Random Thought #3 - I was walking a dog today and I called for it like so, "Dinky! (clap clap)"...it then dawned on me how bizarre it would sound if there was no dog around.
Starting tomorrow, I will listen to nothing but metal for a week straight. No rap, indie rock, Jonah, or Bjork. No Miles Davis with coffee, it will now be Mastodon with my coffee. No Iron & Wine to put me to sleep, now it's Isis that'll be putting me to sleep. Crazy? Maybe, but now is the time to recommend metal bands to me while I'm on this Metal-binge.
I never really met a real metalhead until I met my friend Death Metal Jim. Death Metal Jim would've made a lot more friends back in '87 than the year 1999. This guy had long red hair, skinny ripped up jeans and usually a large Death Metal band t-shirt (Morbid Angel, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, etc). Jim would randomly rant about how Metallica sold out, how Slipknot is pussy music, and how he was going to start a tattoo/death metal gift shop when he got out of college. I never fully appreciated his individuality until I watched the documentary, Metal: A Headbangers Journey. In this movie, I found myself reminiscing the days of listening to Seasons of the Abyss, old Type O Negative, and Sepultura. I remembered how much I loved cranking Skinless and Lamb of God in my car when I was in the mood for driving like a psycho. What's great about this movie is that it's not only for metal fans; it's for those who aren't familiar with the culture and origin of metal. It doesn't leave anything out; from Death Metal to Thrash Metal, from the sexuality of metal to the misunderstanding of metal fans. The movie makes a point that metal draws influences from classical music and blues. Some won't walk away metal fans, but many will respect and understand those who love the music.
I, myself am a casual metal fan. I have been to Ozzfest and have been to my fair share of metal shows. I even caught Pantera a few years before Dimebag Darrell passed away. Over the years I have been picky with my metal, due to the fact that metal itself is reaching a point where creativity is lacking. However, all is not lost. Some bands have displayed their originality and are not lumping themselves into the metalcore genre, which has commercialized a genre of music made to give the finger to commercialization. I have posted some songs from metal/hardcore bands that have given me hope that metal is not dead; it's an undying genre of music that will stand the test of time. Also I have posted the trailer for the movie. Death Metal Jim would be proud…
glassJaw - El Mark from the single, Cosmopolitan Bloodloss out now!
Russian Circles - Carpe form the album Enter out now!
Black Dahila Murder - What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse from the album Nocturnal out now!
Behold...The Arctopus - Alcoholocaust from the album Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning out now!
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Unretorified from the album Miss Machine out now!
High on Fire - Devilution from the album Blessed Black Wings out now!
Skinless - Execution of Reason from the album Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead out now!
Genghis Tron - Chapels from the album Dead Mountain Mouth out now!
Yakuza - Cancer of Industry from the album Samsara out now!
 There is only one band that has survived the whole 'rap-rock' genre onslaught and that's Rage Against the Machine. Yeah, there’s still 311...but they suck now. Anyway, while Rage got back together for a few festivals and off dates, lead singer Zack de la Rocha has emerged (finally) with a solo album. After doing guest apperences with ?uestlove, Trent Reznor, DJ Shadow, Saul Williams, Blacklicious, and Dead Prez, you'd expect him to come out with a new album any month now. But that wasn't the case, in fact he decided to play with Rage again rather than release the long delayed solo disc.
Now the wait is over. According to Billboard.com; Rage Against The Machine vocalist Zack De La Rocha has completed his first solo album, on which he has been working on and off since first leaving the band in 2000. Billboard.com has learned that De La Rocha worked extensively on the as-yet-untitled project with former the Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore. Sources familiar with the album say it features De La Rocha playing keyboards and that the sound is a hybrid of "Led Zeppelin and Dr. Dre. Some of it has the power you'd expect from him in Rage."
Well I know you're getting a Zack de la Woodie right now, but these are the only tracks we can guess will sound remotely like the new album. Also, there is no label releasing it yet, so there is no release date either. So stay tuned. I want to know as much as you do. Except for you people who don't like Rage...you're just white trash Republicans.
Zack de la Rocha - March of Death (ft. DJ Shadow)
Zack de la Rocha - Center of the Storm (ft. Roni Size & Reprazent)
Zack de la Rocha - We Want It All
 It's been a while; mainly because my internet connection has been on and off lately. I fixed it though! Yay for me. Anyway, I have the privilege to catch not one but two west-coast-only bands live in the next 3 weeks; Woven and Division Day. Woven are making their trek across America in a vegetable powered tour van and stopping in strange venues in places like Manchester, NH. Nevertheless, their weird style of electro-rock mixed with ambient sounds has been wowing their crowds all over the US. You should do yourself a favor and download the track I posted and listen to the song over and over again until you call me a say, "Dude thank you for that song, I pissed myself in happiness!" And I'll be like, "...cool?"
If you've been keeping up with the blog, you already know Division Day. They have posted two more unreleased tracks from their masterpiece, Beartrap Island. They are re-releasing it on the 2nd of October so go out and buy it when you get the opportunity. Also, try to catch their live show if they happen to swing by your town. You won't regret it. While you're at it, download the songs I've posted. One is a remix of one of their older songs and the other is the best cover of "Enjoy the Silence" from Depeche Mode I've ever heard (yes, better than Failure's).
Remember I love you all if you're reading this. Seriously. Now go have a cookie on me.
Division Day US Tour 2007
Oct 2 2007 9:00P CD Release Show @ Echo w/ The Mae Shi, Eulogies Los Angeles, California
Oct 4 2007 8:30P CD Release Show @ Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco, California
Oct 5 2007 8:00P Satellite Lounge Reno, Nevada
Oct 6 2007 7:00P Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct 7 2007 8:00P Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado
Oct 9 2007 8:00P Subterranean Chicago, Illinois
Oct 10 2007 6:00P Club Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Oct 11 2007 8:30P Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Oct 14 2007 8:00P The Middle East (Upstairs) Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 17 2007 8:00P Canal Room (ASCAP Showcase) New York, New York
Oct 18 2007 8:30P Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Oct 19 2007 8:00P The Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 20 2007 9:00P Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 22 2007 8:00P The Loft Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 25 2007 8:30P Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Woven Eco-Friendly US Tour 2007
Sep 19 2007 8:00P Club Metronome w/ Finn Riggins + Cush Burlington, Vermont
Sep 20 2007 8:00P Millys Tavern w/ Finn Riggins + Cush Manchester, New Hampshire
Sep 21 2007 8:00P PRIVATE SHOW w/ Finn Riggins Hanover, New Hampshire
Sep 22 2007 8:00P Higher Ground w/ FInn Riggins + Kevin Agosti +others... South Burlington, Vermont
Sep 23 2007 7:00P Mercury Lounge w/ Finn Riggins New York, New York
Sep 24 2007 8:00P The Cake Shop w/ Kingsbury New York, New York
Sep 26 2007 8:00P The Boot Norfolk, Virginia
Sep 27 2007 8:00P The Garage w/ Telescreen (members of Codeseven) + Love Craft Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Sep 28 2007 8:00P The Brewery w/ Telescreen (members of Codeseven) Raleigh, North Carolina
Oct 1 2007 7:00P The Way Out Club St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 3 2007 7:00P Blayney’s of Westport Kansas City, Missouri
Oct 7 2007 8:00P Troubador w/ DREDG West Hollywood, California
Nov 10 2007 7:00P Malibu Inn Malibu, California
Division Day - Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode Cover)
Division Day - Ricky (Tandemoro Remix)
Woven - Tesion from the album EPrime E.P. out now!
I haven't been putting desirable music for my brothers on this website. It's all been indie-rock stuff that they have no interest in (they're missing out! You hear me!?!?!). Anyways, I've molded both of them into people that are not only passionate about music, but very intelligent music listeners. They can smell bad music and are confident with their taste. Cully is more or so into weird dance indie-pop music while Steven has shown his dedication to hip-hop (of all shapes and sizes). These songs are dedicated to them in hopes they further grow in their tastes and inspire those around them with all the kickass tunes they listen to. Amen!
In addition I have posted pictures from Steven in the Fotoes sections and a video from Cully being...Cully...in the Vlog section. They are both artists in their own right and I will support them in anyway possible.
Steven's Music Flavor Mix E.P.
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass from the album None Shall Pass out now!
Coldcut - Walk A Mile In My Shoes from the album Sound Mirrors out now!
Young M.C. - Roll With The Punches from the album Stone Cold Rhymin' out now!
Lupe Fiasco - Us Placers (ft. Kanye West and Pharell Williams) from the album The Cool out October 31st 2007
Cully's Music Flavor Mix E.P.
Kanye West - Stronger (Phantom Sky Remix) from the album Graduation out now!
M.I.A. - Mango Pickle Down River from the album Kala out now!
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. from the album† out now!
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko form the album We Are Pilots out now!
In other news; the Interpol concert was phenomenal! Way beyond what I expected. Thanks again to Katie for snagging front row tickets!
Why is it so hard to stay in contact with family? I mean, these are the people you've known since you were born and you can't even call to check up and say hi. It's a mystery that I've been pondering ever since I left home 6 years ago. Lately though I've been pretty good with keeping in contact. I can't think of a better time to keep in contact too. My family is currently going through some 'changes' and I can't help but be worried about those involved. I guess the least I can do is keep talking with them and hope for the best. No one ever said this kind of stuff was easy though. And no one is perfect, that's for sure. If there is anything I've learned throughout all this; it's that.
Some may know what I'm talking about, some may not. It doesn't matter. All I know is that in the past 6 months, I've seen several families go through some hard times. And it makes me slightly pessimistic about how I'm going to turn out. I can't help thinking about that. However, I don't think about it too much. There's no worse way to waste time than worrying.
In a lighter note, I'm making mad $ on ebay right now (hehe).
On the music note (get it?...hahaha...ha..ehhh), Katie and I are going to see Interpol with the support of Liars live on Wednesday. I've never had the privilege to see either band live but I'm quite excited for this. If you aren't familiar with Interpol (you need to crawl out from under that rock you're hiding under), I've posted their new track 'Mammoth.' The band has already established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in rock music. With their 3rd and newer album, 'Our Love To Admire,' Interpol have created yet another masterful album of Joy Division-ish tunes with an edge. In my opinion, they improve on Joy Division. Anyways, the other band is Liars. an experimental band out of Australia. Their weird Beck/Gang of Four-like music makes them nearly impossible to classify. Which makes for some badass listening experiences. If you know what I mean...
Interpol - Mammoth from the album 'Our Love To Admire' out now!
Liars - Freak Out from the album 'Liars' out now!
 Random Thought #2: do you think Billy Mays types in all caps?
Some bands do not know how to market themselves. They just jump at the chance to release a record without knowing the first thing about the music industry and quickly get reduced to the used CD section before anyone knew they existed. Division Day is not that band. Instead of shoving themselves into the public eye before gaining an underground following, Division Day have done the opposite. They have spawned from Jonah Matranga's 'OLD Records' and started touring with bands like dredg, The Fratellis, and Birdmonster. After releasing The Mean Way In, a haunting six-song E.P., they put together their first full length album; Beartrap Island. Division Day then toured the west coast which were followed up by favorable reviews and spawning a cult following reaching across the country. Now, Division Day is re-issuing Beartrap Island on Eenie Meenie Records and pairing it with an east coast tour. But wait there's more! Division Day has been so kind as to give away free songs every week until the re-issue drops. The first song is a cover of the Sunny Day Real Estate song, 'Every Shining Time You Arrive.' Oh wait, I'm not done yet. For those who aren't as cool as me and know who Division Day are; I've posted two songs from their previous albums. Tell me what you think, you'll probably thank me, but it will cause no harm seeing it in writing. :)
(p.s. - I'll be posting all free songs Division Day decides to give away until Beartrap Island is re-released)
Division Day - Every Shining Time You Arrive
Division Day - There is No Telling from the album The Mean Way In out now!
Division Day - Tigers from the album Beartrap Island out October 2nd 2007.
 Comedies these days suck ass. Seriously. The recent comedy movies released in theaters are becoming regurgitated piles of monkey excrement. Take “Good Luck Chuck” for example. You see it coming a mile away with all it’s commercials on MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central. There are even different kinds of commercials for Spike TV to attribute to males (lots and lots of Jessica Alba) and on woman TV stations (lots and lots of Dane Cook). Good Luck Chuck is the perfectly formulated comedy for everyone! Which is its problem, it’s perfectly formulated! No originality nor imaginative dialog. The movie is painted with physical comedy, predicable one-liners, and lots of shots of Jessica Alba’s ass. Altogether it’s fairly clear this movie will make tons of money off of 14 yr old boys and their dates…and bored parents.
However, you don’t need to slit your wrists over Hollywood just yet. You can still see Superbad! This movie is the opposite of the latter. Original dialog along with imaginative jokes mixed with some of the most interesting characters in recent memory. Any movie that involves quotes like these…
“It doesn't even have a first name, it just says McLovin!”
“Same-sies.”
“Breast Reduction Surgery? That's like slapping God across the face for giving you a beautiful gift.”
And the best one…
“What’s it like to have a gun? “
“It's like having two cocks. If one of your cocks could kill someone.”
…is a good movie in my opinion.
Granted this movie is not for those who don’t like their comedies dirty and full of vulgar language (or people who like Wayne Brady). But all others must rush to the nearest theater and see Superbad. God will love you.
Now for your music. For those who have any idea who the mighty Cursive is, this band may sound familiar. The band is The Good Life; a folkish coffeehouse band by way of Springsteen-like lyricism with bite. Their last album, Album of the Year is a heartbreaking account on relationships and temptations and getting shitfaced. The new Good Life album has been descibed as striped down and created for a the lonely bar atmosphere. For those unfamiliar with The Good Life or Cursive, I suggest you download these following songs.
The Good Life - You Don't Feel Like Home to Me from the album Help Wanted Nights out September 11th 2007
The Good Life - A New Friend from the album Album of the Year out now.
Cursive - The Recluse from the album The Ugly Organ out now.
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