due to certain events, i can't even join the marines... this really stinks. i mean, come on!!! i guess they don't want to take any risks signing someone with a history like mine. (not that i'm a criminal or somethin'...) no, not like that. instead it's a matter of personal health and such. ugh, i knew my last few years would cause things like this to happen. oh well...
let's skip all this sad banter and post some more upbeat music. here is the awesome and amazing punk band known as, The Bouncing Souls.
one of new jerseys best punk bands, the bouncing souls have been making their own style of pop punk since 1987 and haven't stopped. recently they celebrated their 20 year career with several live shows in sporadic places with guests bands and good times. that's what the bouncing souls are all about, good times. you can't help but get excited and happy when jamming them near by. it's just something about their music that reminds me of summer. heck, it was summer anyway when i first got to see them. it was at warped tour back in 2006 and even though they didn't have the largest crowd, they still rocked the place. this is just good ol' punk music and now, one of the classics.
today you will find their entire discography minus a split, some ep's and some live albums. this is all of the essential material to get your bouncing souls fix. okay, so first we have the album, The Good, The Bad, & The Argyle then my personal favorite album, Maniacal Laughter. after that we come to their self titled album and them the album, Hopeless Romantic. the self titled is another awesome collection of songs from the band. right on, so now we have the albums How I Spent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Aweigh. anchors aweigh is another favorite. and finally we come to the last two, The Gold Record and Ghosts On The Boardwalk. the last album on here is their newest work and also their 20 year celebration album. sssssssssssooooooooooo, with all this music at your disposal, what is there for you to do??? well, in my opinion, try out the second album and then the self titled album. if those are good for ya, then try diggin' into the rest of the collection and please, enjoy the music!!!
today was the start of several months of training in order to get my body in tip-top shape. i'm making some huge plans for my life and in order for those to happen, i need to get physically fit. so far, i'm terribly out of shape. i haven't worked like this since high school baseball, and even then i didn't always go all out. still, this is different and it's something i'm not going to quit. i'm nervous, or better yet scared, so i need to build up my confidence and strength and ability to believe in myself. i don't want to look back on this and regret a lot of things like i have been doing for the past year. this is my time and it's starts right now.
i want to mention an awesome band that is under the radar, but very respected amongst those who know. the band is called, Cult of Luna.
this is an awesome post-metal/post-rock/doom metal/ambient band from umea, sweden just like Refused, who i posted on last night. to describe this band without only using genre tags, i guess i'd say you take the metal heavyness of bands like, Isis, Jesu, Neurosis and Pelican, and then mix those with bands like Envy, Between the Buried and Me, Mogwai and the always amazing, Radiohead. the music is epic in a post-rock sort of way and it builds and builds higher and higher. it's amazing and very pretty music that gets interrupted by the ferocity of the lead singer who has a painful sounding growl. trust me once again when i say, this is awesome music and something not to miss.
today i have one album for you all to check out. it's their breakthrough album and the one that got them the attention they deserve in the underground. that album is called, Salvation, and it's a great piece of work. also, the video below contains some of their music alongside clips from the japanese psychological horror film, Suicide Club. enjoy!!!
paintball was freekin' awesome saturday. i mean, REALLY AWESOME!!! i had 11 kills and only got shot twice. lol so, starting tomorrow i'm going to begin an intense workout program with some people i've met. this is all a part of a huge plan and possible change in my life. the title of this post states a possibility...
the title also is the name of an album by the band, Refused.
this is one of the best hardcore punk bands to ever exist. the band formed in 1991 and broke up in 1998. (it's been just confirmed that they are now reforming, so woo hoo!!!) the band is from umea sweden and have been considered one of that country's best kept secrets. in the bands latter years, they collaborated and made one of the best albums in punk rock. that album is called, The Shape of Punk To Come. it's predated a lot of the now popular emo music and hardcore styles that are so common. it's a historical piece of work that has outlived the band themselves and inspired countless others.
like i said, refused are a one-of-a-kind band. i know this post isn't doing them much honor, but it's just a brief moment or two. so, with all that, here is that said album and one that every music lover should have. punk or not!!!
sorry i've been away from the blog here. just out havin' some fun i guess. well, fun as in movies. Hot Tub Time Machine, is stupid fun that made me laugh way too much. i suggest you go see it. seriously, this movie is awesome. well, now that that's out of the way, i guess all that's left to do is post some music. oh, wait. i forgot to mention that i'm going paintballin' tomorrow!!! it's gonna rule!!!
here's some classic punk. please be scared when jammin' some of The Misfits!!!
what's there to say about this highly influential hardcore punk band??? not much, but i guess i'll say something. so, the band started in 1977, forming in lodi, new jersey by founding members, glenn danzing and jerry only. these two would be the longest remaining members throughout the early years of the band, which unfortunately ended in 1983. really, just do yourself a favor and forget the current version of the band. there is nothing good about them, and it's one of the ugly cash grab things that's tarnishing the legacy that this band originally started with.
when the band officially broke up, glenn danzig went on to form the awesome and short lived band, Samhain, then after that he went solo, going under his own last name. he had a minor hit with the song, "mother". jerry only battled with danzig over the rights to the misfits name and merchandise. i guess he had that george lucas future vision of massive amounts of money, because you can't walk into a hot topic without seeing the iconic misfits skull on some crumby shirt selling at 25 bucks each. regardless, the music is classic punk rock with great amounts of hardcore, rockabilly, metal and awesome pop. look no further than the old school misfits for the best of the best.
okay, so now we come to the albums. there are only three here, so just leave out everything that came after these. the only good misfits is the danzig misfits. (geez, i sure do complain a lot huh???) anyway the first album is the classic, Walk Among Us. this is their best and it contains awesome songs such as, "skulls" "90 eyes" and "mommy, can't i go out and kill tonight?" next we have the album, Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood. this was the second album and it also contains the wolfs blood ep. and last we have the album, Legacy of Brutality. this is a special album in that it contains some hard to find tracks as well as cuts from the bands first album attempt. that album was called, Static Age, and was released in 1997. that's it!!! this here is all that's the best for anyone interested in the misfits. (in my opinion of course!!!) so, try these out and enjoy yourself!!!
it's been another long day for me. just to recap a bit, i had a hard time getting to sleep last night. when i eventually dozed off, i entered into dream land and had some very strange things appear. i can't seem to remember them right now, which i hate because some of them seemed significant. regardless, when i dream it's otherworldly and often indescribable, which all dreams usually are. one thing i do remember is seeing someone i love appear in the last dream. it's someone i miss and often think about. strange that when i woke up i happened to have a text from her...
in my dream state i heard music. i remember the tune because it's something very beautiful that always stuck with me. it's a classical piece created and conducted by japanese composer, Joe Hisaishi.
there is a scene in the movie, Spirited Away, that left me in awe at how brilliant it was shot. it's a simple segment in the film where the heroin and her buddy's, ride a train floating on the water. the song during this scene is called, "sixth station" it's a little depressing, but mostly beautiful and wonderfully shot. the landscape travels past at a good speed, but not so fast that we can't see what's in the distance. it's little things like that that make life better than what it is. it's inspirational and thought provoking. it sometimes feels like nobody take the time to stop and observe. i do that a lot. probably too much!!! lol
joe hisaishi started his career in 1974 by doing the music for a short animated program. he arose to fame with his scores for most of hayao miyazaki's movies. today i'm posting my two favorites, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. both of the soundtracks are great collections of classical work, along with some minimalism and brief electronic moments. the first album contains some really epic, sweeping scores that make you picture huge places and huge ideas. it's lush and organic in it's approach. and for the second album, it takes a seat back and resides in it's own, unique, style of minimalism music. there are whisper soft parts and intense roller coaster adventures. it's all great work and complements the movies very well. so, i hope you enjoy these albums and if you haven't, go see these two films NOW!!!
well, since i missed last weeks new episode of LOST, i get the chance to view it tonight as well as this weeks new one. i better finish this post right now!!!
this one song by this one group always seems to get stuck in my huge head. it's very catchy and sexy. here we go with, The Micronauts.
this paris based dance act started in 1995, getting noticed quickly for their acid style techno and attracting artists like, The Chemical Brothers and Underworld. they did remixes for both groups and got recognition throughout the world. they eventually signed with astralwerks and released the single, "the jag". after this they released their debut ep, Bleep to Bleep and then they split up. today, member cristophe monier still plays music under the micronauts name and has recently released a new full length album.
right here you will find "the jag" single and it's remix along with with Bleep To Bleep ep. also, be sure to check out the video below for the jag. it's directed by greg araki, who has made some awesome movies in his time. enjoy!!!
omg, i'm done with the moccasins!!! like, totally done!!!
now all i have left to do is some bead work on my cape and apron and my fancy dance outfit is complete!!!
this is the final sprint to the finish line for me. my new goal is to have it all done for the OU powwow in late april.
don't ask me why these were so hard to complete. i can't even begin to tell you the story behind them or my outfit in general. way too many memories, both good and bad, to mention. anyway, once it's all finished, i can take a good look back on everything and try to see what it was all about. there are a lot of challenges that took place for me, and hopefully now that i'm a bit older and (maybe) wiser, i can figure out my life from those times.
with all that now done it's time for the music. okay, now as i write this i'm actually in a good mood, so the depression thing isn't really happening at the moment. but don't let that confuse you when you see who i'm posting on today. it's just their turn!!! for all you darklings out there, here is, Bauhaus.
this is one of those bands that always get's mentioned in gothic discussion and name dropped to sound hip and cool. and just to let you all know, it is really cool to mention these guys because they freekin' rule!!! no joke hombre'!!! whatever genre you label them as, (post-punk/goth/nu-wave) bauhaus has garnered themselves the status of, cult legends. they are bigger now than they were during their heyday, which was 1979-1983, then 1998, and then finally 2005-2008. i had the great fortune of seeing them at a Nine Inch Nails, concert back in 2006. (blasphemy i know, but it's okay, don't get all uppity about it.) they were the main reason i wanted to go to that concert, and it was totally worth it.
during the bands many years, they have released several lp's, and ep's as well as singles and live albums. today, you will only find two albums here. these are the only albums i own by the band, and really, this is all i need. i'm posting these here because, i believe this is the best places to start with the band. Bauhaus 1979-1983, is the two album collection of just about everything you need to get your bauhaus on with the quickness. these albums contain all their hits and fan favorites. songs like, "kick in the eye" "she's in parties" the David Bowie cover "ziggy stardust" and the epic, "bela lugosi's dead" are all to be found here. try them out and see if you like it. also, mascara runs when crying and gothic poetry is sometimes self absorbed... pppppfffffttttt
both albums are contained in one megaupload package!!! http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SDP6LUWU
bleed black, or red, or blue, or even polka dot!!!
currently washing my dirty clothes. about to finish the last parts of the final moccasin and waiting for tonight's new episode of The Pacific, to start. ha ha, today after church, i went out to go eat with my cousin and some friends for her birthday. we ate at jimmy's egg, which is this totally awesome breakfast place that serves this dish called, "biscuit debris". it's two biscuits, smothered in gravy with sausage, ham, and cheese on top. it also comes with home style fried potatoes as well. anyway, while eating i mentioned this funny joke i heard zack galifinakis say on television. "getting a table for one, at chucky cheese, is hard for someone who looks like me..." lol
ok, so here is some more dance music. check out japanese artist, Ken Ishii.
this dude is, of course, from japan and has been making awesome techno since 1993, when he debuted on the belgian label, R & S records. he broke through in 1995 when he released the highly influential album, Jelly Tones. accompanying it was the music video for the song, "extra". the music video, all done in japanese animation, was created by koji morimoto who was the animation director on the cult classic anime movie, Akira. in 1998, ken ishii created the official theme song for the nagono winter olympics and in 2000, graced the cover of news week for a special on japanese new culture.
today you will find the Jelly Tones, album with the music video for the song, "extra" below it. give this a listen and watch the video, but try not to freak out when you see the insane animation... ENJOY!!!
just about done with my moccasins. yeah, finally!!! just waiting for some glue to dry, then the final cuts and stitches on the heel as well as the inner tube rubber on the bottoms and that's it!!! man, to be finally done with these things will be a huge weight off my shoulders. for about a year now, these darn things have been the thorn in my side. i don't understand why they have been such a pain, but i guess it's for the best that i don't know. overall, i say it's been a test of my patience and understanding, and frankly, i've failed in those departments big time...
right now i'm posting while taking a break from the bead work, so how about some dance rock??? here is the classic act, Gang of Four.
these guys are one of the classic post-punk acts from long ago. alongside their contemporaries like, Joy Division, The Cure, The Sound and Public Image Ltd, gang of four made a huge mark with their intense live shows that were totally danceable and outrageously fun. they started in 1977, forming in leeds, england, and quickly established themselves as a political punk band. their influences came from a trip to new york, during their university days. there, they got to see Television and The Ramones, at cbgb's. they took this influence and started their style of music. the band is still around, seldom playing small shows or festivals with two of the original members still dancing away.
over the years the band has become one of the most mentioned acts when discussing post-punk classics. their debut album, Entertainment!, was released to critical praise and resentment from authorities. it ranks at number, 490 in the Rolling Stone Top 500 Greatest Albums Ever Made issue, and rightfully so since it's a beast of an album. the music is so simple, yet complex and grinding in it's flow. it's some of the best post-punk ever made. check it out below if you want a taste...
ugh, i felt sick after eating mexican for lunch today. not that it was bad food, it's just that my stomach, for some odd reason, acted like it couldn't hold the food down. this is a weird situation since i love mexican food and i always have it under control. today all was not well though. maybe it's because i had a hot chocolate this morning and we had lunch around eleven, or maybe it's because of my nerves and stress. regardless, i feel much better now as i type this. let's see how the weekend goes for us. apparently, we are to get another massive snow storm coming this weekend. it's going to hit us saturday morning and drop over ten inches or so. i guess winter wants to mess with us one more time before it finally goes away for the summer. this is completely fine with me. i love winter and hope it can stay for as long as it can!!!
today is a massive post on one band. this one band is very unique and something i'm very grateful for discovering on my own. here today, is the band, Envy.
first off, envy is from japan. all their lyrics are sung in japanese and there is nothing wrong with that. when first listened, it doesn't take long for one to notice the depth and pure emotion that is contained within this music. envy are a hardcore/screamo/post-rock band that has been around since 1992. over the years, their music has greatly evolved from frantic screaming, to almost godly beauty in the form of lush instrumentals, and spoken word vocals. comparisons to bands like, Explosions In the Sky and Mogwai, are frequent and not far off, but that shouldn't pigeonhole them. they are one-of-a-kind in the fact that they pave their own way with their brand of chaotic elegance and graceful unrest. this is music for the sleepy ones who wake from nightmares with angry thoughts or peaceful feelings. there is a mix of all kinds of emotions contained here, that one must contemplate where, and who they are as an individual and a living organism. most seriously, this music can change your life, or change your day depending on your overall attitude and such...
it's been a real pleasure to know this bands music for a few years now. they hardly, if ever, come to american and play shows, so if by chance that opportunity comes along, by golly, TAKE THAT CHANCE, and go see them!!!
right here is their ENTIRE, discography. the only thing i'm leaving off are their early splits and 7inches because those are all compiled in a latter release, so you got it all here anyway. first thing to start with is the album, Breathing and Dying In This Place. take note, that this is an early release and it contains their spastic screamo/skrams style of music and not the post-rock style they would latter be known for. still, it's an interesting place to start, seeing as how the band has evolved so much over the years. next is the album, From Here To Eternity and then the ep, Angel's Curse Whispered In The Edge Of Despair. (you might want to get used to the long album titles, because the song titles can top it!!!) again, these are early releases and chaotic pieces of music. next we have two more ep's, titled, The Eyes Of Single Eared Prophet and Burning Out Memories. following those two we come to the awesome lp, All The Footprints You've Left Behind and the Fear Expected Ahead. this is the start of the bands change in sound and structure. they cut off a lot of the hardcore elements and begin to stretch out the song lengths and flow. check out the song, "chain wondering deeply" for a great example. okay, so with all of those behind us, we now come to what many fans consider the bands best work, the lp titled, A Dead Sinking Story. this is where i first started with the band, and to see them from their past all the way to their current present, i will say this is their final gap between hardcore/screamo to post-rock gods, and perhaps their best work. there is great continuity in this album, and all the slow buildups presented within are some of the best payoffs i've yet heard in music. the ideas behind this album are solid, and it's just really intense and satisfying to hear. now is the album for those hardcore collectors. Compiled Fragments: 1997-2003, is the bands best effort to put all of their hard to find material into one great package. all their early splits with bands such as, Sixpence, Endeavor, Iscariot, This Machine Kills, and Yapheto Kotto, are all contained here along with a few unreleased tracks, some singles, and live tracks. overall, it's worth it for those who are hardcore about all that stuff. following that release we come to the album, Insomniac Doze. this is their album following a dead sinking story and, like many might have thought, it takes the band into the post-rock world and almost leaves behind their hardcore roots. don't take that the wrong way though, because when needed, the band still rips most throats wide open. it's just that this time, it's all a bit restrained and more carefully used in conjunction with the dynamics of the song craft. the song titled, "scene" is probably my favorite track the band has ever done and one to check out below. phew, almost done here!!! okay, now for the last three. next we have the ep called, Abyssal. it's another great album and a short stop in between full lengths. but wait!!! the band hasn't released anymore full lengths yet??? no, no, instead they released two more split ep's with some well known bands in music today. first is the split with metal/shoegaze artist, Jesu. this split is awesome in the fact that envy seem to be doing more experimental approaches to their craft by mixing in some electronic elements. no, they haven't gone techno, but instead have tried out a minimalism idea, and for me, it works. it's great to hear and offers something new and different from the band. and now we come to the last release, which happens to be a split with, now emo legends, Thursday. this is the album that made many people notice envy, and that was entirely the point behind it. thursday are an awesome band, and they know good bands when they see them. they have often spoken highly of envy, and recently borrowed some of their post-rock style for their newest releases. it can most definitely be heard on this little split, and it's once again, totally awesome. envy are on the top of their game, and one band to not miss. give them a look see and lay back to listen to beauty and chaos.
so, a brand new season of South Park started tonight and overall it was great fun. the usual nonsense humor that the series is known for was taken with an easy stride this time, what with the subject of male sex addiction and celebrity scandals, as the bait on the hook. it reeled me in from the get-go with tiger woods and his wife slugging it out like it was marvel vs capcom. this had me rollin' on the floor!!! it was terrible and seriously funny at the same time. finally, a tiger woods pga golf game taken to the next level!!! (you have to watch it to know what i mean...) while not as good as last seasons' first episode, The Ring, this one is funny and a good start. i have been with this series ever since it's debut back, in like 96 or 97, and it's been getting better and better ever since. some might say it topped itself a few seasons back, but never mind that. i still love it and hope that it will continue for as long as it can. it beats the crapsons and family douche by thousands of miles anyway!!! :P
once in a while, a new artist will emerge that quickly gets my attention for what they are doing in music. i have one to mention right now for ya!!! it's a young woman who goes by the name of, Lonelady.
you are reading it here from me, so i'm calling it right now. this gal is gonna make it. her music is totally awesome and it relishes in the classic styles of post-punk and nu-wave. she comes from manchester, england and has been making her own music since 2005. at first it was just her and a drum machine. using a 4 track recorder, she started making her own demos and these got her a lot of attention. she was invited over here to play in the annual, sxsx (south by southwest) in austin, texas in 2006. after that she released the single, "army/intuition" which garnered her radio play in her home country. in 2009 she signed to warp records and last month of this year, her debut album, Nerve Up, was released.
Nerve Up, is a wonderful debut album with great, dancy, post-punk songs that scream out with amazing talent. this was a surprise for me, for sure. i haven't been this surprised by a debut recently since The XX released their debut back in 2009. when listening, i heard many artists that have come and gone and are still here. there's sprinkles of, Gang of Four, The B52's, DEVO, Joy Division, The Slits and Siouxie and The Banshees. like i said, this is great stuff and one not to miss. be ahead of the class and rub it all into the faces of your hipster friends. check out, lonelady NOW!!!
i didn't want to post today. i'm not feeling that well. but, putting my emotions and feelings about EVERYTHING in my life aside, i guess it's okay to quickly and quietly post something now. it's been a tough day...
here is something to battle your eardrums. this band is called, A Place to Bury Strangers.
this little indie band formed in 2003 in brooklyn, new york and have been garnering intense critical praise and fans since. they play very loud, abusive shoegaze/psychedelic/lo-fi/indie rock that blasts out with so much force, it can possibly cause your bowels to loosen!!! also mix in a little post-punk and nu-wave and you got a good idea i guess. ssssssssoooooooo shortly after forming, the band played several local shows, one of them opening up for The Brian Jonestown Massacre and another opening up for their heroes, The Jesus and Mary Chain. these shows made them become the local it band, and it even got them the tag of, new york's "loudest band".
the band then signed a quick contract with some person and released their self titled debut which received a favorable review from Pitchfork and thus, they blew up. during this time, the band would see themselves opening up for artists like, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Nine Inch Nails. it's 2010 now and the band had recently released their major label debut,Exploding Head. it's a crushing album that will bombast all your senses and put a hurt on your speakers. try these out and see, or better yet, listen for yourself!!!
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