So I was going to post a sequel to my last post regarding decisions about friendships, but I am not in the mood. Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I am going to talk about me.
I am a freak.
Not just in bed, mind you, but a freak of nature. I seriously wonder what ramifications and repercussions would be bestowed upon any psychologist you attempted to analyze me. Personally, I think they’d cry. I have that effect on people, and it is not always intentional.
What I mean by stating that I am a freak is that I wonder about shit that I am confident will never happen. This shit keeps me up at night, even though there is no logical explanation for this to bother me. As an example, I wonder how my mind would work if it were in someone else’s body. Would I still be me? Would I still like tea and redheads? And more importantly, would I still wonder if I was a freak or not?
I spent an hour today wondering how I would look if I was short. I am six foot fucking two, I will never be short, but still I wonder, as if my height might have made a difference in my pursuit of women or clothing or money or fame or noodles. I need help. I always blame my lack of sleeping ability (my whole life I have averaged maybe 4 hours a night at most) on the fact that I drink tea. Well, I don’t put sugar in it and I don’t usually drink it at night, so that only leaves one possible explanation; my freakish brain is pondering freakish shit.
Maybe I need help. Maybe I need sleeping pills. Maybe I need a concubine to help me sleep so that I wouldn’t need the sleeping pills. Maybe I’m just a freak.
And that is why road cones are orange.
-B
There’s someone in my head, but it’s not me
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Decisions Part 1
We are often left with choices that we neither want nor understand. These choices could be about anything really, and we as human beings tend to exaggerate the depth of a particular choice. We act as if this decision could determine the path of which our lives will from this point on tread. Now I am not naïve enough to think that every decision we make does not have its own ripple effect, because they do. All I am saying is that if we were to remove the emotion out of the decision making process, then that decision would be a hell of a lot easier to make. At that point it would boil down to simple mathematics, i.e. which of the choices has the greatest positives with the least negatives. We make choices everyday, every minute, without realizing it, much less taking the time to deconstruct the issue down to its lowest common denominator.
With that being said, I hate making decisions. Ask me where I want to go to lunch and I will almost always say Chipotle. This is not because Chipotle is somehow superior to all other restraints (although they do make some damn good burritos), but because I would rather just not make the decision. Apparently Bush has no problem being “The Decider”, but that is because in his eyes he can do no wrong and he’ll just blow up whoever questions him. I hear having God on your side helps, but there is no evidence to support that claim. I myself would rather leave those kinds of decisions to the people, but that’s not where this post is headed. My true intent for babbling on this topic is two-fold; one, I hate making decisions and I hate the fact that I have to. Two, because very recently a decision was presented to me that I cannot make for reasons which I will not specify here (but feel free to imagine any possible scenario).
When it comes to friends and family, the decisions get harder. The potential fallout of any choice made will always be far greater than you anticipated or even imagined when presented with that choice. We often think in terms of “I will cut this person out of my life and that will be it. I will never see them again and if I do I will be polite and say hi and walk away”. But we never do that, do we? This is because we convince ourselves that what we want to happen will always be the reality of the situation, and it never is.
Friendships are hard, and they never get easier. People change from when you first met them and sometimes your opinion of who they became is far different than their own. So, my question I am posting to you, and please feel free to comment, I want some communication, is this:
How many times, specifically, should you try and make a friendship work.
Now what I mean by this is that every time you and another end communication, for whatever reason, counts as an “instance”. How many “instances”, or periods of no contact followed by reconnection, should you go threw. What if you are the one responsible for the demise of your relationship with someone? Does that change the count? How about if they are to blame? And most importantly, what do you do when there is nobody at fault? No need to provide specific details on any given relationship or experience, just an opinion is all I ask.
-B
You threw the bricks that built this wall
With that being said, I hate making decisions. Ask me where I want to go to lunch and I will almost always say Chipotle. This is not because Chipotle is somehow superior to all other restraints (although they do make some damn good burritos), but because I would rather just not make the decision. Apparently Bush has no problem being “The Decider”, but that is because in his eyes he can do no wrong and he’ll just blow up whoever questions him. I hear having God on your side helps, but there is no evidence to support that claim. I myself would rather leave those kinds of decisions to the people, but that’s not where this post is headed. My true intent for babbling on this topic is two-fold; one, I hate making decisions and I hate the fact that I have to. Two, because very recently a decision was presented to me that I cannot make for reasons which I will not specify here (but feel free to imagine any possible scenario).
When it comes to friends and family, the decisions get harder. The potential fallout of any choice made will always be far greater than you anticipated or even imagined when presented with that choice. We often think in terms of “I will cut this person out of my life and that will be it. I will never see them again and if I do I will be polite and say hi and walk away”. But we never do that, do we? This is because we convince ourselves that what we want to happen will always be the reality of the situation, and it never is.
Friendships are hard, and they never get easier. People change from when you first met them and sometimes your opinion of who they became is far different than their own. So, my question I am posting to you, and please feel free to comment, I want some communication, is this:
How many times, specifically, should you try and make a friendship work.
Now what I mean by this is that every time you and another end communication, for whatever reason, counts as an “instance”. How many “instances”, or periods of no contact followed by reconnection, should you go threw. What if you are the one responsible for the demise of your relationship with someone? Does that change the count? How about if they are to blame? And most importantly, what do you do when there is nobody at fault? No need to provide specific details on any given relationship or experience, just an opinion is all I ask.
-B
You threw the bricks that built this wall
My Mascara Is Running!
I read an article today in the latest issue of Spin, by far one of the worst music magazines around (especially since they booted Chuck Klosterman), about the surprising drop in attendance at this years Warped Tour. The Warped Tour is generally one of summer’s biggest sellers, and I went every year for the first 10 years. Now here is my question; how the fuck is anybody surprised at this? I have been saying for months that emo is getting old, and the past two Warped shows have been built around emo bands and their ever-loyal fans. But those fans are getting older, getting jobs, and discovering (hopefully) that mascara and tight jeans really doesn’t make a dude look cool.
The market is oversaturated with emo and pop-punk bands. Turn on a radio at any given time of day and chances are you won’t go ten minutes without hearing a Warped act. Not only is the market flooded with emotionless lyrics about emotions, but the bands sound so damn similar that nobody cares about trying to figure each one out. “So tell me, what separates Fall Out Boy from Panic! At The Disco?” well, they have different names, does that count? Seriously, the whole The Academy Is…Panicking At The Fall Out Boy’s Bayside while Pink Spiders in Red Jump Suit Apparatus’ living in Hawthorne Heights try to Take Back Sunday thing is just played out. The last records to matter in this genre are about to come out (The Used and My Chemical Romance), and after that, it’s over.
Now I am positive that The Used and MCR will survive long after the emo scene slits it wrists, kind of like Pearl Jam after the end of grunge. The Used has too big of a fan base and their second record was too damn good, and it looks like MCR is right there with them. But other than that, it’s over. The next big thing (god I hope it’s not indie rock) will come around and have its moment in the sun. This is how music works, and it will never change. Rock has been around forever, in one form or another, and I am convinced that it will never die. Hip Hop I am not so optimistic about, but for different reasons. But emo is dead.
So, emo boys listen up; throw away your skin tight jeans, let your marbles get some air (assuming they have dropped, don’t worry, it will happen someday), wipe off the make up, and get a god damn haircut, cause I am about to give you the most important advice you will ever hear…remember, its down the road, not across the street, and make sure the sharp edge is pointed down.
Ok, maybe the second most important advice you will ever hear; when the last talent scout shuts off the light on emo, you don’t want to be the only broken-hearted metro sexual left in the room.
-B
Did he leave your pretty fingers lying in the wedding cake?
The market is oversaturated with emo and pop-punk bands. Turn on a radio at any given time of day and chances are you won’t go ten minutes without hearing a Warped act. Not only is the market flooded with emotionless lyrics about emotions, but the bands sound so damn similar that nobody cares about trying to figure each one out. “So tell me, what separates Fall Out Boy from Panic! At The Disco?” well, they have different names, does that count? Seriously, the whole The Academy Is…Panicking At The Fall Out Boy’s Bayside while Pink Spiders in Red Jump Suit Apparatus’ living in Hawthorne Heights try to Take Back Sunday thing is just played out. The last records to matter in this genre are about to come out (The Used and My Chemical Romance), and after that, it’s over.
Now I am positive that The Used and MCR will survive long after the emo scene slits it wrists, kind of like Pearl Jam after the end of grunge. The Used has too big of a fan base and their second record was too damn good, and it looks like MCR is right there with them. But other than that, it’s over. The next big thing (god I hope it’s not indie rock) will come around and have its moment in the sun. This is how music works, and it will never change. Rock has been around forever, in one form or another, and I am convinced that it will never die. Hip Hop I am not so optimistic about, but for different reasons. But emo is dead.
So, emo boys listen up; throw away your skin tight jeans, let your marbles get some air (assuming they have dropped, don’t worry, it will happen someday), wipe off the make up, and get a god damn haircut, cause I am about to give you the most important advice you will ever hear…remember, its down the road, not across the street, and make sure the sharp edge is pointed down.
Ok, maybe the second most important advice you will ever hear; when the last talent scout shuts off the light on emo, you don’t want to be the only broken-hearted metro sexual left in the room.
-B
Did he leave your pretty fingers lying in the wedding cake?
Friday, October 06, 2006
I Wanna Be An Astronaut
I have always been interested in Einstein’s theory of relativity, and especially interesting to me is the Twin Paradox, which is based off of a study by Paul Langevin in 1911 on special relativity. The Twin Paradox, broken down into laymen terms, is as follows:
Step 1 – take two identical twins, at birth, and give them identical watches. We would assume that the watches have a never-ending battery life, and could never be broken or stolen.
Step 2 – set the watches to identical times, and shoot one of the twins into outer space.
Step 3 – the twin travels 86.5% of the speed of light, traveling towards the nearest star system (4.45 light years away).
Step 4 – mathematically speaking, the trip (both ways) would take 10.28 Earth years.
Step 5 – when the traveling twin returns, he would have aged 5.14 years, while the twin that remained on Earth would have aged 10.28 years.
I would calculate all of this out for you but I am hungry and lazy and my brain is fried from work, but I assure you it adds up. What interest me is the fact that, on paper, this is exactly 100% correct (based off of the knowledge of physics & astronomy we currently have. This is not taking into account experiments yet to have been made to prove our calculations wrong). I wonder if/when this will be possible to test on live subjects. Don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to shoot an infant into space for 5 years, as I am sure they would lack the intelligence needed to survive. The last thing we need is a baby sucking on the door handle of the emergency exit just to get some milk.
But if this were to be proven correct, in a live experiment, do you know what that would mean? I a simple statement, time travel. We would have the ability to travel into the future. Granted, it would not be immediate, nor would our time capsule be a De Lorean, but the theory is sound. If we were not content with the way the world is working at this current time, we could just hop in our time machine (space ship) and jettison off for a couple of years. Now the downside may be that this only works one way, but that’s not what scares me. What scares me is that we try this (and somebody will), and the wanna-be time traveler returns home to a world that isn’t there. With the direction that this world is headed, it’s not that improbable.
-B
This sugarcane, this lemonade, this hurricane, I’m not afraid
Step 1 – take two identical twins, at birth, and give them identical watches. We would assume that the watches have a never-ending battery life, and could never be broken or stolen.
Step 2 – set the watches to identical times, and shoot one of the twins into outer space.
Step 3 – the twin travels 86.5% of the speed of light, traveling towards the nearest star system (4.45 light years away).
Step 4 – mathematically speaking, the trip (both ways) would take 10.28 Earth years.
Step 5 – when the traveling twin returns, he would have aged 5.14 years, while the twin that remained on Earth would have aged 10.28 years.
I would calculate all of this out for you but I am hungry and lazy and my brain is fried from work, but I assure you it adds up. What interest me is the fact that, on paper, this is exactly 100% correct (based off of the knowledge of physics & astronomy we currently have. This is not taking into account experiments yet to have been made to prove our calculations wrong). I wonder if/when this will be possible to test on live subjects. Don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to shoot an infant into space for 5 years, as I am sure they would lack the intelligence needed to survive. The last thing we need is a baby sucking on the door handle of the emergency exit just to get some milk.
But if this were to be proven correct, in a live experiment, do you know what that would mean? I a simple statement, time travel. We would have the ability to travel into the future. Granted, it would not be immediate, nor would our time capsule be a De Lorean, but the theory is sound. If we were not content with the way the world is working at this current time, we could just hop in our time machine (space ship) and jettison off for a couple of years. Now the downside may be that this only works one way, but that’s not what scares me. What scares me is that we try this (and somebody will), and the wanna-be time traveler returns home to a world that isn’t there. With the direction that this world is headed, it’s not that improbable.
-B
This sugarcane, this lemonade, this hurricane, I’m not afraid
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Chick Magnet
I often wonder about the inventor of sliced bread. What were the words that came out of his mouth when he looked up towards the heavens and shouted “I have just created the greatest thing since…” what was there before sliced bread that he could have compared it to? Fire maybe, that was a good one. The wheel? It’s possible, but without the advent of cars or the horse and buggy, the wheel was pretty useless. Maybe he just stood up and shouted “I have created the greatest thing since time began, and therefore it shall be used to judge the level of greatness among all other creations!”
He probably used it to get laid too. If I invented sliced bread, I’d be one badass motherfucker. I would walk into a bar and all the dames would give me that “as if” look, but little do they know. I would then strut up towards the wench of my desire and whisper delicately into her soft and probably dirty ear “I am the man who invented sliced bread, and baby, I’m gonna butter yours all night long!” they would then uncontrollably throw their hairy and unwashed arms around me and shout “oh do me do me you sexy bread handling beast, do me now!” this would of course cause mass fits of jealousy amongst the other bar wenches, leading eventually into a ménage 30. So what does this say about the male mind?
Even when it comes to bread, we’re thinking about pussy.
-B
So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear, and your tears cannot bind me anymore
He probably used it to get laid too. If I invented sliced bread, I’d be one badass motherfucker. I would walk into a bar and all the dames would give me that “as if” look, but little do they know. I would then strut up towards the wench of my desire and whisper delicately into her soft and probably dirty ear “I am the man who invented sliced bread, and baby, I’m gonna butter yours all night long!” they would then uncontrollably throw their hairy and unwashed arms around me and shout “oh do me do me you sexy bread handling beast, do me now!” this would of course cause mass fits of jealousy amongst the other bar wenches, leading eventually into a ménage 30. So what does this say about the male mind?
Even when it comes to bread, we’re thinking about pussy.
-B
So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear, and your tears cannot bind me anymore
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Titty Power
I want boobs. I mean it, seriously. You chicks can get anything you want; all you have to do it show a little nip. If I had boobs, I would never pay for a drink. I would always get out of a ticket. Hell, I would even use my incredible titty power on a judge and get that damn Arson-with-intent-to-kill removed off of my record (the bastard ended up not being home, but all the same, I think I killed his lawn. Moral victory for me!). Just imagine all the possibilities that are beheld within the warm flesh of a nice rack. We could get all the world’s leaders together, ask every one of them how much they hate the United States, and all they would do is scream out obscenities in their own respective babble. But, if you then have Nicole Kidman strut down the aisles of the UN building, her nice features proudly on display, they would all loudly cheer “We love United States of Freedom!”
Imagine, for one day, all the leaders of the world in the same room, broad smiles painted on their otherwise grim faces, as they stare in awe and amazement at the gravitational pull of the eyes towards Nicole Kidman’s breasts. Ms. Kidman, your cantaloupes could possibly be the force that unites all countries in one common appreciation of the world; tits. Just imagine it. Titty power.
-B
Never thought this day would come, you threw the bricks that built this wall
Imagine, for one day, all the leaders of the world in the same room, broad smiles painted on their otherwise grim faces, as they stare in awe and amazement at the gravitational pull of the eyes towards Nicole Kidman’s breasts. Ms. Kidman, your cantaloupes could possibly be the force that unites all countries in one common appreciation of the world; tits. Just imagine it. Titty power.
-B
Never thought this day would come, you threw the bricks that built this wall
Your Hometown Hero
For those of you who haven’t heard, Microsoft is making an mp3 player. And while one would assume this product of the borg would contain technology comparable of that which comprises the electronics on the Starship Enterprise, it appears that its technology will actually be pretty limited. I loved my iPod, and my Creative Zen isn’t too shabby either, but this new device just seems to be a flagrant attempt to prove to the masses that they actually waited for others to create a device like the Zune just so that they could build off of their accomplishments, but it looks more like a model based off of their failures.
In other news, The Guardian came out. Why do Kutcher and Costner feel the need to continue making movies that suck? We have enough pain and suffering in the world without having to force our eyes to bleed due to the horrible display of acting by one has-been and one never-will-be. It may get good reviews (and I have heard it has), but I don’t care. Costner, retire. Kutcher, give up. Stop banging Demi Moore and start taking acting lessons.
-B
You got to want to rearrange it, keep it off the record
In other news, The Guardian came out. Why do Kutcher and Costner feel the need to continue making movies that suck? We have enough pain and suffering in the world without having to force our eyes to bleed due to the horrible display of acting by one has-been and one never-will-be. It may get good reviews (and I have heard it has), but I don’t care. Costner, retire. Kutcher, give up. Stop banging Demi Moore and start taking acting lessons.
-B
You got to want to rearrange it, keep it off the record
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
The Forbidden Fruit
I have a confession to make. I have always been a Mac hater. My high school used Mac's, and I hated it. I am one of those who constantly bashed them, even though I never even tried to use them. I was, in essence, the enemy of the Apple.
But no more.
Having been using their latest Intel iMac machine for a mere two days, I have but one complaint…I can’t afford one yet.
But god dammit, I want one.
These machines are not mere computers; they are a blessing from the land of tea and redheads. They are incredibly fast, proficient, reliable, and so easy to use that it’s almost embarrassing. And that’s not even the best part. The best part is what they have included in their software. Little things that just make you wonder why Microsoft never bothered with them. Blue screen of death? Not a problem anymore. Viruses and Trojans and spyware, oh my! Nope. Not a problem either.
It’s almost as if Apple has taken windows, took out all the shit that doesn’t work, made it easier to configure and install and use, and then made it look cool. The way Mac OS X works is incredibly amazing, and I am disappointed in myself for never having given Apple a chance, much less the respect they deserve. Sure, people make fun of Apple because Microsoft has a 90% chunk of the market, but how many times a day do you really want to send them an error report when IE crashes or, god forbid, do that taunting “Not Responding” dance. I hate those two words. Hate ‘em.
I know I am probably going to get some slack for all of this, but I don’t care. Their new machines are amazing and I plan on getting one. I have always hated Mac’s, and it took only two days to completely change my mind. I am fully prepared to admit that in the electronic garden of computing, I have bitten the forbidden fruit. And you know what? It tasted good.
-B
So, so you think you can tell…heaven from hell…blue skies from pain?
But no more.
Having been using their latest Intel iMac machine for a mere two days, I have but one complaint…I can’t afford one yet.
But god dammit, I want one.
These machines are not mere computers; they are a blessing from the land of tea and redheads. They are incredibly fast, proficient, reliable, and so easy to use that it’s almost embarrassing. And that’s not even the best part. The best part is what they have included in their software. Little things that just make you wonder why Microsoft never bothered with them. Blue screen of death? Not a problem anymore. Viruses and Trojans and spyware, oh my! Nope. Not a problem either.
It’s almost as if Apple has taken windows, took out all the shit that doesn’t work, made it easier to configure and install and use, and then made it look cool. The way Mac OS X works is incredibly amazing, and I am disappointed in myself for never having given Apple a chance, much less the respect they deserve. Sure, people make fun of Apple because Microsoft has a 90% chunk of the market, but how many times a day do you really want to send them an error report when IE crashes or, god forbid, do that taunting “Not Responding” dance. I hate those two words. Hate ‘em.
I know I am probably going to get some slack for all of this, but I don’t care. Their new machines are amazing and I plan on getting one. I have always hated Mac’s, and it took only two days to completely change my mind. I am fully prepared to admit that in the electronic garden of computing, I have bitten the forbidden fruit. And you know what? It tasted good.
-B
So, so you think you can tell…heaven from hell…blue skies from pain?
Friday, September 29, 2006
Album Review - The Lemonheads
Artist – The Lemonheads
Album – The Lemonheads
For those of you who were disappointed with Evan Dando’s solo album (and only 17,000 people even could have been), you may have been left with a feeling that the drug hazed days of the Lemonheads were forever gone. You would be wrong. So what does one do when most people in the music industry (the world?) hate you for what you let yourself become? You get two of the most prominent punk rockers to record and produce your next solo album and throw the Lemonheads name on it. Luckily for Dando, it worked.
The two punk rockers mentioned before would be Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson of All, The Descendents, and Black Flag (Stevenson). Not bad pickin's. The self titled disc starts off with a skipper, which is always a bummer. But the original Lemonheads slacker sound starts to creep in around track 2, “Become The Enemy”. “Pittsburg” fits right in with any song of off It’s A Shame About Ray, as does “Poughkeepsie”. There are a couple downer tracks, and “Let’s Just Laugh” is pretty boring, but for the most part the record is classic Lemonheads. All it is missing is Juliana Hatfield.
I have to admit that I never subscribed to the fanzine Die Evan Dando, Die. I know the guy missed a lot of shows and did a lot of drugs, but he pales in comparison to Axl Rose and Scott Stapp on the asshole meter, so give him a break. I am glad that the Lemonheads are back, and I hope their here to stay. I think that Alvarez and Stevenson are the best musicians Dando could work with for their sound (except Hatfield, of course) and they do an excellent job filling in. it may not be another It’s A Shame About Ray, but nothing ever will be. The Lemonheads is everything I expected, and hoped, that it would be.
7 out 10
-B
If you like this album, try:
The Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray
Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted
Dinosaur Jr. – Without A Sound
Album – The Lemonheads
For those of you who were disappointed with Evan Dando’s solo album (and only 17,000 people even could have been), you may have been left with a feeling that the drug hazed days of the Lemonheads were forever gone. You would be wrong. So what does one do when most people in the music industry (the world?) hate you for what you let yourself become? You get two of the most prominent punk rockers to record and produce your next solo album and throw the Lemonheads name on it. Luckily for Dando, it worked.
The two punk rockers mentioned before would be Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson of All, The Descendents, and Black Flag (Stevenson). Not bad pickin's. The self titled disc starts off with a skipper, which is always a bummer. But the original Lemonheads slacker sound starts to creep in around track 2, “Become The Enemy”. “Pittsburg” fits right in with any song of off It’s A Shame About Ray, as does “Poughkeepsie”. There are a couple downer tracks, and “Let’s Just Laugh” is pretty boring, but for the most part the record is classic Lemonheads. All it is missing is Juliana Hatfield.
I have to admit that I never subscribed to the fanzine Die Evan Dando, Die. I know the guy missed a lot of shows and did a lot of drugs, but he pales in comparison to Axl Rose and Scott Stapp on the asshole meter, so give him a break. I am glad that the Lemonheads are back, and I hope their here to stay. I think that Alvarez and Stevenson are the best musicians Dando could work with for their sound (except Hatfield, of course) and they do an excellent job filling in. it may not be another It’s A Shame About Ray, but nothing ever will be. The Lemonheads is everything I expected, and hoped, that it would be.
7 out 10
-B
If you like this album, try:
The Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray
Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted
Dinosaur Jr. – Without A Sound
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The Black Parade
I am uninspired. I have been focusing more on writing/playing music than writing, and I can not think of a single topic to talk about. So I leave the floor open. I need to write something, I got the itch. Send me your suggestions and I will write about one of them. It could be anything, nothing is too taboo. Well, almost nothing, I’m not going to spend hours writing about Ecuadorian Super Termites. Be creative.
-B
A phantom to lead you in the summer, to join the Black Parade
-B
A phantom to lead you in the summer, to join the Black Parade
Monday, September 25, 2006
Shit You Should Listen To! #1
Hello folks, its B here with your semi-annually 75th anniversary edition of Shit You Should Listen To! Today we have a tasty menu of treats to tingle your musical taste buds and delight your most delicate sensual receptors. For those of you who are new to this festival of music, here is how it works. I give you a list of shit you should be listening to, and you go out and buy, borrow, burn, rip, steal, or download it. This edition is dedicated to indie rockers of the past and boy do we have some great acts for your listening pleasure. Here they are, in no particular order:
Jawbreaker – Unfun:
While most people would choose 24 Hour Revenge Therapy as their pinnacle achievement, I prefer Unfun. It is chocked full of punk-grunge goodies such as “Want”, “Down”, and “Gutless”. This is a perfect record for anyone who needs a good musical history lesson into the influences of today’s current punk/emo bands.
Husker Du – Zen Arcade:
While it is hard to find a Husker Du record to determine as their best, I find this is a good starting point. This record includes “Never Talking To You”, which has recently been covered by the Foo Fighters. While New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig may include better singles, this record stays consistent throughout the whole album, which makes it my choice for today.
Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (L.A.’s Desert Origins):
This is by far the best album from these Modesto rockers. Hated by mainstream radio, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Stone Temple Pilots, CRCR has their only radio hit “Haircut” as well as their best song “Range Life”. While the band may be known as a bunch of punks who were generally pretty rude to everybody, they made some great music and this is a record that will stand the test of time.
Dinosaur Jr. – Without A Sound:
Ok, this one is kind of a cop out. Without A Sound is not known as their best record, but it holds a special place in my heart. It has the single “Feel The Pain”, but there is so much more that this record has to offer, such as “I Don’t Think So”, “Over Your Shoulder”, and “Get Out Of This”. Once again this is a good starting point for anyone looking to get into their back catalog, and thankfully I heard they are recording a new record. If you skip this one, then go for Bug, which is equally as good.
Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray:
Last but certainly not least, we have the Lemonheads. This is the record that features their cover of “Mrs. Robinson”. It also has my personal favorite Lemonheads song “Confetti”, as well as “My Drug Buddy”. Also playing bass on this record with Evan Dando is one of my all time favorite musicians, Juliana Hatfield. She alone makes this record worth checking out. Also, look for the new Lemonheads record coming out tomorrow, and I will have a review of it up in a day or two.
Well that does it for this session of Shit You Should Listen To! Let me know if you experience any of these records or artist and tell me what you think. And if they make you hate me, that’s ok too. As always, stay sexy America.
-B
He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he could’ve, he’d rather be alone than pretend
Jawbreaker – Unfun:
While most people would choose 24 Hour Revenge Therapy as their pinnacle achievement, I prefer Unfun. It is chocked full of punk-grunge goodies such as “Want”, “Down”, and “Gutless”. This is a perfect record for anyone who needs a good musical history lesson into the influences of today’s current punk/emo bands.
Husker Du – Zen Arcade:
While it is hard to find a Husker Du record to determine as their best, I find this is a good starting point. This record includes “Never Talking To You”, which has recently been covered by the Foo Fighters. While New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig may include better singles, this record stays consistent throughout the whole album, which makes it my choice for today.
Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (L.A.’s Desert Origins):
This is by far the best album from these Modesto rockers. Hated by mainstream radio, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Stone Temple Pilots, CRCR has their only radio hit “Haircut” as well as their best song “Range Life”. While the band may be known as a bunch of punks who were generally pretty rude to everybody, they made some great music and this is a record that will stand the test of time.
Dinosaur Jr. – Without A Sound:
Ok, this one is kind of a cop out. Without A Sound is not known as their best record, but it holds a special place in my heart. It has the single “Feel The Pain”, but there is so much more that this record has to offer, such as “I Don’t Think So”, “Over Your Shoulder”, and “Get Out Of This”. Once again this is a good starting point for anyone looking to get into their back catalog, and thankfully I heard they are recording a new record. If you skip this one, then go for Bug, which is equally as good.
Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray:
Last but certainly not least, we have the Lemonheads. This is the record that features their cover of “Mrs. Robinson”. It also has my personal favorite Lemonheads song “Confetti”, as well as “My Drug Buddy”. Also playing bass on this record with Evan Dando is one of my all time favorite musicians, Juliana Hatfield. She alone makes this record worth checking out. Also, look for the new Lemonheads record coming out tomorrow, and I will have a review of it up in a day or two.
Well that does it for this session of Shit You Should Listen To! Let me know if you experience any of these records or artist and tell me what you think. And if they make you hate me, that’s ok too. As always, stay sexy America.
-B
He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he could’ve, he’d rather be alone than pretend
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Album Review - Plain White T's
Artist – Plain White T’s
Album – Every Second Counts
I always like the Plain White T’s. Their first record was a fun party record, and they put on a good live show. They have that pop-punk sound that is always great for a party or camping, but musically it was amateur. With Every Second Counts, they try to take themselves a little more seriously, and it works, kind of. What Every Second Counts lacks in snappy songs and pop catchiness, it makes up for in a little experimentation. Plus, it’s hard to deny the first single “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)”, which tried to explain the difference between hate and disgust.
I like that PWT’s have tried to expand on their music and add some musical elements that were lacking in their first record, but when they try to mimic Fall Out Boy the songs lose their originality and, lets face it, their dignity. Thankfully that only happens two or three times at most, as the rest of the record keeps it interesting with tracks like “You and Me”. The lyrics may be a little uncreative (“you and me make a good you and me”?) but the guitars deliver a catchy riff. The PWT’s then get all serious on us with “Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk”, which will probably be the next single.
I like that they don’t play the emo card, but that also limits them. While emo may be a small field of sounds to work with, pop-punk is an even smaller field. It gets hard to distinguish one song from another when they are all pulled from the same chord structure, and Every Second Counts does suffer a little from that. All in all though they kept me as a fan, but they can’t hold this pattern forever. Next time, they need to give the songs more time to grow before they put them down on tape.
5 out of 10
-B
If you like this record, try:
Plain White T’s – All That We Needed
The Matches – Decomposer
The Academy Is… - Almost Here
Album – Every Second Counts
I always like the Plain White T’s. Their first record was a fun party record, and they put on a good live show. They have that pop-punk sound that is always great for a party or camping, but musically it was amateur. With Every Second Counts, they try to take themselves a little more seriously, and it works, kind of. What Every Second Counts lacks in snappy songs and pop catchiness, it makes up for in a little experimentation. Plus, it’s hard to deny the first single “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)”, which tried to explain the difference between hate and disgust.
I like that PWT’s have tried to expand on their music and add some musical elements that were lacking in their first record, but when they try to mimic Fall Out Boy the songs lose their originality and, lets face it, their dignity. Thankfully that only happens two or three times at most, as the rest of the record keeps it interesting with tracks like “You and Me”. The lyrics may be a little uncreative (“you and me make a good you and me”?) but the guitars deliver a catchy riff. The PWT’s then get all serious on us with “Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk”, which will probably be the next single.
I like that they don’t play the emo card, but that also limits them. While emo may be a small field of sounds to work with, pop-punk is an even smaller field. It gets hard to distinguish one song from another when they are all pulled from the same chord structure, and Every Second Counts does suffer a little from that. All in all though they kept me as a fan, but they can’t hold this pattern forever. Next time, they need to give the songs more time to grow before they put them down on tape.
5 out of 10
-B
If you like this record, try:
Plain White T’s – All That We Needed
The Matches – Decomposer
The Academy Is… - Almost Here
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