to this movie, I will hunt you down and murder you. I need the Earth book! It was the best one! If they were to actually film the entire season, it would have been a gajillion hour movie, though, so I do kinda get it. It was missing a lot of the character story and a whole lot of the comic relief. Sokka isn't nearly as funny as he is in the show, and you hardly see Momo. It's not the casting that I'm complaining about, because quite frankly, they did a wonderful job of that, it's just that they didn't allow enough time to actually inform you of who these people are. Aang and Katara were just about perfect. Prince Zuko's scar should have been more prominent, though. If your dad's the kinda guy that's gonna burn your face, I'm sure he's gonna do a good job. Appa was amazing! Absolutely awesome. I want an Appa! ZOMG ride-able Appa! I guess this will be as close as I get.

Even if you've never seen the show, it's a marvelous story. You won't be wow-ed with the 3D, though. It's got nothin' on James Camron's Avatar or Tim Burton's Alice. I really don't know why it's gotten such terrible reviews. And this racism outcry is utter bullshit. It's Hollywood, folks. You really expected anything different? And why does it even matter? Darin Miller makes some great points over at Big Hollywood. Why didn't anyone freak out when they cast Jake Gyllenthal as Dastan in Prince of Persia? Why was Dev Patel (Prince Zuko) ethnic enough to be in Slumdog Millionaire, but not The Last Airbender? People just need to calm the fuck down and enjoy a good movie when it comes around. Who really cares? Women play men, men play women, blacks play whites, whites play blacks. I don't give a shit who you are or what color you are, I care about your fucking acting. And seriously, this movie is FICTION. It's not a Muslim Abe Lincoln or a Iranian George Washington.

I am the worst person for watching movies. I actually can't watch them at home because I'm always getting up and doing things or fidgeting around and I always miss parts then I don't know what's going on. This is the first time that I have ever said this in my life, but: This movie is TOO SHORT. I couldn't believe it wasn't a three hour movie. It was barely half of that, and it felt so much shorter. Action packed is not a strong enough term for this movie. Riveting. Riveting might do it. It's pretty hard to keep my attention for more than oh, half an hour, but this movie did just that.

I did have someone ask me if it was worth it to see it in the theater, since the 3D isn't that great. Still, my answer is yes. The vast lands and just seeing all that action on the big screen was enough for my $12 or whatever the hell they're charging for 3D movies these days. You don't necessarily have to see it in the 3D theater, but definitely see it in the theater. This movie gets and A, a serious A.

Moving: A Drama

So, tomorrow's the big day! I'm moving, and not just the blog this time. I'm moving me and a husband and a whole house full of things. What an adventure this has been already!

So, we found this apartment Memorial Day weekend and all of my friends laughed at me for starting to pack that weekend. "Oh Amanda, you're so funny with your neurosis and OCD!!!" Well you can fuck straight off because I'm still not all packed. It's amazing how much shit you can accumulate within five years in a very small apartment. Where did we get so many...things? Absolutely useless...things. Granted, they're pretty things, but things nonetheless. Things that need wrapped in 1000 pieces of newspaper and put in boxes that then have to be lifted and moved. Jesus, who thought this moving thing was a good idea?

Also, no one seems to know the address of the new apartment? Who moves into an apartment with two addresses? I do, that's who. If you talk to the post office, it's one, if you talk to utilities, it's the other. Which is awesome, because it's been insane moving the utilities. Wednesday, I called Verizon...I wanted that shiny new Fios package. We talked to the people in the other apartment in the building and I was pretty sure that they told me they had Fios. So, I call Verizon and they tell me that Fios is not available in my area. I told them to check the other apartment number, they tell me that it's not available there either. So I tell them to check the other apartment's service, and the representative tells me that they have regular Verizon service, not Fios. So I spend 40 goddamn minutes on the phone with this guy setting everything up. We went with the phone and internet (DSL) service that we have now and that comes bundled with Direct TV. I've never had a problem with them, so I figure, hey, that's fine, completely forgetting that this is a rental unit. So, I email the landlord to make sure that they're okay with us putting a dish on the house and they reiterate that the other apartment has Fios! So I call Verizon again, and they tell me that yes, Fios is available at the ONE address, but not the other! How could you have service at 437 but not at 435 when it's a dead end street?! So then, I spend another 40 minutes on the phone canceling the old order and putting in a new one. Sheesh.

So, long story short, I'm now getting Fios in my non-existent apartment. It's a way better deal and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm pretty excited about the new apartment in general. While I will miss the apartment we're in now and the neighborhood, I'm eager to have a fresh beginning. It was always the running joke that if my apartment had one more room and two more closets, I'd live there for the rest of my life. Well, this apartment has one more room and four more closets. Hooray for lucking out! We'll have a real, live office for me to blog in, now. (Even though usually I post at work, shhhh!) Maybe it will inspire me to not be such a slacker.

It's been insanely busy in work and life though. Ever since we went away on a three day conference and the beginning of June it's just been impossible to get caught up. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, however. What amazes me is how people do all this shit and have other obligations and families and whatnot. I would have torn my face clean off. I'm overwhelmed now, ferchrissakes, I can't even imagine throwing other things on top of it. Some good, hard work never killed anyone, but damn. So, when you don't see me for a week or two, you'll know why.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend and just hope I don't go on a homicidal rampage. In honor of this day, check out this super sweet video:

Who needs coffee when you have Ruckus Roboticus?

So, I'm super crazy busy today, and every day in general as of right now, but I wanted to throw some of these incredibly funky beats your way. Check out Ruckus Roboticus, DJ and Ohisian, but don't hold that against him. Actually, he's playing near Dayton on July 17, 2010, and I'm half tempted to make the four hour trek. We'll see what happens. From his website:

Born from the industrial powers of Dayton, Ohio, Ruckus Roboticus has risen to unleash his fury of funk, hip-hop and mischief. Part turntable, half drum machine, all sex machine; the robotic wonder has continually electrified listeners with his colorful and imaginative world of sound.

When he's not busy remixing the stars (Bloc Party, Lady Tigra, Vampire Weekend, Pase Rock), or winning "Best DJ Mix" awards from Rockstar Games, Scion, and Solid Steel Radio, this bot can be found tearing the roof off of your local dancehall, art gallery, fashion show, and house party with a fierce live-set.  His sharp skills and diverse selection have landed him countless shows across country, and even a few in the U.K., Canada and South Korea.  He's rocked on stage with Crystal Castles, RJD2, The Juan Maclean, Peanut Butter Wolf,  Prince Paul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Food, The Rub DJs, DJ Premier, Mitsu The Beats, and Mr. Lif.  And he has heads nodding to his beats featured on Nickelodeon, MTV, and a Progressive Car Insurance commercial... It's no wonder his fans call him "the second hardest working man in show business."

At the beginning of 2008, Ruckus quietly infiltrated the iPods & Turntables of the world with his long-awaited debut album,  "Playing with Scratches" (Grease Records, 2008).  While the album didn't quite reach the Pop Charts, his tracks nonetheless dazzled critics and DJ's alike, gaining support from indie juggernauts KCRW (Los Angeles), WFMU (New York), KEXP (Seattle), WOXY (Cincinnati), and others, eventually catapulting the album into the CMJ Top Ten.  Tracks were also supported by The World Cafe (NPR), XM Satellite Radio, Rob Da Bank (BBC Radio 1), Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1), Solid Steel Radio (London), The Blend Corp. (Australia), Brooklyn Radio, and Spin Magazine.

"Playing With Scratches" reached another level it was ranked in WOXY's 97 Best Albums of 2008 (alongside albums by Santogold, TV On The Radio, Portishead, Beck, MGMT...), and Ruckus was declared one of the "Next 1000" by Urb Magazine.  In royal fashion, he was crowned an official member of Ninja Tune's Solid Steel Radio, joining Cold Cut, DJ Food, DK and other top-notch DJs in producing the weekly radio show that broadcasts "The Broadest Beats" around the world.

Despite his continued success, Ruckus remains in relative obscurity in Ohio, working endlessly in the studio on a slew of new remixes, music for television, and his next solo LP. Song by song, and mix by mix, Ruckus continues to capture the hearts & minds of music lovers around the world.  It's only a matter of time until the whole world realizes, this is the dawning of The Age Of Roboticus.

"Chicks"



Shit, there's no video for "Jump In". You can check out that track and many more over on his Myspace. You can also follow him on Twitter, check him out on his website, and like him on the ol' Facebook. It'll certainly get your blood flowing on a Monday. 

Chemical Brothers - Further

Oh, hey there, 1996, what's goin' on? It's been a while. Nice to see you're making a come back.

So, the Chemical Brothers have released their new album, Further, and well...it's pretty awesome, actually. It seems like 2007's We Are the Night was a hiccup in a pretty linear growth in music. Not that it was a bad album, it just wasn't nearly as cohesive as previous efforts from the British electronic duo.

(Wait, side note, can I just say how awesome it is to actually be blogging again?! And here, I was worried. Shit, it's like riding a bike...)

Further starts off a little abstract with "Snow". A glitchy, feedback ridden track, it's definitely in their more psychedelic niche. The album quickly dives into what made the Chemical Brothers a household name in electronic music, a recognizable formula of synth and beats. Just enough to keep you moving, but not enough to make your heart explode, a la Happy Hardcore. While this album does get the blood thumping, it is missing the usual slamming, driving track like the infamous "Block Rockin' Beats" or "Star Guitar". Also missing from this album are predominant vocals and big name collaborations. Not that I'm really, missing them, though.

After We Are the Night and Push the Button, I think it was just better for them to tear down and rebuild, rather than trying to add on. A lot of this album is back to basics, experimental electronic music, which is never a bad thing. Not back to basics as in break beats, but back to basics as in this is pure, electronic music. Simple, not boring. As for the vocals, they feature American singer-songwriter Stephanie Dosen in a few, spacey tracks, which she's perfect for. There is not a chorus to be found on this album, only chants and whispers.

Among the best tracks on the album are "Escape Velocity", a twelve minute expanse of...build. That's what this track is all about, and it's flawless. Jesus, after making music for twenty years, they better get that shit right. It's perfect. It's one of those tracks and before you know it, you're groovin' right along. And then there's "Wonders of the Deep", which is very reminiscent of the David Guetta/David Bowie situation on "Just For One Day (Heroes) [Extended Version]". Not in the vocal sense, but the musical sense.

If you've ever, and I mean EVER, enjoyed the Chemical Brothers, check out this album. It's a throw back to the golden days of early EDM, which makes me just the tiniest bit nostalgic. It would fit right in on that old school electronic play list. You can check out all eight tracks for free over on their Myspace. B

You can also check out their site for more info.

"Escape Velocity"
(Another side note: God, it's nice to have working videos. I don't think Blogspot could have made it more annoying to import videos/music. That's why I just gave up on them!)

It's Done!!!

The importing is FINALLY done.

Sweet mother of god, that terribly, arduous process is done. I ended up doing the vast majority of the import manually, thanks to every importer sucking my lady-balls. A lot of the pictures and video from the old posts are gone, but rest assured, they will be in all the new posts.

It's been so long I think I've forgotten how to blog. Seriously.

Thanks for waiting around during that process, I promise I'll have something new for you very soon!

And to all the old fans, please make sure to update your RSS feeds! For the new folks, check out all the cool stuff going on on the "Contacts" page.

The A-Team Movie Review or Why I Began To Worry and Pray For A Nuclear Bomb!)

So, as you can see, I'm still in the process of moving the blog over from Wordpress. Manually. All those importers suck. If you know of one that doesn't suck, let me know. In the meantime, have this absolutely hysterical review from the incredibly talented Dave Rahner. I just got this this morning and I've shot coffee out of my nose. Twice. Enjoy!

Ho.

Lee.

SHITFUCKGODDAMNCOCKSUCKINGMOTHERFUCKINGHELL!!!!! These are the words I use to describe a movie so spectacularly shitty, that, to save time, I have taken a cue from the nostalgia critic and made up a new word for it:

SHITACULAR!

Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Seriously, I am now dumber from having watched this movie. I have forgotten how to write this movie is so SHITACULAR. I am actually dictating this whole review to my assistant, Anathema DeVice. The only reason I have escaped from going full blown Helen Keller was that I refused to pay for a ticket. I'd rather have people think I was going to go see Marmaduke the movie instead. At least the producers of the A-Team won't get royalties from me. That made me feel a bit better.

Just a bit.

I, I, I..... I don't even know where to begin. There are just sooooooooooooooo many things to hate with this movie. If I had to write about EVERYTHING I hated about this movie, I'd have to regrow the Amazon Rainforest, wait six thousand years, then chop the whole rainforest over again so I could have enough paper to cover it all. But, since I'm such a nice guy (reference needed) and BP has already done enough irreparable damage to this planet (ZING! Seriously, BP.... Fuck you guys), I'll just boil it down to the three thing that make the A-Team movie..... (wait for it, wait for it) SHITACULAR!!!!!

1 - Plot
2 - Characterization
3 - Heart

Now let's hurry up and get this over with quickly, I have to go see my anger management therapist ASAP.

As for the plot, the first half of this ridiculously stupid anal discharge, I mean "movie" is ALL setup. How, by sleight of hand and twist of fate, they all came together. This is only important for the victims, I mean viewers, that are too young to have seen or remember the T.V. series. I can understand that. In theory, anyways. What I don't understand is why they have to waste a whole half of a movie doing what the T.V. series did in 22 seconds without ever having showed it! Five minutes of interspersed flashbacks would have gotten the job done just as well in the hands of a halfway decent directive team.

So anyways, shit blows up. They go to jail. Shit blows up again. They escape. Shit blows up for a third, fourth, and fifth time. Nothing entertaining happens. Hollywood douche nozzles piss me off. Then I smash my face into the hand rail as an experiment to see which is less painful; that or this movie. The face smashing is less painful. Credits roll. Anyone with even a smidgen of cinematic taste looks pissed.

This movie relied waaaaaaaaaaaaay (I think that's enough A's, don't you?) too heavily on what is known as willing suspension of disbelief. Willing suspension of disbelief is what make movies happen. That for two hours you can believe a man can fly, that the geek gets the girl, or that there's an energy field created by all living thing that surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the galaxy together. The "A-Team," on the other hand, is to willing suspension of disbelief as a Catholic priest with a Michael Bay boxed set taped to his dick (that's on fire) is to the altar boy of our cherished memories of this T.V. series.

To save you the high dosage of brain damage that WILL occur when you see this SHITACULAR movie, here are some examples:

-Face can be set on fire while trapped in a stack of old tires and only come out looking slightly smudged and tanner.

-That escaped convicts can fly a in free fall by firing into it.

-That said escaped convicts in said tank can slam into a Norwegian fjord at terminally velocity minus the concussive of a firing M-1 Abrams and walk out alive instead of being turned into what would roughly look like Strawberry Smuckers with stale marshmallows in it.

Speaking of walking out, I did at this point. I just couldn't watch this for another hour. But, being the uber-macho man that I am, I smoked a cigarette, listened to 'The Touch' by Stan Bush, let my testicles drop, and marched back in there. Apparently, I'm a masochist. Even more ridiculous shit happens after that, but thanks to five shots of Jameson and several Yuenglings, I don't remember (There IS a God!!)

So that leads me to characterization. It's late; I'll make this easy. I'll describe the T.V. version, then the movie version.

John "Hannibal" Smith (T.V.) - Leader. Loves his men as sons. Master of disguise and an strategist on par with the Patton/Captain America hybrid I'm making in my kitchen. When things go wrong, can come up with a backup plan at the drop of a mohawk.

Hannibal Smith (Movie) - Precognition levels only surpassed by the motherfucking Phoenix Force from the X-Men comics. His only weakness is Deus Ex Machina.

Templeton "Faceman" Peck (T.V.) - Suave, sophisticated, business like con man/ ladies man. Womanizer, sure, but still very likable. We all had a friend like this in high school.

Faceman (Yes, his actual first name) Peck (Movie) - Pretty much a self - loathing lothario since Jessica Biel's character breaks his heart. The equivalent of an over-coked frat boy that just slid your little sister roofies then said (with perfectly manicure eyebrows arched) "I'll take reeeaal good care of her, brah!" who then, after 25 seconds of date rape, plays Halo and spends all night yelling "YEAH!!!!! I JUST PWND YOU, YOU FUCKING N00B FAG!!!!" We all knew a guy like this in college, and wanted to severely beat him.

B.A. Baracus (T.V.) - Mr. Fucking. T. End of story.

B.A. Baracus (Movie) - BECOMES A FUCKING PACIFIST PUSSY HALFWAY THROUGH THE MOVIE!!!!! BLARGGGLEBRGAGKHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! SONS OF BEEE-SHEEEE!!!!!!

And can apparently slide down a 50 story building like he was fucking Spider-Man or some shit.

Murdoch (T.V.) - Comic relief. Actually had you wondering if, much like the Joker, he was actually insane or just someone that enjoyed being himself THAT much.

Murdoch (Movie) - Just annoying. I don't care how good of a pilot he was. I would have shot him in two seconds.

Finally, we are at heart. This won't take long because this movie has none. Zip. Zero. Zilch (I love alliteration). What made the A-Team as a series great was that they always stuck their collective necks out for the little guy, no matter how close they were to being caught. It was even said in the opening:

"If you have a problem; if no one else can help....."

That's where this movie's failing is. You see, a name carries A LOT of authority with it. Certain expectations were to be met. If this movie was Mission: IMPOSSIBLE IV? Well, it still would have been SHITACULAR, but forgivingly SHITACULAR! But it's not Mission: IMPOSSIBLE IV!!!! It's the FUCKING A-TEAM!!!! And them having a movie that doesn't involve them helping out a beleaguered store owner or a small village that's being trampled on by the mafia or a Third World dictatorship just isn't right. It was a wholly selfish 'clear-our-names' story that couldn't even capture their own compassion for other human beings!

My last two comment on this movie are as such.

1: If you're going to make a movie based off of a T.V. series, then make it, oh, I don't know, ENTERTAINING!! You've done it right before, Hollywood! Stop prescribing to the Michael Bay Thorem of Let's Just Blow Shit Up!!! Dragnet, the Dukes of Hazzard, and, God help me, even Sex In The City were true to the source material, and therefore, their fans. Hire writers, directors, and producers that give a shit about the story, not the paycheck!!!!!!

2: Hollywood, you've awoken a dark evil in me. Something.... ancient. Something with the burning fierceness of a billion dark stars. The type of evil that can only be exorcised by a magical, jewel encrusted dagger made from the incisor of the last dragon. Watch yourself, because I'm watching you. And I AM going to get you.

Well, that pretty much wraps it up, I guess. It was pretty cathartic to rip this movie a new asshole so big it looked like a combination Goatse/Divided By Zero demotivational poster. I hope to do this again sometime real soon. In fact, I just got my next assignment. It is, let's see here, JONAH HEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!! GOD DAMN IT ALL! (Editor's note: Sometime real soon has just been pushed back to the third of never. They're still trying to finish cleaning his brains from the ceiling. Services will be held at Hoffs/Drawler Funeral Parlor. Your condolences would be appreciated.)