Best of 2009

And here we are.

1. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
2. August Burns Red - Constellations
3. Tides of Man - Empire Theory
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
5. Closure in Moscow - First Temple
5. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
6. fun. - Aim and Ignite
7. Brakes - Touchdown
8. Thrice - Beggars
9. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
10. Kid CuDi - Man On The Moon
11. As Cities Burn - Hell or High Water
12. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
13. Reigns - The House on the Causeway
14. The xx - XX
15. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry, They Washed Away


Honorable Mentions:
bygones - by-
Passion Pit - Manners
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
The Wooden Birds - Magnolia
Blakroc - Blakroc
The Bloody Beetroots - Roborama
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Russian Circles - Geneva
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone


So this was a great year, and I might be a little biased on the top two because I saw both of those bands perform their album release shows (or just as it came out) within a month of each other. But regardless, 2009 just happened to be a great closer to the decade. It was a great year for new bands and established bands alike, with a few bands on their third LPs (The Dear Hunter, August Burns Red, As Cities Burn), some their fourth (Between the Buried and Me), and others elsewhere in their career (or i have forgot to properly research), and a few debuts (Tides of Man). Hope I hit everything I wanted to, there was a few records I got into reeeeeally late and haven't had enough time to enjoy fully, but maybe they can go in the 'best of the century' lists.

Review: As Cities Burn - Hell or High Water

As Cities Burn is, even in today's varied and often spastic scene, an oddity. Though beginning as an above-average post-hardcore outfit that fit in snugly with their veteran Solid State labelmates, the departure of lead vocalist TJ Burnette in 2007 led the band down a path far removed from that of their previous efforts. 2008's Come Now Sleep proved that the band was not only comfortable pushing the envelope musically, but lyrically and thematically as well.
Hell or High Water, the band's third record, continues the foray into novel sonic territory. The band, lead vocalist Cody Bonette in particular, seems to have grown into this new sound, with Bonette's vocals sounding more confident and even more expressive than before. The instrumentation is well-placed and adds life and passion to the thematic and conceptual elements of the album, in a sort of whole-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts way. Thematically, the album is rife with questioning and self-evaluation; it's deeply personal and very easy to connect to. The central focus is a look at the state of love and compassion in the real world, without ties to any church, much like the prior releases. It's powerufl from any point of view, giving it the ability to appeal to anyone who cares to listen. The eclectic soundscapes manage to mesh perfectly with the lyrics, ranging from spacey, Circa Survive-esque instrumentation to bluesy crunches and cleans.
Ultimately, however, the same eclectic qualities bog down some of the tracks--the opener and closer are good songs in their own right, but when compared with the rest of the record, seem out of place and don't mesh well with the other songs. Despite this, however, the flow of tracks is nearly seamless and the record proceeds very cleanly and flows smoothly. Bonette's lyrics catch the mind and heart, prompting thought, and the songwriting is top-notch.
Hell or High Water proves that As Cities Burn is still trailblazing and maturing in so many ways. The band is as progressive as progressive can be. Don't miss this one.
Check these tracks: "Errand Rum" / "Pirate Blues"
It is important to note that the last track, "Capo," is by the band Jonezetta and features Cody on vocals.

GENRE: Progressive Indie/Post-hardcore
RELEASE DATE: 4/21/09
RATINGS:
Musicianship: 9
Lyrics: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 10

This one got me, haha

You are home alone, and you hear on the news about the profile of a murderer who is on the loose.

You look out the sliding glass doors to your backyard, and you notice a man standing out in the snow. He fits the profile of the murderer exactly, and he is smiling at you.

You gulp, picking up the phone to your right and dialing 911.

You look back out the glass as you press the phone to your ear, and notice he is much closer to you now.

You then drop the phone in shock.









There are no footprints in the snow.

It's his reflection.


-


So good. Sorry, no actual content today.

Some records just become something more.

Certain records are just meant to be enjoyed on a whole other level. They transcend audio and become part of the soul. Honesty, sorrow, joy, genius, creativity, and everything else merge into moments of bliss that just seem to fit somewhere inside.
What I mean is, sometimes, a record does more than provide background noise or fill the air with harmony or dissonance. Some albums speak to the subconscious while still maintaining a solid aural presence. For me, it's records that impart so much of the emotion from the artist that they practically bleed honesty. They just get to me, whether it's giving a sense of peace or making me feel every pen stroke of every word. I just put on Alexander's White Flags... and got a deep, calming sense of peace. Coupled with high-quality headphones, I'm in both sonic and personal bliss. I could sleep for days on a bed of clouds.
I want this to be my effect on somebody, somewhere. Even if it's only two kids in a basement somewhere, listening through computer speakers off a MySpace track, I want it to be there. Connection between artist and listener is key.

Ramesses II

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1817.

I leave you all with this.

name drop for extra damage!

I'm too ambitious for my own good. Given the choice, I'd like to create tones, melodies, lyrics, sounds, rhythms, and patterns that span a large spectrum of styles and genres. It's difficult to imagine how this will be done, but one might as well start large, correct? So if, given complete creative control, I'd like a sound that's familiar but distinctly original. I'll list current bands as waypoints and directives.
Lyrically, we'd look at something like Circa Survive, Thrice, and The Receiving End of Sirens (R.I.P.), with other bits and pieces intermingled. Metaphor and scenario would run rampant, and conceptual aspects would be heavily considered. Words would flow, rhyme often, but stand alone if need be.
The vocals would preferably be sung, with a scream (more of a strained vocal or yell, really) for emphasis or effect. I'd like the sound and style and tones of Jake Snyder of Minus The Bear or Stuart Smith of This Town Needs Guns, mixed with intermittent screams or yells, similar to Matt Geise of Lower Definition (screams) or Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter (yells). Yeah, I'd like that. Now I'm no singer, but I can wing it...hopefully. We might end up with something like Geise's singing, or that guy from Look Mexico. Sort of a different style. Whateva. Oh, and I'd love to do something like Small Leaks Sink Ships did with their backup vocals ("please leave me alone!" comes to mind), along with backup lines like Closure in Moscow and/or This Town Needs Guns. Gang vocals will appear as well...sparingly.
Lately I've been really into the wall-of-sound technique in terms of guitar tone. The heavy, distorted, and full tone of ER White and Jonas Ladekjaer of Emarosa almost exactly what I'm talking about, mixed with the fuzz of TREOS' sound circa BTHATS, Dance Gavin Dance to round out the midrange. Maybe add in a bit of Edison Glass- or Closure in Moscow-esque sound too, for a distorted, midrange-ish sound. I'd like the leads to sound like Will Swan of DGD, occasionally supplemented by the airiness and complexity of Colin Frangicetto of Circa Survive. Add in a bright, cutting tone and clear presence in the mix, and it's pretty much what I want. Sounds sort of diverse, and I don't really know how it'll sound in practice, but I'd say like a heavier Dance Gavin Dance.
For drums, I love Beau McKee's (of Closure in Moscow) style, the moody, powerful drum sound with injected double-bass sound. Something like that, plus jazzy sounds for more low-key songs, akin to Erin Tate of Minus The Bear's drumming on the tracks When We Escape and Double Vision Quest, both off Planet of Ice. Actually, his drumming on that album as a whole is fantastic. I'm pretty much stuck with my kit though, but I just need to get a few cymbals and maybe (stress maybe) a double bass pedal (though that might be for The Bridge of Eldin or used very sparingly).
Bass...I wish to do some funky stuff with the bass guitar. Nothing too extreme, but I don't want it just tapping along a la Dragonforce. No, something like the arrangements on Planet of Ice, or Muse's Absolution, or perhaps even Nick Beard's parts in Circa Survive. I just want the bass to stand out.
Tempo would span a wide range. Fast as certain Dance Gavin Dance songs, slow and jazzy, slow and chugging, fast and chugging (probably not), you get the picture. I'd rather not limit the project to anything lest I pigeonhole myself.
And....keys and pianos as soon as I learn to learn things. Plus strings and horn synths, thanks to my computer.
I just dropped way too many names for the sake of conjecture.
g'nite.

Oh, Jenny Lewis, you sweetheart you

Been listening to Take Offs And Landings again. I sometimes wish people sold folk sensibilities on street corners.

And in related news, this game is ok:

Now with more Dark Side!

Definitely worth the 9-10 hours I put into it, but probably not worth the $60 price tag. Too much left unexplored and not divulged, but the story's content, direction, pacing, and delivery were spot on. Worth a rental and a full playthrough, just because the gameplay is good enough to drive at least one full campaign.

And now I'm playing Dead Space. Three (out of ten) chapters in and it's horrifyingly fantastic. Imagine Resident Evil and Alien amalgamated into a space horror game, with religious cults, and such. And pregnant dead people.

Top 20 of '08

Here we go, my top 20 of 2008. And a couple other things.

Top 20 best albums of 2008
1. This Town Needs Guns - Animals
2. City & Colour - Bring Me Your Love
3. The Reign Of Kindo - Rhythm, Chord & Melody
4. Protest The Hero - Fortress
5. Alexander - White Flags And Silver Spoons Have To Sleep In Separate Rooms
6. Dance Gavin Dance - Dance Gavin Dance/Untitled/"Death Star"
7. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Self-Titled
8. Damiera - Quiet Mouths Loud Hands
9. Austrian Death Machine - Total Brutal
10. Closure In Moscow - The Penance And The Patience
11. Lower Definition - The Greatest Of All Lost Arts
12. Emarosa - Relativity
13. Lydia - Illuminate
14. Edison Glass - Time Is Fiction
15. Deas Veil - White Lights
16. Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone
17. Run Kid Run - Love At The Core
18. Genghis Tron - Board Up The House
19. The Cab - Whisper War
20. Search/Rescue - The Compound


So I got into This Town Needs Guns kinda late. Actually, I only got into them about a week and a half ago. But that's aside from the point. Regardless of when I first started listening (thanks Darin, btw), this band definitely takes first on the list. Blending the technicality of math rock bands with the personality lacking in so many other acts today, Animals paints a beautifully precise masterpiece that affects not only the cerebral, but the visceral. It's a record to be enjoyed in several ways; to be admired for its sheer mastery of rhythmic skill and precision, but also for its incredible depth and personality. Tops all the others. City and Colour is Dallas Green in top form, this time with a full album written expressly to be recorded as an album (in contrast to 2005's Sometimes, which was a collection of songs recorded during periods of Alexisonfire downtime). It's touching, depressing, upbeat, personal, and wrapped up in a package with Dallas' sweet, angelic vocals.
Now, be brief! Lightning round!
Rhythm, Chord & Melody - Incredible blend of jazz sensibilities and indie rock; great vocals amazing grooves and rhythms; very accessible
Fortress - crazy technical metal; insane skill; intelligent lyrics; diverse but still thematic across all tracks
White Flags And Silver Spoons... - honest, open, and enduring record; full of beautiful lyrics and melodies; self-released
Dance Gavin Dance - powerful; can be hilariously unfunny; best band of this ilk (scream sing scream x2); kurt travis ain't all bad; jon mess sounds pretty cool
Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground - great dream-pop/psychedelic indie band; imagine the Beatles and Queen mixed with Kirk Hammet from GAD, add in songs about momma's
Quiet Mouths Loud Hands - incredibly diverse; sweet half-sung/half-falsetto vocals; broad range of sounds blend into an awesome experience
Total Brutal - no words can describe; just kidding, here's a few; brutal; brutal; brutal; ab-workout caliber hilarious and heavy; takes the genre and spins it on its head with a guitar solo and breakdown in every song
The Penance And The Patience - incredible debut record from an incredible band; six songs of pure rock power, plus prog; heavy but still smooooth as buttah; vocals (and backing vocals) are crazy, lead vocalist Chris De Cinque's range is incredible
The Greatest Of All Lost Arts - post-hardcore at its finest; kinda reminds me of BTHATS and a touch of Circa Survive; blends sounds so well
Relativity - great comeback by ex-dance gavin dance vocalist Jonny Craig; heavy post-hardcore-y sound unlike most anything on the scene today; soaring vocals
Illuminate - tried SO hard not to capitalize the first three letters; great ambient/indie record; very honest; vocals are so sweet and melodic; ambiance is well done and placed
Time Is Fiction - indie/prog/rock record with crazy replayability; upbeat, enjoyable; definitely a party starter
White Lights - great upstart band; fun, upbeat, ambient sound; lyrics and melodies flow so smoothly; light and very easy to listen to
Only Way To Be Alone - ex-supergroup, in a way; fun folky pop; vocals are amazing (obviously); lyrics are slightly downbeat but are relatable and honest; "Weak Man" with Ant Green doubles the vocal pleasure
Love At The Core - probably the best off tooth & nail this year; catchy, hook-y powerpop-rock with a Christian bent without being overly preachy or jesus-love-y; very uplifting record
Board Up The House - insane record; blends electronic with the heaviness; rocks like no other; like daft punk meets august burns red +10 -a few breakdowns; like an earfuck
Whisper War like N*Sync without the gay backup dancers; powerpop-rock with a crazy dance-y sensibility; vocals are great; fueled by ramen's best this year
The Compound - simple, straight-forward rock; may be somewhat unoriginal but still sounds great; simple, accessible, open, groovy rock

And now...
Runners-Up (in no particular order)
Thrice - The Alchemy Index, Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth
Islands - Arm's Way
Anthony Green - Avalon
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Alive In Wild Paint - Ceilings
Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors
Foxy Shazam - Introducing...
Shai Hulud - Misanthropy Pure
This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You
Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
The Black Noise Party Boys - Party All The Time EP
Architects - Ruin
Small Towns Burn A Little Slower - So Begins The Test Of A Man

Aaaaaand...I'm spent.

Have a good Sunday!

It's Christmas

LET'S PARTY

Working on Bridge of Eldin stuff while I wait for the day to end. News and updates will come soon. Though I say soon like I'm writing Duke Nukem: The Soundtrack






EVERYBODY IS WELCOME
YEAH CHRISTMAS IS AWESOME

Ehhhhhhhhh

I would, but I blew all my money at the cock fights.

In other news, The Bridge Of Eldin (my band) has posted a new song demo. Titled "The Sky Won't Remember You," it's about ten seconds shy of two minutes, but tells the story of a young man's ascent to his place as savior of the world, without words. It marks the beginning of his journey to save the world from certain destruction.

http://www.myspace.com/thebridgeofeldin

We appreciate your time.

This demo is very, very rough and was improvised in one take. Do as you will.

First official glimpse

Looks.....decent. As a diehard, I don't particularly like the retooled backstory, but it looks to be a decent action romp regardless. That, and I think Piccolo looked at least somewhat green.

Yet another no-content day

So here's another video.

Will It Blend?
iPhone 3G Edition.


Until later.

brb

Gears of War

Why You Shouldn't Support--Volume 1: Used Games

This is a biggie. Every time I walk into the local Gamestop/EB Games, I cringe, because I see far more yellow stickers on game packaging than I do plain white ones. For those not familiar with the nomenclature and labeling patterns of the Electronics Boutique family of retail outlets, white stickers denote new, retail games. Yellow denotes the game is used and has been traded in to the store for store credit or cash, often in exchange for a discount deal on a future purchase. The yellow-tagged used games are often cheaper, anywhere from $5 to $25 less than retail. Great deal, right? You get a disc that's been tossed around a bit and save enough buck to buy a CD or two.
Wrong.
While in the short term and for the consumer, the discount seems to be almost a godsend. Cheaper games and the ability to get cash for games? Sounds like the college gamer's dream! But wait, there's a catch here. What's the downside for all this trading and used buying?
Game developers get no profit for their efforts. Used games generate NO revenue for the people who created the games, and Gamestop, Inc. gets 100% of the money spent on that used game. This not only leaves the developers high-and-dry for the game they worked so hard to create (and yes, game developers work arduously for several months, often up to 80 hours a week, so you can have that finely polished copy of Halo or Metal Gear Solid), but it feeds the fatcats that run Gamestop, Inc. and doesn't give them any incentive to give consumers fair deals. Current trade-in for most brand-new, one-week-old games is about $20. Most games retail for $60. You're getting back 33% of that game that's only a week old. That's a depreciation value of something like $7 a day. Of course, you also only get $20 back if you bought it the same day you trade it in. See something wrong? They give you one-third back (which is among their highest trade-in values, and it's only in store credits), but they get to keep every cent of that $35 that they make by reselling it for $54.99.
See a problem here? Instead of paying the developer and publisher, which would result in less profit, they get to keep everything of what they sell, and the people who made and published the game get left out to dry. That brings up the next part, which is even worse. Like I mentioned before, game developers work exhaustingly hard to bring games to fruition. Games can be indevelopment for months, even years (here's to you, Duke Nukem Forever and Starcraft: Ghost), with the staff working round the clock to make sure the game comes to store shelves in the best possible way (the good studios, at least. some studios still just put out shitty games or rehashes), all while counting on that cut they get from retailers. Trading and buying used games completely cuts out the developers from any money to be made from people who aren't into buying the game the first week or two. That's part of what drives up the cost of games and forces studios to make cuts and budget fixes to deal with diminishing returns. Then Gamestop (and don't think I forgot Hollywood Video and Blockbuster and other such outlets) just tells people to trade/buy, and it spirals downward from there.

What I'm asking is for people to buy games new whenever possible to support the developers and publishers of those games. Don't support the irresponsible and unfair practices of Gamestop, Inc. and its imitators.

Need old/hard-to-find/out-of-print games and peripherals and consoles? eBay works wonders. You can get more, find more, and often pay less for your used game needs. Buying/selling used games at large corporate game stores should be used sparingly, if at all. Just think of that extra bit of change as your contribution to the gaming industry--a thanks, a nod of appreciation, or your part in social justice. That, or the last Lincoln in your wallet now goes to gaming instead of that extra Big Mac--a kickstart for your health and diet.

Full blog coming tomorrow.

This is amazing. Thanks to Darin for the link. Mos Def '08.

Full blog with real opinions tomorrow. Expect me to rip Gamestop/EB Games a new asshole.

Disappointed...

So the trailer for Dragon Ball leaked a few days ago. Looks like James Wong turned this martial arts/fighting drama into a kung fu film. With guns. GUNS. In my Dragon Ball? (It's more likely than you think!) Anyway, turns out they're retooling the franchise's roots and some of the HUGE details. Goku isn't some country boy; he's a nerdy, antisocial college student. Grandpa Gohan died not by Goku's Oozaru, but by Piccolo (Jr.?). THERE'S NO KRILLIN. By fucking g-d, if you make a Dragon Ball movie, you had best include Krillin. Mai is present, but Pilaf isn't. Piccolo is ghost white. Wait, wait. Let me repeat that: PICCOLO IS GHOST fucking WHITE. See fig 1:

fig 1: James Marsters as Piccolo
WHITE?! What are they thinking? This is Piccolo! The Demon Lord Piccolo! Turban, cape, and purple robe-clothes are MANDATORY (see fig 2)! ARGHH.

fig 2: Piccolo as he is seen in the anime
This is a travesty of the highest degree; I won't stand for it. Commercialization has destroyed the heroic tales nearest to my heart.
Let's not mention the fact that the producers said something like "there'll be a kamehameha in there...somewhere. uh, yeah. maybe." I'm still going to watch, but only for the Kung Fu aspect.

i just want to RAAAAAAAAAGEEEEEE

Favorite Album 1999: AFI - Black Sails In The Sunset

This is a weird choice for me. I don't usually like punk or hardcore punk or horror punk or whatever you'd like to call it; that's why this record it's so weird that I really like this record. What's worse, I don't really like anything else AFI has put out.
Anyway, aside from all the punk hate, I've got to say something positive about this record. It's fast, it's got that punk drum beat (bass-snare-bass-snare-bass-snare-bassbass-snare, repeat ad infinitum), and it's got Davey Havoc's funky scream-y, yell-y, nasally vocals. For some reason it strikes a chord with me, especially the closer, which is just awesome. Maybe it's Havoc's inflection or the way his words trail off at the end of every line. Maybe it's the overabundant power chords. Maybe it's the fact that this record was before they made decemberunderground. I don't know. But what I do know is that I dig this record, punk or not. The whole record is strong throughout, all the way up until the end where it slows down and shows you the creepier side of an already creepy band. Then the hidden track hits and you remember why you put this record in. Fast, loud, distorted as fuck music for doing whatever the hell you please to.

Favorite Album 1998: Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Weird. Adorable. Weird. Catchy. Folky. Weird. Loud. Off-beat. Weird.
Just a few words to describe Jeff Magnum's...opus. It's definitely not for everyone. Hell, it's probably not for most people. At least, not at first. Even the most avant-garde kid these days would have to listen a few times to appreciate this record fully. Once one does begin to realize how to enjoy this record, though, it's a veritable treasure trove of indie gold. Magnum's songs paint oddly vivid (and vividly odd) portraits of a dreamscape so rarely exhibited in the modern world; a world lush with oddities and weirdos, all pasted onto melodies that range from shimmering acoustic riffs to horn-laden punk diddies. This is an album which, regardless of opinion, should not--and cannot--be missed.

EDIT: Listening again, I rediscovered how amazing this record is. Jeff Magnum's voice is haunting and resounding, proving that true vocal talent is the ability to convey emotion. I can't say enough. The closing track is as somber as it is beautiful, giving a nod to the tragic plight of Anne Frank (which heavily influenced this record's creation). This is defninitely among the greatest records ever written.

It's the simple things, really.

Just the little bits of things that make life worth living. Little things; nothing but a kind thought, a CD, and a message to the world. With one act my entire week has been justified. Brian Bohan sent me a copy of his band,His Hideous Heart's debut LP It's a Weird Time To Be Alive, and that simple gesture reminded me why we live. It was six words on a pink post-it note that brought joy to my heart.

Much gratitude. Support free music. Support love. -hhh

Simple. Yet within it was a message to the entire world. Life's about love, people. Spreading and giving are the purest forms of goodness and to give it out is to have it grow.
Like I said, it was just the gesture and the act of friendship that brought a smile to my face. This is why we live. We live for each other, and it seems all too often everyone forgets that. Love is everything.



Now let's talk about the actual CD. This is a fantastic work from six young folk from various midwest places, but centered in Cleveland, Ohio. Their debut LP, It's A Weird Time To Be Alive is both epic and minimalist, both deep and accessible. It's honest, moving post-rock/indie with beautifully arranged instrumentation and execution. Keep in mind that these are college kids who're all around 20 years old. I'm expecting a lot from this band in the future.

ps. <3 you, brian.