tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18481408305350704092024-03-14T01:37:41.793-07:00Dances With WordsA place for you to read the opinions of a young writer-in-training, and a place for me to pretend I have readers.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-748538430627828872011-10-19T21:46:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:04:54.300-07:00Old Review: Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRbuZYdM_3y8xMzHo-C6HEkcLqrK3xhx1w2__VmsvVZpddKMssah_yX0lW1m9lDcwWLtvQjWosthVpJQWO1uIV8GO6TO_md4RYz9m5aJ0CS7iks3aChAjNCqqmp0sVlQ23vJaW8xffFg/s1600/Flaming-Lips-Zaireeka-Front-Cover-33755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRbuZYdM_3y8xMzHo-C6HEkcLqrK3xhx1w2__VmsvVZpddKMssah_yX0lW1m9lDcwWLtvQjWosthVpJQWO1uIV8GO6TO_md4RYz9m5aJ0CS7iks3aChAjNCqqmp0sVlQ23vJaW8xffFg/s320/Flaming-Lips-Zaireeka-Front-Cover-33755.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It outweighs the effort with a glorious experience.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">This is an old review I did about nine months ago for the album <i>Zaireeka</i> by The Flaming Lips. I should say ahead of time what makes this different from any other album you've ever heard: it comes in four CD's and they're meant to be played all at once by four different CD players. The only official recordings of two of the songs on this album mixed together with all four discs are "Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair" and "Riding To Work In the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now)." </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'm not joking when I say it's one of the longest reviews I've ever done, at least for the time I had written it. Most of the time the reviews didn't take up much more than a paragraph or two, and now that my reviews are a bit more sophisticated, this one coincides much better with the reviews I've done lately. Still, it's long. It's the only review I've ever done where I spotlight each individual song on the record; I try to avoid doing that because it treats the album as a collection of songs instead a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts, which is really what albums should be. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, enjoy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have to start out by saying that this is a very unique album. It stands out among pretty much every other album ever made for the reason that it comes in four CD's. Now, I'm sure plenty of albums come in four CD's, but rather, this one comes ON four CD's. By that I mean the listener is supposed to listen to each CD at exactly the same time. To do this, you simply get a couple of friends together and have them all press play at the same time on four separate CD players. I didn't have anyone else around, though, so I used four players that were remote controlled, except for the computer, which served as my hub for all the remotes. The tracks themselves help out with synchronizing the CD's by having each CD say at the beginning of each track "Track number X," where X is the track, followed by having each CD sound off with its number. So, the question is, is all this technical hassle worth the product? Yes... Holy. Shit. Yes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The four-CD surround sound approach is not just music separated onto four players; it is an experience that I wish all of you have the opportunity to have. It is, of course, a Flaming Lips album, with psychedelic music, sounds and other odd ideas that traditional bands normally wouldn't dabble in. Four CD's played back at the same time is, after all, an odd idea in itself. I can't even begin to choose a favorite track. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Okay I'll Admit That I Really Don't Understand" isn't really so much a song as it's really more just random stuff all over. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Riding To Work In The Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now)" is about a man imagining himself as the most important secret agent in the world. He imagines the pressure of that sort of importance but he ends up creating something in his mind that causes him to be very scared. It's the longest actual song (in my opinion the fourth track is less of a song because of the way it's presented) and is the second best presented, I think. I think if I had to pick a favorite song, my first thought is would probably be "Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair," which is the sad story of a commercial jet pilot who kills himself mid-flight. This is definitely the best presented, and the combination of sounds and music just cannot be expressed through text. It needs to be heard. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"A Machine In India" is sort of based on a woman's menstrual cycle, with silly lines like "the Syrian missile guides itself into the vaginas." It's technically the longest song, but the way it is presented makes it less of a song and more a collection of sounds for various parts. One of the discs plays the vocals and acoustic guitar, while the rest play an assortment of different instruments that seem to work against the melody played on the first disc (though I think the orchestration on the third disc does a really good job melding with the first.) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"The Train Runs Over the Camel But is Derailed By the Gnat" is a speech by a scientist who is attempting to present an idea, but instead ends up talking himself in circles. Each disc plays a different kind of song but they're woven together by the vocal melodies on each disc, and they all come together at the end to play the same organ part. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"How Will We Know? (Futuristic Crescendos)" is, well, it's a song. That is, it's got a song. It's only about 2:30 minutes long (helpful speech in the beginning included) and the second disc is indeed playing the song. It's a great song, too. The rest of the discs are playing ringing noises at different, very high frequencies that drill into your head. It's based on an urban legend that exposure to different frequencies can cause the listener to experience premonitions. It is, of course, fake, and the band knows this, but they did it anyway just to make sure, I suppose. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"March of the Rotten Vegetables" is an instrumental song, described as "music for a cartoon about a group of demented vegetables" who search for a new patch of soil, as there is something wrong with their old one. It's interesting to listen to and imagine what would be going on in the cartoon, though the booklet describes the song and what would be going on at the particular point in the song. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, the final song, "Big Ol' Bug is the New Baby Now" is definitely the most adorable song on the album. It's a spoken word story involving Wayne Coyne's (the frontman of The Flaming Lips) dogs set to a musical backdrop from another disc and outdoor sounds from the other two. After the story is done, the chorus line that is the title of the song is sung on repeat with the musical backdrop. At this point, if you are not smiling, you have no soul. Even if you are smiling, though, it gets torn away with the incredibly loud barking from each disc for the last 15 seconds of the song. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Overall, if you have four CD players and a little patience, do yourself a favor and get this album right away.</div>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-67900017362225327892011-10-19T21:31:00.000-07:002011-10-19T21:31:35.511-07:00Right, so, yeah.I've been dark this week because it's been overall incredibly shitty to the point I can't even explain it. Well, no, it's more that I don't <i>want</i> to explain it, partly because I'm too damn tired from lack of sleep and partly because it's a rather personal matter that isn't really unraveling the way I wanted it to. The other part is that I listened to both the Simon & Garfunkel albums I got a while back, and I have no intention of reviewing either of them because they are classics and my words go without saying: they're awesome.<br />
<br />
In short, I'm taking a break this week, and maybe next week too, at least from Songs I'm Obsessed With, since that seems to be rather unpopular anyway. In the meantime, I'll post an old album review of one of my favorites. I hope I have your understanding.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-48967409228502195322011-10-12T15:06:00.000-07:002011-10-12T15:26:14.882-07:00Review: Björk - Biophilia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQUqM67hxJis81QjEvWOvkVQUUQNwnXAlwLbSM4gy0W91kFP-WUoV8hyV-60hSgiM62X9Zeiv6BO1kfCHuCgmwnIsODfPevwz59vQG7GhvfwcM5TaH8RHqvwboQ6mxYm3oLvNrvNu7XA/s1600/BjorkBiophilia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQUqM67hxJis81QjEvWOvkVQUUQNwnXAlwLbSM4gy0W91kFP-WUoV8hyV-60hSgiM62X9Zeiv6BO1kfCHuCgmwnIsODfPevwz59vQG7GhvfwcM5TaH8RHqvwboQ6mxYm3oLvNrvNu7XA/s320/BjorkBiophilia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Indeed, by the end of this review, I will have memorized ALT+0246 = ö.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>öööö </b><br />
<br />
One doesn't get more love-em-or-hate-em than Björk. Her music is easily recognizable not only by her unarguably virtuoso voice, but by the strange music she creates. She is like the hipster Lady Gaga in that she was doing it weird when Gaga was in diapers. Seriously, she's been a star in her native Iceland since she was a little kid. That can't go unrecognized.<br />
<br />
She hasn't exactly been unknown in the US either. Her first US album came out in 1993, presumably the time she started singing in English for a wide audience, as well. Since then, for me, her records have been pretty much hit-and-miss. By far my favorite is her last album, <i>Volta</i>, and <i>Homogenic</i> is also great, but <i>Post</i> is only so-so and <i>Medulla</i> is, for the most part, bad. I'd say this album comes in somewhere between the two former albums. But despite the quality, it's hard to argue that she has amassed much popularity and attention over the years, selling millions of albums worldwide.<br />
<br />
There may be a slight bias against the album for me considering the purpose of the music on this album, which doesn't really pertain to me. <i>Biophilia</i> is an album of music for an iOS app of the same name, meant to be educational for children, revealing truths about the relationship between music, nature and the universe. As a result, much of the music in the album follows that theme. Obviously, there's absolutely nothing wrong with all the songs in an album following a certain theme. We in the know call that a "concept album." This, however, is music meant to accompany an app, and in some ways may fall into the category of a soundtrack. I don't usually buy soundtracks or scores for movies because it's too often that they don't work on their own; they're meant to accompany a movie or a video game, and as a stand-alone product it's trying to illicit an emotional response that just isn't there without the visual accompaniment. But this isn't quite that, either. Clearly, upon listening to the music, all of it stands alone well enough to listen to separate from the app. Having not experienced the app, I can't speak for its merits, so this will be a review of only the music.<br />
<br />
Once you hear anything by Björk, you will understand why I can't just characterize her music. Like Radiohead, every album is different. <i>Volta</i> is an album on an epic scale, utilizing combinations of heavy beats and horn orchestras to make both exciting and sentimental songs. <i>Medulla</i> is mostly experimental as it stretches the limits of music beyond the breaking point, creating mostly garbage but spawning a couple of really good ideas, like "Oceania," a song that's entirely a capella despite sounding to the contrary. <i>Biophilia</i> is very, very simplistic throughout. Not quite empty, but very sparse and rather spacey. I suppose it needs to be spacey, since the universe is the main them. <br />
<br />
Many of the songs do a good job in keeping the theme. "Cosmogony," for instance, the theme song of the app, is the only song of Björk's that is entirely understandable upon the first listen. The lyrics are about various theories of how the universe came into existence, from creationism to the big bang, while utilizing very spacious and quiet harmonies behind Björk's lead vocals. ("Heaven's bodies whirl around me.") "Moon" also keeps this theme, making the rhythm and melody simplistic like the big rock in the sky. "Dark Matter" is one of the most mysterious and unique songs of her's you'll likely ever hear, and that's saying something. This obviously relates to the theory of the same name that 80% of the universe's mass is completely undetectable, or "dark." "Crystalline" invokes a vision of playing with crystals, and "Solstice" reminds me of snow slowly falling to the ground on a dark winter evening. Some songs, however, don't really work. "Thunderbolt," though genius in musical content, does not quite fit the role described by the title. I don't know what was going on in "Mutual Core," or "Hollow," and the middle ground here seems to be "Virus," which calls to mind the simplicity and innocence of a virus, but does little beyond that.<br />
<br />
I'd also like to point out an observation I have about the album cover. Often times when I listen to an album, I tend to associate the album cover with the music. I think of the colors as a sort of background for the music. Sometimes it doesn't always work so well, like in the case of, say, <i>OK Computer</i> by Radiohead, which uses lots of cold colors and is dominated by whites and a few black lines, but that doesn't lend itself so well to the music, which is not cold or black and white. In this case, cool, mysterious black and the standout orange hair provide a much closer resemblance to the music on the disc, which is itself cool, mysterious and sometimes fiery. <br />
<br />
Overall, Björk's loyal fans will eat this up just like they have with everything else she's done. For those who don't already listen to her music, she can be <i>very</i> hard to get into. Often her music is amelodic or difficult to enjoy due to the strange keys and scales she tends to favor. Of course, her more conventional music (the most accessible song on this album is "Cosmogony,") is, in my opinion, much better than her experimental music, but both take some time to get used to, considering her strange musical tendencies and, most of all, her Icelandic accent, which bothered me for some time before I got over it. If you're just getting into Björk, I recommend starting with <i>Volta</i> or <i>Homogenic</i>, which arguably contain her best songs. If you've been a longtime fan, I'm happy to report this album passes with flying colors.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=annttz9hCxQ">"Thunderbolt"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GubPWtA4F2s">"Crystalline"</a> (This is not the album version; it is shorter and has a slightly altered ending.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntxY9f8NAWc&feature=related">"Cosmogony"</a> (Also slightly altered, likely to keep the copyrights from taking it down, but the only version I could find. Sorry about that, but if you can find a better version, please post it in the comments.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzQjISdCo4c">"Virus"</a> (Also slightly altered, explicitly labeled as being to avoid copyright infringement. This one is set to that Assassin's Creed: Revelations trailer from E3. I have no idea why.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB_H_aSB8eg">"Solstice"</a>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-68028708933087770312011-10-11T11:42:00.000-07:002011-10-11T11:42:49.885-07:00New Björk albumI got Biophilia in the mail today, and I'll be listening to it tonight, so you should expect a review around the weekend.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-57060937728607177182011-10-10T00:01:00.001-07:002011-10-11T11:43:49.938-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Even Rats" by The Slip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMF11SQARQ-R6HJ_OjigUs0A1w_r-TfyJzilETiAt15BpqhC96Amrin9gyCsGg3U3ckKWpgETR7ppm3HtEzhuV8z76V6vO3X5e3-WLNwcN1cFCA_HCGrK13chYXO0tpMKb3BQQOvI88/s1600/port_CDonline_SlipEvenRats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMF11SQARQ-R6HJ_OjigUs0A1w_r-TfyJzilETiAt15BpqhC96Amrin9gyCsGg3U3ckKWpgETR7ppm3HtEzhuV8z76V6vO3X5e3-WLNwcN1cFCA_HCGrK13chYXO0tpMKb3BQQOvI88/s320/port_CDonline_SlipEvenRats.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This little shaving came right off the top of my "Most Played" playlist. The only places they've showed up in something rather famous is the first <i>Guitar Hero</i> game and in download form for <i>Rock Band</i>. Yes, that's where I first heard this song, but what is the problem with that? I have this whole argument for discovery of music through music games, that it brings great music to a whole new generation in a different but fun medium, and that really there shouldn't be anything wrong with liking music from a music game. Liking <i>only</i> music from music games, though, I have a problem with.<br />
<br />
In fact, the funny thing about the <i>Guitar Hero</i> part of my discovery of this song is that I'm the only one of my friends who adored playing this song in the game. It's apparently known well for its difficulty, and not only was it so much fun to play in that game, but the song itself is just so great.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>But enough of that; we're here to talk about this song, this wonderful, splendid song. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKhV1Z1nylo">"Even Rats"</a> is a song about... well, I'm not quite sure. The lyrics don't really make much sense when you put them together. It's like... trying to put together pieces from at least four different puzzles. Snippets of the lyrics alone cover topics from political commentary, "Maybe the men up on Capitol Hill/Need a little less Jack and a little more Jill," to agreements to give away electrical appliances, "You can have my stereo." Very little sense is made from the lyrics to this song, and I can't really put the pieces together on my own. It seems that the commenters over at <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858566399/">SongMeanings</a> are just as confused and divided. You can see their interpretations if you like, but I don't think any of them are particularly accurate.<br />
<br />
The song itself is also something of a puzzle. At first, it sounds like it's going to be a fast, upbeat song, but after you get through the first 40 seconds or so, it transforms into something much more relaxing and chilly. By chilly I mean chill, very relaxed and laid back. After the first and second verse comes a "whoa" section where the singer trades words for "whoas" and, following the first part of this section, the music takes on a form that washes over the listener like a relaxing tidal wave. The last two minutes of the song bring the themes back to the first forty seconds, with added vocals, speeding things up again for a quick departure. Quick, except the song is five-and-a-half minutes long. So the song takes a sort of A B C B C' A' form.<br />
<br />
It's hard to describe much more than this, even though I've been gaining a lot of skills in the description of music from my music appreciation class. I encourage you to listen and follow along with the lyrics. Make your own interpretations and comment about them on this article. I would like to hear your responses, even though you don't exist.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-5727916676948194052011-10-06T12:43:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:44:09.488-07:00My (slightly dorky) Sonnet about Writing SonnetsI figured I should put some original material up here, since the only other written pieces are written on the spot and aren't really literary in any way or already published. This is a sonnet I wrote about writing sonnets, with an introduction. I was sort of inspired by Bach's music to display the musical elements of the Fugue and his <i>Well-Tempered Clavier</i> books about, well, well-tuned keyboard instruments, to write something to display a writing format. So, I wrote a sonnet about writing sonnets, with a little advice about writing one yourself.<br />
<br />
I was taught how to write a sonnet in my creative writing class last semester at Eastfield, and I pretty much fell in love with the idea of writing something to such a specific structure and requiring such short length, since I almost always have to have some kind of structure and/or rhyming scheme and almost never write in free verse.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Enjoy:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt;">How to Write a Shakespearean Sonnet</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hopefully you'll already be familiar with the specifics and technical details about writing a sonnet. It must be in iambic pentameter, must contain fourteen lines and each line must fit the rhyming scheme of a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You think you want to write a sonnet? Hey!</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Oh, I've got just the thing for you, my friend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So just sit tight and I'll explain my way,</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And please remember this is not the end.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It helps to think of sonnets like a theme</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With introduction, middle and an end,</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Where quatrain 1 will introduce the theme</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And subjects of nos. 2 and 3 extend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But don't forget the sonnet's end, the tip,</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The couplet is the most important part.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It means to make the end more than a blip</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And puts perspective on the sonnet's heart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> So now I hope you won't feel so much stress</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And now you'll write a masterpiece, I guess!</span></div>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-2308661304273807892011-10-04T13:38:00.000-07:002011-10-04T13:38:03.018-07:00Heads Up!I felt it was appropriate to mention that the entire Portal 2 soundtrack is now finally available in its entirety from the Portal 2 website. You can download it <a href="http://www.thinkwithportals.com/music.php">here.</a><br />
<br />
Past volumes have released tracks in the game's chronological order. Only tracks from the beginning were available in the first volume, then in the second volume tracks from the middle of the game were maid available. Volume 3 contains all the edited score from the end of the game, including the end boss theme, the music for SPAAAAAAACE!!!! and the ever important "Want You Gone" and "Cara Mia Addio" tracks. If you didn't almost burst into tears when you heard the latter track in the game, you probably don't have a soul.<br />
<br />
Volume 1 was probably my favorite out of the three. Though the third volume has obvious things going for it, as far as score goes I liked 1 better. 2 is mostly boring, but I still think the entire Portal 2 score is impressive for a video game. I haven't listened to all of 3 yet, but I'm sure it is quite nice. You can use the above link to download all the score pieces.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-87815109518709796072011-10-03T15:32:00.000-07:002011-10-03T15:32:49.333-07:00Review: The Main Drag - Simmer In Your Hotseat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3TOgUjkrCxlKFaGX5LpcIa7llBnAnsLP8rTPv_p04fKuj3iwQyIAhwhY0JTMcMHFiWIi2Xl0pY3V-PTKu24R9SgoDNQR-N_A_br6BT6xGezRKIHrN_unRLj-bikimCF8wV2fJpHrdPY/s1600/300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3TOgUjkrCxlKFaGX5LpcIa7llBnAnsLP8rTPv_p04fKuj3iwQyIAhwhY0JTMcMHFiWIi2Xl0pY3V-PTKu24R9SgoDNQR-N_A_br6BT6xGezRKIHrN_unRLj-bikimCF8wV2fJpHrdPY/s1600/300.jpg" /></a></div>My only link to Hipsterdom.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Well, no, not really. Considering the amount of attention The Main Drag has gotten for their song in <i>Rock Band 2</i>, it's hard to say that they're a band as underground as my ability to say "you've probably never heard of them." And I suppose they're not my <i>only</i> link to Hipsterdom; I have a few bands that no one's ever heard of on my iPod, but I'm not so pretentious about it that I won't tell you about them if you ask.<br />
<br />
This album is before that, though. It's before the electronic influence of songs like "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" off 2007's <i>Yours As Fast As Mine</i> or just about anything from <i>You Are Underwater</i>. This is The Main Drag's first album, <i>Simmer In Your Hotseat</i> (interesting how all their albums involve the word "you," eh?), the sounds of which can only be found outside this album in "Car Windows" from <i>Yours As Fast As Mine</i>. This album showcases a completely different style of music for the band.<br />
<br />
The Main Drag has transformed a lot since this album. Here, they're much more raw and underdeveloped, and they stick to their method of standard-band-plus-two-violins. I mentioned "Car Windows" because this is exactly what's going on in that song, and I guess they had to do some kind of homage to this past style of music they wrote. Most of the music is almost entirely acoustic in form, the drums aren't used as much as they are on their successive albums, and the band is complimented by the addition of the two violins. I really like the way it all works together to make a really mellow, solemn and sometimes depressing sound. They do use electric guitars in some of their songs ("North Shore, Music Therapist" and "Withhold.") but they don't really take away from the mellow sound they push so much in their first album.<br />
<br />
The one thing they do retain in this album compared to others is their ability to make each and every song unique, interesting and well-done. It's hard to find fault with a any of these songs, except perhaps they have somewhat poor mixing for the vocals. Though some songs like "Withhold," "Tax Season," "Admit One" and "Bicycle Pathways and Crosswalks" stand out among the weaker choices like "Tunnel Lights," "Famous Last Words (Hitch Hiker)" and "Disappointed You," you really can't go wrong with any of the songs in this collection, and I would highly recommend buying the whole thing.<br />
<br />
Overall, though it's different, it's the same Main Drag, and it's still great. For me, it's like an expansion on the ideas expressed in "Car Windows," which is one of my favorite Main Drag songs. Get the whole thing.<br />
<br />
(Alas! for The Main Drag is still quite unknown, so I cannot link to any good tracks. I encourage you to find them on your own, or to buy the album.)Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-7935676012774737872011-10-03T14:55:00.000-07:002011-10-03T14:57:57.470-07:00My composer essay project: A profile of Claude DebussyI was tasked with preparing an essay on an assigned composer from our book in Music Appreciation. While I wanted to spotlight John Adams, my teacher said he was too late in the textbook and we wouldn't have time to present him. (We also have to do a presentation on our composers when we cover their time period; I would be the first in the 20th Century period, so I have plenty of time.) Since I was at a loss for who to choose, I asked her to pick one for me. In retrospect, I think I should have chosen Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland or Gustav Holst, because she gave me Claude Debussy, a person I hadn't even heard of before that day. I also don't particularly like the person, now that I've done my research. The music is excellent, but the person I don't think I would have gotten along with. Oh well, at least I got to listen to some good music, and I think I produced a pretty good essay. Here it is, for your enjoyment:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A Profile of Claude Debussy</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Achille-Claude Debussy is a French composer of the late 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries, known for having been a link for both Romantic and 20<sup>th</sup> Century periods. He was born on August 22nd, 1862 in St. Germaine-en-Laye (Lesure). He grew up mostly in France and spent some time in Italy for education, though he drew much inspiration from his native Paris (Kamien, 294, 2011). His family lived as peasants for a good deal of their life before Debussy’s father came home from serving seven years in the marine infantry, settled in St. Germaine-en-Laye with his wife and acquired and ran a china shop (Lesure). He won the Prix de Rome in 1884 with his cantata <i>L'Enfant Prodigue</i>, which paid for three years of study in Rome, living there for only two of those years, leaving due to lack of inspiration away from his home in Paris (Orledge). Other than a job as a pianist for Tchaikovsky's patroness and piano teacher, he wasn't otherwise employed; he, for lack of a better phrase, went straight to work on composition after he left Italy (Kamien, 294). Eventually, he married <span class="fname">Rosalie</span> <span class="sname">Texier, but only to leave her in 1904 for another woman, </span><span class="fname">Emma</span> <span class="sname">Bardac, with whom he would have his daughter, Claude-Emma Debussy, a year later (Orledge). He had a friendship with Igor Stravinsky, the famous ballet writer, and at one point during a visit to Louis Laloy, his biographer, he played with Stravinsky a version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rite of Spring</i> for four-hand piano (Lesure). The last years of his life were painful at best, dealing with depression surrounding the first World War and a bout with rectal cancer, both of which sending him into a dampened creative state. He died on March 25th, 1918 in his beloved Paris (Lesure).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Debussy grew up in France and was educated there, for the most part. He was uneducated until the age of ten, when he began studying at the Paris Conservatory, where he was highly regarded by his musical teachers and was thought of as “a talented rebel” for not following conventional musical rules. (Kamien, 294). Debussy started his music lessons in 1872, goals set on being a virtuoso, with an instructor named Mme <span class="sname">Mauté,</span> who claimed to be that of Chopin (Lesure). He was taught to play the piano, but after failing to win any <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">premier prix</i>, he began to study composition with</span><span class="fname"> </span><span class="fname"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Ernest</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span class="sname">Guiraud in 1880</span> instead, which led to his winning of the Prix de Rome (Orledge). Debussy's first major work was <i>Prélude à L'Après-midi d'un Faune </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">("Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"), first performed in 1894, a seductive, flute-heavy piece, but it was not until his completion and production of his first and only finished opera, </span></i><i>Pelléas et Mélisande</i><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> ("</span></i>Pelléas and Mélisande<i><span style="font-style: normal;">") in 1901, that he became regarded as one of the most important French composers of the time (Orledge). He then went on to compose several classics, such as the </span></i><i>Children's Corner </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">suite (</span></i><span class="year">1906</span><span class="date">–</span><span class="year">8)</span><i><span style="font-style: normal;">, and </span></i><i>Jeux</i><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (1913), his only ballet (Lesure). As a composer, Debussy himself did not enjoy performing his own works. </span></i>In fact, according to Kamien, "He was not gifted as a conductor and hated appearing in public, but to maintain his high standard of living he undertook concert tours and presented his music throughout Europe" (Kamien, 294-5).<i><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> Debussy belongs to the Romantic period of music, though most of his works were written in the twentieth century. That said he was a link between these two periods, incorporating both the beautiful Romantic styles while also pushing the boundaries of music, moving beyond many rules of the trade. His music usually has an overall light tone color and soft dynamics (with the possible exception of the </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Children's Corner</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> suite), but takes advantage of the opposite extreme by making his high-tension points as epic as possible. His music tends to fall under two categories: the first is more beautiful and romantic, having a very soft, cradling melody that is easily recognizable (</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Petite Suite</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> minus the </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Ballet</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> section); the second is heavier, leaning towards the twentieth century, with fewer recognizable melodies and is, in general, more bombastic (</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">La Mer</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">). His major compositions include: </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Prélude à L'Après-midi d'un Faune </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">(1894), a single piece and one of his more romantic orchestral works, written in inspiration of a symbolist </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Mallarmé<i><span style="font-style: normal;"> poem called </span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">L’après-Midi D’un Faune </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">but also meant to be part of a larger work</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">; </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Pelléas et Mélisande</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> (1901), an opera in five acts and his only composition of the kind, the work he spent the most time and effort writing; his </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Nocturnes </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">(1897-9), three pieces entitled </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Nauges</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Fetes</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, and </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Sirenes</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, none of which having any relation to Chopin's </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Nocturnes</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">; </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">La Mer </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">(1905), a suite in three parts: </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">De L'aube a Midi Sur La Mer</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Jeux de Vagues</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, and </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dialogue Du Vent et De La Mer</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, all of which exemplify his harder, bigger and more bombastic creative attempts; and </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Clair de Lune</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> (1890), a song written for solo piano that was more recently made famous by its presence in the movie </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Twilight</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> (2008).</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> I want to focus now on </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Clair de Lune</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">. This piece was written in 1890, as the third movement of the </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Suite Begamasque</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> (Oxford UP). The song is written expressly for the piano and is meant to be performed as such. (Though notation exists for a full orchestral performance, I do not believe it holds up compared to the solo piano.) The result is a beautifully light tone color that feels like relaxing under the glow of a moonlit sky, which explains the title. It means "Moonlight" (Oxford UP) which excellently compliments the deep melody of the song itself. The musical form comes in at A B C A' C', beginning softly, slowly getting faster and faster, then receding, then speeding up one more time before ending on a broken chord. The melody is light as a feather, hovering around the high notes of the piano, which invokes the feeling of a perfectly clear night sky. The song is monophonic in texture and the harmony is carried by the lower accompanying notes of the piano; the quickly-played arpeggios throughout the second half contribute to the sense of being doused in the moonlight for which the piece is named. The meter appears to be in quadruple time, though it is very tough to tell, and the tempo is on average a slow </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">largo</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">, though it broadens and quickens at its high-tension moments and becomes much slower and more distant at its low moments. The rhythm only barely clings to the tempo as the notes float on air through the song. It is stunningly beautiful. That such a wondrous composition could be created for just the piano that rivals Chopin in its brilliance is incredibly remarkable. It's not a very sad song, like most of Chopin's famous works. It's not very happy, either; it is simply contentedness under the light of the moon and the stars.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> Debussy is one of those underrated composers of the Romantic period that gets overshadowed by the likes of </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Frédéric Chopin, Igor Stravinsky and Richard Wagner, at least to me, as I had not heard any of his work previously. It's unfortunate, really, considering the masterful works he composed over his life of fifty-five years. It's nice that he can at least get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">some</i> exposure from popular movies like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twilight</i>, though <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clair de Lune</i> doesn't really accurately portray the majority of Debussy's works, which are primarily orchestral. It's funny how he only managed to acquire acclaim well after his works were first performed, considering his obvious talent. He still managed to go down in history as a great composer of his day. I really like the way he manages to accommodate two different audiences in the division of his works from romantic to twentieth-century. His compositions are both beautiful and modern at the same time. I don't think I would have liked him very much if I knew him personally, though. He led a very luxurious lifestyle, in stark contrast to his family history. It seems to me that he likely wasn't very humble, either, and his womanizing tendencies would have been incompatible with me, especially since many of them attempted suicide after being left (Lesure). His works are full of unfinished projects, as well, from the remaining parts of <i>L’après-Midi D’un Faune</i> (Lesure)<i> </i>to unfinished one-act Edgar Allan Poe operas </span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Le Diable Dans le Beffroi</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> (<span class="year">1902</span><span class="date">–</span><span class="year">?12</span>) and <i>La Chute de la Maison Usher</i> (<span class="year">1908</span><span class="date">–</span><span class="year">17</span>) (Orledge). Still, he is most definitely one of the greatest composers of his time, despite his personal downsides and downfalls. Even if I didn't like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">him</i>, I can at least love his music. I have found a new favorite.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></i></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 150%;">Works Cited</span></i> </div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"Clair De Lune." <i>Oxford Music Online</i>. Oxford UP. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Kamien, Roger. "Part VI - 4: Claude Debussy." <i>Music: an Appreciation</i>. New York.: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 294-97. Print. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Lesure, François, and Roy Howat. "Debussy, Claude." <i>Oxford Music Online</i>. Oxford UP. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Orledge, Robert. "Debussy, (Achille-)Claude." <i>Oxford Music Online</i>. Oxford UP. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.</span></div>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-78570456271809457902011-10-03T14:46:00.000-07:002011-10-03T14:47:14.797-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Upward Over the Mountain" by Iron & Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQKKCjus5ZsqOCKQzeoLkNxafOefBkzjSYDS8pESKY-BCu5C-jCncpxeWXzO6u0AZU9E22vD6kLitePK2AKQq4hHME07GvF6TjqOnQ3M5vU2NY9aN3jDnKAkdzSl8R6zUiymTimHDsf0/s1600/the-creek-drank-the-cradle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQKKCjus5ZsqOCKQzeoLkNxafOefBkzjSYDS8pESKY-BCu5C-jCncpxeWXzO6u0AZU9E22vD6kLitePK2AKQq4hHME07GvF6TjqOnQ3M5vU2NY9aN3jDnKAkdzSl8R6zUiymTimHDsf0/s320/the-creek-drank-the-cradle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ah... That's better. <i>This</i> is a song I can talk about.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Samuel Beam is probably better known for his later works as Iron & Wine, such as <i>The Shepherd's Dog</i> and <i>Our Endless Numbered Days</i>, but I think out of all his wonderful, wonderful music, <i>The Creek Drank the Cradle</i> was clearly the winner. Clearly, as in, this is the only Iron & Wine album I own. Sadly. But I <i>really </i>want another one, especially after constantly listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kh09MuIfIU">"Upward Over the Mountain."</a><br />
<br />
The song is performed entirely with just one guitar and one voice, and nothing else, in signature Iron & Wine style, though he has developed his sound to other instruments over the years. Back in 2002, though, it was just him and his guitar. There might be another guitar playing the sliding chords in the chiefly instrumental parts between the lyrics, but it almost seems like the whole thing could have been played on just one guitar. I'm not sure if I want to call it a sad song; though the guitar and vocal tone on its own would certainly be quite depressing, the lyrics themselves are far from sad.<br />
<br />
Well, they aren't really happy, either. There's sort of in-between, but way over on the melancholy side of the musical continuum. The lyrics honor the speaker's mother, memories with her, with depictions of her worrying for her son, of her love and her care. They are beautifully written, just like the melody, tone color and instrumentation.<br />
<br />
This was a short one, but I've been busy ever since I started the fall semester. All of my classes seem to have more work loads than any other past class, or maybe it's just because I'm taking more classes this semester than the last. You'll still see me, just less of me. Bye for now.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-14682329515471499502011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:002011-10-03T00:01:00.671-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed WIth: "Kinfe" by Grizzly Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66zLbbG4l3xgQjx372g9-ptvro2POmPiTDUcepG96BVrwXnRnLF8pJ-5HIw6Si-s5gtyBtZ2FuyfL6ZH4DA-ecwcXqdqFMEp9llCIYChK8Htv-cv15bqz7PUTvfUdnlZ_F63DiCB0Dfw/s1600/grizzly_toptwenty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66zLbbG4l3xgQjx372g9-ptvro2POmPiTDUcepG96BVrwXnRnLF8pJ-5HIw6Si-s5gtyBtZ2FuyfL6ZH4DA-ecwcXqdqFMEp9llCIYChK8Htv-cv15bqz7PUTvfUdnlZ_F63DiCB0Dfw/s320/grizzly_toptwenty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I can barely begin to explain just how wonderful this song is.<br />
<br />
Grizzly Bear are a indie folk band, sort of. Listening to Grizzly Bear is like listening to folk music with electric guitars, I suppose. I think it's best you just listen to it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYZbYtAl9A">"Knife"</a> is their "single" from <i>Yellow House</i>, released in 2006. It, too, is a folk-asterisk song.<br />
<br />
You know what? I can't do it. I am left speechless by this song. I have nothing I can say about it. Just listen.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-25482321778516733822011-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:002011-10-01T00:01:01.157-07:00Artists I'm Following: Woodkid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsPPzglVz99Ui-_v-9-8j8fLuB206JHu03K5fQdoVoruWFsN3NLjsSVVV_4_ULffDCM-x3Uxhsgpb_zXaIObKUTICsQ6yk-7-giWzxU2PGyNrmCWgiGQtTbxJtxGriri9wVupLrmwMs0/s1600/1817648_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsPPzglVz99Ui-_v-9-8j8fLuB206JHu03K5fQdoVoruWFsN3NLjsSVVV_4_ULffDCM-x3Uxhsgpb_zXaIObKUTICsQ6yk-7-giWzxU2PGyNrmCWgiGQtTbxJtxGriri9wVupLrmwMs0/s1600/1817648_300.jpg" /></a></div>So I thought I'd try to invent another regular post, since reviews are so irregular, making "Songs I'm Obsessed With" the only regular post and <i>currently</i> the only thing I'm updating (life's pretty boring right now). The problem with this is how irregular this regular post will possibly end up being, because I might run out of people to talk about. To combat this, I'll do this on a monthly basis instead of the weekly basis I've been maintaining with my other posts. Well, I'll try and see what I can do.<br />
<a name='more'></a>So, Woodkid is not a group, but a single person's musical project name, which you probably got by the very peculiar picture depicting the artist in question. His face is warped by metal coating with no distinct features except his cap and his five-o'clock shadow. That's to represent the title of his one and only EP, <i>Iron</i>, which you probably saw right there at the bottom of the picture. The title is for one of the only four songs, "Iron," an epic battle hymn complete with heavy brass and percussion. If you were interested enough in Ubisoft to watch their press conference in its entirety from this year's E3, you've already heard the song during the <i>Assassin's Creed: Revelations</i> trailer. You must know by now how wonderful it is.<br />
<br />
The name of the artist is Yoann Lemoine, a French music video and film director. His works include Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Taylor Swift's "Back to December." I guess he felt creatively inclined to make music rather than film it, so he decided to start a music project under the stage name Woodkid. His French accent is heard heavily in his singing, which makes it a little hard to understand most of the time, but in a way that's one of the music's draws. Trying to listen for recognizable sounds and words several times over means listening to the music and having it grow on you. He takes a very classical approach to his music. You won't hear any electric guitars and synthesizers, drum sets or anything like that. Instead, you'll hear entire orchestras, solo pianos, brass sections and compelling percussion.<br />
<br />
Those who were expecting more epic battle hymns from the EP, however, are bound for disappointment. What they will find instead are three other sentimental pieces. "Brooklyn," a trio guitar, piano and vocal song honoring the city in the name, "Baltimore's Fireflies," a song about attempted suicide that goes back to the brass section, and "Wasteland," which doesn't really resonate with me. There are also a couple of remixes by Mystery Jets and Gucci Vump, but both of them kind of suck (especially the latter) because they pretty much destroy the original intent of the song. This is why I don't enjoy dance remixes, though the song does kind of lend itself to dubstep. This I might like to hear.<br />
<br />
Lemoine says he's working on the forthcoming album from his Woodkid project, and he predicts a release date of some time in the fall of 2012. I don't think I'm alone when I say I can't wait. I hope I've introduced you to someone you will find both enjoyable and compelling.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-59316661875060413392011-09-26T00:01:00.000-07:002011-09-26T00:01:00.191-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Ammonia Avenue" by Alan Parsons Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEHyOmKObWIpja5DOqddM6G18S7SUQlhOJAqZte2hiFo33DyPjJSUF1B_OGRQIcEPupVIi9B3b7yP8izzV_P3VNLXOBW7znunRlveDTfAuBmZdiQw8WWG1OXx96Qn1Qj5rZeYhi6rj2s/s1600/AmmoniaAvenueCapa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEHyOmKObWIpja5DOqddM6G18S7SUQlhOJAqZte2hiFo33DyPjJSUF1B_OGRQIcEPupVIi9B3b7yP8izzV_P3VNLXOBW7znunRlveDTfAuBmZdiQw8WWG1OXx96Qn1Qj5rZeYhi6rj2s/s320/AmmoniaAvenueCapa2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I know what you're thinking: out of all the Alan Parsons Project songs out there, I picked <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK-_2G7MMgc">"Ammonia Avenue"</a>. Well, no you're not, because you probably haven't heard of this group. To you, this group is a totally unknown entity that I just pulled out of a top hat. But to me, it's like reaching into the hat and pulling out something I had no idea was there. That is, I'm not familiar with this band, either. I haven't listened to any other Alan Parsons Project songs or albums, and I probably won't, unless someone very, very good argumentation can convince me to buy an album. Yes, I know, I should be intrigued by the quality of this song and want to explore further, but really there are other things I would prefer to spend my money on right now, especially since I'm saving up for the inevitable rush of new video games.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
So how did I come across this song? Certainly I had never heard of the group before, never in the media or popular culture. But it was sampled by a popular <i>artist</i>. Can you guess who? No, not simply by listening to the song, you probably wouldn't be able to figure out who exactly sampled it. Not at least until the 2:30 mark, and even then it would be difficult to recognize behind the rapping of the sampler. Got an idea yet? Here's a hint: in November 2010 he released an album that gathered up rave reviews and was loved by virtually everybody who listened to it (including me), earning a 94 by Metacritic, though the song where he used the sample of this song is from his 2008 album.<br />
<br />
Have you figured it out? Am I giving you too little credit? Yes? No? Okay, fine, the artist is Kanye west and the song he recorded with the sample is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co0tTeuUVhU&ob=av2e">"Heartless"</a>. You can hear the sample starting at the first verse: he sampled the calliope-sounding accompaniment from 2:30 in "Ammonia Avenue" throughout the song. I first heard this song in a video explaining the origins of most of West's samples in his song, and this song was mentioned. I remember being more intrigued by the music video they clipped, but when I searched for the song, I found something very different from the piece of song I heard in the video. It was also a lot better.<br />
<br />
Why am I obsessed? The song is damn beautiful, that's why. It starts out as an orchestrated accompaniment for the singer, singing about... something, I can't quite put my finger on the meaning of the song. It then moves on to a two-minute instrumental section accompanied by a calliope (incidentally, one of the most awesome instruments forever), and back again to the melody, exhibiting the ABA form stretched out to six-and-a-half minutes (I'm learning all these things in my Music Appreciation class and I just can't wait for opportunities to use what I've learned in my critiquing).<br />
<br />
In short, this is an awesome, epic gem of a song that should shine bright instead of fade away. I say that about a lot of these songs, but I'm surprised how little attention this one gets considering its obvious commercial appeal and easily lovable melody. Admittedly, the singer is a little mediocre, but hey, if we always hated all mediocre singers then Owl City wouldn't exist. I'm sorry, I'm wrong. Owl City isn't mediocre; Owl City is just plain bad. But anyway, listen, buy, download, love, etc.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-53877491036164006782011-09-25T13:18:00.000-07:002011-09-25T13:18:35.858-07:00Review: The Killers - Hot Fuss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaZMECuck1_zoWEdUp1nqH-HuqzcdE2Sa6BJTljVgbgigJScmuenMCO_U98kGtcL7vir6Q5tXQqMbU4hDZ-lHg-AcE6VZNhG18w-dQNNwicdQFHhGnwOjuc_paVdS3tmQjhndOt81bF4/s1600/hot-fuss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaZMECuck1_zoWEdUp1nqH-HuqzcdE2Sa6BJTljVgbgigJScmuenMCO_U98kGtcL7vir6Q5tXQqMbU4hDZ-lHg-AcE6VZNhG18w-dQNNwicdQFHhGnwOjuc_paVdS3tmQjhndOt81bF4/s320/hot-fuss.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>They got soul, but they're not soldiers.<br />
<a name='more'></a>(Because I have lots the ability to find the stars in my character map, I'm going to use something else until I find them again: musical notes!)<br />
♫♫♫1/2 <br />
<br />
It's hard to dispute the popularity of this record. Ever since it was released it became the Killers' most popular album, a title that <i>Sam's Town</i> or <i>Day & Age </i>could not take away. In popularity, you could call <i>Hot Fuss</i> a modern classic. Quality-wise, I'm not so sure, but I'm not going to change anything with this anyway.<br />
<br />
The Killers and I have had a rocky relationship. I'm not even sure why I bought this album; I just saw it in the store and thought I should maybe listen to it before I judge the quality of the band as a whole. I enjoyed "When You Were Young" as it is available in <i>Rock Band</i>, and I jumped on the opportunity to listen to "Human" when the single came out... wow, three years ago. That's kind of a while. But since then, I've only managed to enjoy two of their songs: "Spaceman" off <i>Day & Age</i>, and my favorite, "All The Pretty Faces," which, being on <i>Sawdust</i>, isn't even part of any studio album. Of course, I'd heard "Mr. Brightside" before (who hasn't?), not to mention all the praise some people tend to make for the album, but it took an allusion to an obscure B-side called "Andy, You're a Star" for me to be interested. Normally I try to keep away from examining something specifically because it's related to homosexuality (my explanation for that is a little long, and is for another post.), but that's what ended up drawing me. The Killers, writing a song about homosexuality? I thought, What is this nonsense? Turns out, the song is more about stalking than gayness (which, then, might imply a harmful generalization.), but nevertheless it brought me to purchasing the album.<br />
<br />
What I found was an album that is somewhere in-between good and bad. Well, it's good, that's for sure, but it's not great. It's certainly not excellent, which is disappointing considering all the fame and popularity. But I can't really see any room for improvement here, except for the writing of better songs or a reworking of the sound. The sound, actually, is sort of uninspired. I'm pretty sure they didn't create the tried-and-true alt-rock group method, but they didn't do much to improve it. Now, they did do something interesting by making the synthesizer a big part of their sound in most of their music, but it just makes it sound out-of-place. That said, the rest of the band is very guitar-heavy and is somewhat comparable to The Strokes, perhaps without the pop-and-dark-lyrics aesthetic but quite similar musically.<br />
<br />
Well, then again, it's not like they're without darkness in their songs. The aforementioned "Andy, You're a Star" is quite the stalkers anthem, with creeping guitar and lyrics so very unsettling as, "On the match with the boys, you think you're all alone/With the pain that you drain from love" However, with a female singer it would completely eliminate the gay attributes, and also as a poem with just lyrics, which is probably why it's supposed to only be implied. Of course, there's the actually popular songs, too. "Mr. Brightside" constantly leads the charts of Killers songs, but I personally think it's rather overrated. There are better songs than this, like "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," the bombastic opener of the album, "On Top," the only song where I really enjoyed the keyboards, and to a certain extent, "Somebody Told Me." The crown definitely goes to "All These Things That I've Done," the song that produced the now-famous "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier" line. This song is a great example of songwriting, the way the vocals change key, the overall composition of the instruments bring together a great harmony, and of course there's the actual section containing that famous line.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, beyond that there's little interesting. The second half of the album was really quite boring, which might have been helped with a little mixing of the tracks. All the good stuff is focused towards the beginning, and the album exhausts all its big tracks in the first half. I would have suggested switching "Everything Will Be Alright," the final song, with "All These Things That I've Done," which would have made for a much better send-off. I've got this whole system I look for when I review albums, whether or not they do a good job of evenly interspersing good tracks in between B-sides, or tracks that won't do quite as well. Carelessly throwing the singles at the beginning with the rest of the songs left to fend for themselves, which sadly is what most artists and record labels do these days, is not good for the album as a whole. I think it drastically benefits the whole experience as well as individual songs if, not only arranging the tracks well, the album is treated as an album and not just a collection of songs. This was the way albums were treated for the most part when vinyl was the popular musical medium, when it was listen to the album or don't listen at all. (Singles were made available, of course.) So artists back then took extra care to make the entire album better by treating it as if it were all going to be listened to at once. A great example of a modern album that does this is <i>A Thousand Suns</i> by Linkin Park, and it earned 5 stars from me and many others. Maybe this can be resurrected when people realize it'll boost album sales.<br />
<br />
Overall, despite song placement issues, some of the music pulls through as being very good. I just wish they did a better job incorporating the keyboard, or in general tried harder to make the second half better.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W6o0cF9Qng">"Jenny Was a Friend of Mine"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE&ob=av2e">"Mr. Brightside"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiU&ob=av2e">"Somebody Told Me"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZTpLvsYYHw&ob=av2e">"All These Things That I've Done"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQtXxgAAXEk">"Andy Youre a Star"</a>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-41610269036974840102011-09-19T09:25:00.000-07:002011-09-19T09:25:04.407-07:00My coming out story...I'm From Driftwood is a website that publishes the stories of gay men and women, of their coming out, of their life and times. Nothing sexy, of course, this is meant to be heartfelt and touching. I wrote them a couple of weeks ago with my coming out story and an application for them to publish it. They posted it to their website today. You can read it <a href="http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/2011/09/19/im-from-dallas-tx-7/">here</a>. Read some of the other stories they have while you're at it. Gay civil rights is an issue that really needs a name and a story, not just numbers and arguments. These guys provide that.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-88494387338993186922011-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:002011-09-19T17:58:57.896-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed With: Lord of the Rings credit music by Howard Shore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCbL_DgI8UQWYa4KeFaVKBQQmTRrC39V45sgzFoUPiJGeEZ62IglnuMcJn-K6mp6s0ps6IpYRW40_5CHMB2-LPZBsOS_goJSocd2_bBe4lOl1YRo9xNTjCxFrchMuYoxkqiuCBBfnDE/s1600/the_lord_of_the_rings-10078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCbL_DgI8UQWYa4KeFaVKBQQmTRrC39V45sgzFoUPiJGeEZ62IglnuMcJn-K6mp6s0ps6IpYRW40_5CHMB2-LPZBsOS_goJSocd2_bBe4lOl1YRo9xNTjCxFrchMuYoxkqiuCBBfnDE/s320/the_lord_of_the_rings-10078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>No, that isn't the title because I forgot the name of the song, it's because I'm doing multiple songs in this post.<br />
<br />
Howard Shore has to be one of the greatest film score composers alive. His credentials are impeccable, having worked on films such as <i>The Aviator</i>, <i>Mrs. Doubtfire</i>, <i>The Departed</i>, and of course, <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. In fact, he's so very great he is seconded only by John Williams, who is responsible for almost all the recognizable movie music you've ever heard (<i>Star Wars</i>, <i>Indiana Jones</i>, <i>Harry Potter</i>, <i>Jurassic Park</i>).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Other than score, though, Shore is also responsible for the lyrical music you hear at the end of each <i>Lord of the Rings</i> film. The first and third songs (for their respective films) were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in their respective years, and the third won (obviously, since little else can stand against it). The second was not, but it is also very much so worth noting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOykCYDMKBs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>The first song is called "May It Be," and it was written and composed for the closing credits of <i>The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</i>. Enya sings the lyrics to this song meant to send off a film ending with hope, determination and brotherhood, and she does this very well, if a bit inarticulately due to the echoes and ambiance abound. The lyrics, if you can hear them, convey hope and strength in dark times, just the advice Frodo and Sam needed on their solitary journey through Middle Earth. The song itself is beautifully written and performed, though it is rather inferior to the next two songs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zkXbzffVl44?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>And just as the series enters its darker second entry, so does the ending song. The film leaves off with the halflings being led to a shortcut around the black gate by Gollum, who is, of course, plotting to have them murdered so he can reclaim the ring of power. Fitting is a piece for the creature, and thus, "Gollum's Song," the piece that leaves us thinking about just how hopeless the cause of the hobbits seems. It's a radical change from "May It Be," being full of darkness and bleakness. It is sung by Emiliana Torrini, whose voice is so piercing it seems perfect for the character the song is singing to. Sadly, this song wasn't nominated for best original song, even though it should have won. Could they not have at least considered it in place of the fucking <i>Wild Thornberries Movie</i>?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JgcoBKWTW14?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>But hey, at least <i>one</i> Howard Shore piece won Best Original Song. How exactly do you end one of the best film trilogies in history? How do you cap an ending as epic, sad, happy, bittersweet and amazing as the one for <i>Return of the King</i>? Shore's answer is "Into the West," sung by Annie Lennox, who could not have been a more perfect candidate for the song. If you weren't completely in tears by the end of the movie, you were when the chorus of this song rang through the theater's speakers. Finally, sweet relief for the hobbits, for the fellowship, for the King, and it is just that with the lyrics. Relief from strife, comfort and contentedness. It is my second favorite movie piece ever, seconded by "Han Solo & The Princess" by John Williams from <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>.<br />
<br />
These are three songs perfect for their movies, perfect also for just about any other occasion. God, I want to see these movies again.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-15455168052792502842011-09-18T17:19:00.000-07:002011-09-18T17:19:02.541-07:00Getting Mylo Xyloto...I've been on the fence for getting the new Coldplay album, <i>Mylo Xyloto</i>, for a while now. On one hand, I've had a really strong hit-and-miss experience with Coldplay albums in the past. I loved <i>Parachutes</i>, I liked <i>X&Y</i>, I thought <i>A Rush of Blood to the Head</i> was only okay (though I did love "The Scientist" and "Clocks"), and <i>Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends</i> was meh at best. On the other hand, I did really like "Every Tear Drop Is a Waterfall," they're apparently expanding their sound quite a bit, and <i>not</i> getting it would shatter my ability to say I own every Coldplay studio album (I don't get to say that often; only for Cake, The Beatles, System of a Down and Radiohead, maybe one or two more).<br />
<br />
In the end I decided to get it. $15 wasn't really going to be a big deal, and if I hate it at least I didn't spend a fortune. It would also bring traffic to the site if I bought and reviewed the new Coldplay album. (It certainly did for <i>I'm With You</i>, to a certain extent.) They are a really popular band, after all, and the reviews for much older albums are just collecting dust anyway. Really, I <i>would</i> review new music if I could, but I just don't have the money to get all the stuff I want. Now, if publishers would send me new music before it came out so I could prepare a review for day 1 and not have to pay for it, then it would be completely different. Unfortunately, a small blog in the dark corners of the internet doesn't get much attention.<br />
<br />
So anyway, I <i>will</i> be getting the new Coldplay album. You can expect a review from me within a week of its release. The only other new albums I currently have on my radar are <i>Biophilia </i>by Björk, which I think comes out some time mid October, and <i>Invinsible</i> by Skylar Grey, which does not currently have a release date.<br />
<br />
That is all.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-34592968491612760702011-09-18T16:52:00.000-07:002011-09-18T16:52:35.473-07:00Review: Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkbzY2KiKuxCWUrHo2P7n1hUMS8XR4EBnaj7gKcY0Rgg3muB2imucLRlX_qDGtStVAFyGneSPBP7Uamrd1h7WM_7PIhY3azGRSWnbgSB-WnardUdRMzi22Xwd7UmG3dafHkIJxBvcIOc/s1600/ac001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkbzY2KiKuxCWUrHo2P7n1hUMS8XR4EBnaj7gKcY0Rgg3muB2imucLRlX_qDGtStVAFyGneSPBP7Uamrd1h7WM_7PIhY3azGRSWnbgSB-WnardUdRMzi22Xwd7UmG3dafHkIJxBvcIOc/s320/ac001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The "We Are the World" of indie musicians.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
✰✰✰✰<br />
<br />
Well, maybe not exactly <i>that</i>, but still. Rather than being a large vocal group, Broken Social Scene shows us its diversity through music, sounds and oddball combinations in <i>You Forgot It In People</i>. The group has some 20 members, pooling their various indie projects together to create some kind of monster. Their sound is like someone took all these beautiful things, duct taped them together and managed to make it look even better than the sum of its parts. I can only ponder on the exact process it took to create a band like this. Someone says "Hey, let's get as many random musicians as we can and try to make it sound great!" And they did. And you know what? It <i>does</i> sound great.<br />
<br />
Alright, let's try to count the performing media here. Let's see, there are at least two lead singers, at least two drummers, five guitarists, four violinists, one or two keyboardists, a few brass players... aw, shoot! I can't do it! I mean, I'm all for bringing as much variety to your sound as possible, but this is <i>way</i> over the top. Not that over the top is really bad, just that it at times sounds really messy. I'm just going to have to resort to the art booklet for listings (I've never had to do this before, so Broken Social Scene makes it a first!)<br />
<br />
... Excuse me! <i>Five </i>lead vocalists! <u><b><i>Five</i></b></u>! That's not normal for an indie band. But... it's awesome! I always love it when a band pleasantly surprises me with multiple lead vocalists: System of a Down, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and of course The Beatles all have multiple lead vocalists. I think it adds lots of variety to the sound by having someone else come in and sing the lead. But five! None of those bands have five as far as I can tell. Even then, sometimes the music spotlights itself by removing the vocals, like the opening and closing tracks ("Capture the Flag," "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart") and "Pacific Theme," probably the most diverse song on the album.<br />
<br />
The sound really must be heard to be believed. It's like the amalgamation of all these different viewpoints of music, and it's amazing how they can make it sound like something listenable and coherent. Songs like "KC Accidental" and "Cause = Time" are constantly all over the place, where "Lover's Spit" and "I'm Still Your Fag" tone it down a notch.<br />
<br />
I have to set up a special spotlight for "Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl," because if I didn't I couldn't live with myself. This is where the strange combination of instruments shines so brightly it's almost blinding. The performing media include combination like a banjo (listed in the booklet, I think, as backward guitar), violin, guitar, hand drums and drum kit, and a keyboard. However, it is nothing near a country song! Emily Haines, the singer from Metric, shows such an emotionally vulnerable state protected only by the odd vocal effects, repeating such simple lyrics that are so universally relatable and so easily remembered that it sticks with anyone who listens. It is a slow song, a sad song about lost love, and will almost certainly bring those who have had a lover change on them to tears. Overall, an overwhelmingly amazing song, so incredibly beautiful and probably one of the best love songs ever written. "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart" is kind of a reprise of the musical elements of the song, and though it's placed at the end of the album, I think the real end is "I'm Still Your Fag," that being an original song rather than a reprise.<br />
<br />
Overall, I think this album deserves a place in history, not just because of the amazing "Anthems," but to show those who want to form a super group just how to do it. Listen for the variety between the musical pieces and learn about ways to improve your group with new members, new sounds, and duct tape.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aCHMf_Ybw">"KC Accidental"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gPonlecd0k">"Almost Crimes"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl3PyTqsc5c">"Anthems For a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA0fydaciIQ">"Cause = Time"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS6Ycu148O0">"I'm Still Your Fag"</a>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-29620530960999443962011-09-17T20:15:00.000-07:002011-09-17T20:15:55.285-07:00Someone, please tell me this isn't a bad idea!Something to bring together strangers and have intelligent discussions. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I really enjoy buying used books. Usually it is a cheaper alternative to buying new and it is worth it as long as the book is not in too bad a condition. In fact, when I shop for used CD's I purposefully buy ones in damaged jewel cases because they're cheaper than the ones in better condition, and at least the CD's themselves are not damaged. But more so, I think, I really like buying used books for their character. Sure, they already feature characters (see what I did thar?), but I mean the character of the book itself.<br />
<br />
I was reading <i>Maus: A Survivor's Tale</i> just now. It is quite the used copy, two paperback volumes in a box with creased edges and somewhat ripped coverings. I don't think they make the two-volume version anymore; usually you'll find the complete volume. One of the more interesting things I find when reading used books are footnotes, highlights and underlinings by past readers, presumably for academic purposes. It's interesting because it can provide emphasis on things I might not have considered before, and in some cases it even reveals the personality of the person who owned the book before me. The <i>Maus</i> volumes probably haven't been taught in many literature classes (though they ought to), but it has the name of the previous owner on both inside covers of both volumes. I also encountered a pair of doodles on one of the pages in the second volume.<br />
<br />
It got me thinking: what if someone left more than just a name, doodle or highlight? I'm not sure how I came to this, but what if someone left a message for the next reader? You could talk about what you liked about the book, what you didn't like, and recommend other books relating to it. I mean, what else are we using all those blank pages at the end of the book for? Better yet, why not give someone your contact information, like an email address or a Facebook profile? You could leave it and the next person to see it would send an email to you with the intention of discussing the book and making a new friend. The idea is to bring two complete strangers together and to have them discuss a book, or really anything that you experience.<br />
<br />
I told my sister about this idea, and she brought up some concerns. They are sensible, of course, but I think she might be a little paranoid. She said it could be dangerous to leave your email for just anyone, that anyone could see it, and that "anyone" could sell it to spam senders, or worse, people who would steal your identity. She has a good point here, I think. I'm not sure how anyone could steal your identity from just your email address. They could steal it by gaining access to your computer, but I don't think just an email address is enough, especially since it's between you and the person reading the book. I don't think people who frequent used books stores are also people that want to steal someone's identity; I think they'd be busier writing computer viruses and hacking into databases where your email is already stored.<br />
<br />
Which is exactly what my next point means. Your email address is probably already out there for someone to steal. Facebook has it, Google has it and anything else you've signed up for has it, too. Now, I'm not saying you should give away your email address just because it's already out there. That certainly wouldn't help much. All I'm saying is if someone wants to steal your identity, they probably aren't looking for it in a book. Then there's me. I'm already putting my email out there for anyone to see, since I have this blog set up. You can go to the right side of the screen, click on the link to my profile and choose to send me an email. There, now you have my email! It's that easy! It can spread to anyone from there, just like it can spread from the book if I put it there. Of course, it's not safe for everyone else to do it, and I think I would probably create a new email address for this. If anyone did it, I would encourage them to do that, too.<br />
<br />
Her comments also made me think about how scared we are of strangers in general. The whole "don't talk to strangers" rule that our parents tend to give us, I think, has made us grow up to be apathetic towards each other. Maybe it's just that we see so many people all the time, but I want to make a way that someone can bring themselves just a little closer to a random stranger and make a new friend. There are obvious dangers in giving away your email address to a stranger, but I don't think it has any more risk than giving your real address to a pen pal, especially now that Google Maps has allowed us to pinpoint exactly where everything is. I could call it the Chain Book Club or something.<br />
<br />
So, I encourage you, if you don't think I'm a fool, and you can brave the dangers involved, try it. Before you sell a book, write a message at the end and include your email address. Tell the person to email you and discuss the book, what you liked and disliked, and most of all, make a new friend. Hell, try it with music, DVD's or video games, anything you can sell (though if you were to go through GameStop with a game and a message inserted in the box, you might want to explain it to the clerk before he/she removes it). I'm already taking a risk of something like identity theft happening to me simply by having this blog exist, so I think I'm going to try this and see what happens.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-2716393289518264962011-09-17T11:58:00.000-07:002011-09-18T16:09:40.757-07:00Review: Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV_mCs0bIq2c4_B5NgIcO0iWABYcmqNvyczE2WJyw0xNyOzj8nPWZarRNI8o9ETk8Nskx4WlOrRETOwmeRuSCMBccsk2QKz8MYejsW-PKcv6kRioDQjh4Eo5VJ5A0ubTyaXOC4SFS7TI/s1600/Dream-Theater-A-Dramatic-Turn-Of-Events-1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV_mCs0bIq2c4_B5NgIcO0iWABYcmqNvyczE2WJyw0xNyOzj8nPWZarRNI8o9ETk8Nskx4WlOrRETOwmeRuSCMBccsk2QKz8MYejsW-PKcv6kRioDQjh4Eo5VJ5A0ubTyaXOC4SFS7TI/s320/Dream-Theater-A-Dramatic-Turn-Of-Events-1024x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A dramatic turn of events, indeed.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>✰✰✰1/2<br />
<br />
Ah, Dream Theater. You've been rockin' it pretty hard for more than twenty years now, haven't you? Most bands don't survive that long, especially bands that aren't really that lucrative per release. It's too bad, because you really are quite good, but I guess your prog-metal styles just aren't very commercial. And now you've gone and lost your founding drummer, too! What are you to do? Get a new one, of course.<br />
<br />
And so they did. Portnoy left after twenty years of being with Dream Theater. I guess he was tired of it or something, but it's alright, because their replacement, Mike Mangini, isn't all that bad. Fans sore for the loss of one of their favorite drummers should find solace in his replacement, as he fills the hole almost completely. They will miss Portnoy, but at least they can live with Mangini.<br />
<br />
Acquainting themselves with Mangini did not stunt the steady flow of new releases, either, and right on time, two years after <i>Black Clouds and Silver Linings</i> comes <i>A Dramatic Turn of Events</i>, likely named so for their slight change in lineup. That said, not much has really changed since their last album. Dream Theater are still the same heavy metal prog band they've always been, though they've definitely leaned more towards metal since the beginning of the 21st century. One neat change seems to be the occasional use of drum machines. Whether this was the idea of Mangini or not, I can't say, but it certainly doesn't conflict with anything. In fact, it gives whatever it accompanies a more modern sound.<br />
<br />
The track lineup is just like any other Dream Theater album as well. They've got their over-long super tracks ("Bridges In the Sky," "Outcry"), their 8-minute single, ("On the Backs of Angels"), and their token ballad ("Far From Heaven"). The only thing that's missing is a "monster" track. Most DT albums have had this super-long epic song at the end of the track list, like "Octavarium" on the album of the same name (24:00) and "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" on the album of the same name (approx. 42:00). But not here. Well, not compared to the tracks that are already very long. The closest thing they have to something like this is "Breaking All Illusions," (12:26). Though it is the longest track, it's not much longer than "Outcry" and it isn't at the end either. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist, but this is a pretty old tradition for Dream Theater as far as I can tell.<br />
<br />
Of course, none of that really matters compared to the actual music. Most of the tracks are rockin' as hard as any other DT release, with the exception of "Far From Heaven," which kind of sucks even for a token ballad. The under-10-minute songs are almost certainly going to be more popular than their over-10-minute songs. The only time I ever regularly listened to their epic tracks regularly were "The Count of Tuscany" from their last album and "Octavarium," both of which I've already talked about. "On the Backs of Angels" will likely remain at the top of the popularity chain for this album, though I think "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" is a much better example of how they can rock at under 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Overall, another great Dream Theater album is among us. It's not the best, but DT fans like myself will eat it up and make it last until their next album.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot to add the key songs the first time. Here they are.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oasnbzEMV08&ob=av2e">"On the Backs of Angels"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPjG_OKlgic">"Build Me Up, Break Me Down"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av2OaPEnsnI">"Bridges In the Sky"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0_kBCvTH0">"Outcry"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61OzwXZiDo8">"Beneath the Surface"</a>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-84143332500642689502011-09-17T11:41:00.000-07:002011-09-17T11:41:31.177-07:00New rating system...For a long time I was against the idea of applying some kind of rating system to my reviews, simply because for so many people it negates the need to actually read the review that I've written. It destroys the point of the review in favor of a simple picture to show people what I think of the thing I'm reviewing, instead of actually reading the details of what I like and don't like.<br />
<br />
However, I'm not sure that's the case, and I think that to appeal to a slightly larger audience, I should at least try it out.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Behold! The same rating system everyone else uses! Stars! Let me break it down for you!<br />
<br />
✰✰✰✰✰: Classic. We're going to remember this one. Ex. <i>A Thousand Suns</i>, <i>Zaireeka</i>.<br />
<br />
✰✰✰✰1/2: Brilliant. Minor issues, hard to point out problems, but a fantastic package altogether. Ex. <i>The Marshall Mathers LP</i>, <i>American Idiot</i>.<br />
<br />
✰✰✰✰: Excellent. Could have been a little better, but still wonderful. Ex. <i>Embryonic</i>, <i>The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</i>.<br />
<br />
✰✰✰1/2: Good. Room for improvement in most cases. Ex. <i>Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends</i>, <i>Medúlla.</i><br />
<br />
✰✰✰: Respectable. This is the average, the par, neither good nor bad. Ex. Most Cake albums, <i>Dirt</i>.<br />
<br />
✰✰1/2: Meh. Boring, not enough going for it. <i>Doolittle</i>, <i>I'm With You</i>.<br />
<br />
✰✰: Not very good. This is the threshold for albums that have more bad qualities than good. Ex. <i>From Under the Cork Tree</i>, <i>Our Love to Admire</i>.<br />
<br />
✰1/2: Bad. Little to admire and more to dislike. Ex. <i>Dookie</i>, <i>...And Justice For All</i>.<br />
<br />
✰: Awful. So bad it's almost funny. Ex. <i>Goo</i>, <i>The Velvet Underground</i> (sorry guys, but I just can't listen to it).<br />
<br />
1/2: Repugnant. So bad it <i>is</i> funny. Ex. <i>Home </i>(Deep Blue Something) <i>The Second Stage Turbine Blade</i>.<br />
<br />
ZERO STARS: Odoriferous. Only once has something reached this level. Ex. <i>The Dissent of Man</i>.<br />
<br />
There's a really simple way to transform the ratings to 100 points: just add 10 points for every space beyond zero and you've got yourself a Metacritic-compatible rating system. For example, Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut would get 70 points, or ✰✰✰1/2, because they have a really fresh sound, but they could have handled more of their songs a little better.<br />
<br />
And there you have it.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-43835630577561111752011-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:002011-09-14T19:17:21.137-07:00Review: Bright Eyes - LIFTED, or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear To the Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_GLZJoACONCpGMWIcWTwrCAhSguwUVOM7MAeCsk9Rg7PycDcp77Tg-AqyHk7ShS9jyM7cHXhuX7NAxpUsZZ59uMII914nvVI-EhNslWUOrwVM435Y-f4J0vbXkPr9VswD3iDR3B7KnI/s1600/Lifted-Bright_Eyes_480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_GLZJoACONCpGMWIcWTwrCAhSguwUVOM7MAeCsk9Rg7PycDcp77Tg-AqyHk7ShS9jyM7cHXhuX7NAxpUsZZ59uMII914nvVI-EhNslWUOrwVM435Y-f4J0vbXkPr9VswD3iDR3B7KnI/s320/Lifted-Bright_Eyes_480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I must admit that I didn't know what to expect from this album. I had two things to go by: one, the song "Shell Games," which was released nearly a decade after this album and, according to an acquaintance, does not accurately portray Bright Eyes in their earlier days. Two, I knew the only other artists that used particularly long names and complete sentences for their album and song titles are punk and emo bands. (e.g., "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage" by Panic! at the Disco and "I've Got A Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)" by Fall Out Boy.) Of course, Bright Eyes are neither emo nor punk, but more of a folk band, with Conor Oberst as its founder, backbone and lead singer. Very little of the actual music suggests emo inspiration; in fact, these guys are a hell of a lot better than that.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Also, being different from emo (I should stop comparing Bright Eyes to emo now, there's really no point.), there is a good mix of happy and sad here, at least on the surface. Rather than being constantly dark and depressing, like most indie music as it seems, Bright Eyes manages success with songs about hope, like "Bowl of Oranges." *gasp* Is that even legal in albums that sell in total less than a million copies? I guess not, so why don't more people do it?<br />
<br />
Oberst relies heavily on his guitar alone throughout the album, and if there's any other instrumentation it's often incidental, sometimes even unnecessary. He is very similar to Samuel Beam (Iron & Wine) in that way; they even share an album cover color and a release date (<i>The Creek Drank the Cradle</i>). Songs like "The Big Picture" and "Waist of Paint" are entirely reliant on simple acoustic backing, both of which soar wonderfully, though both are very different. Cases where the extra instrumentation really do help the music "Lover I Don't Have To Love," a dark love song with excellent orchestral accompaniment, and "Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and Be Loved)," the epic and only song that reaches its length almost entirely on music ("The Big Picture" doesn't count as it uses a lot of post-party audio) and begins with a line as wonderful as "Can I get a goddamn timpani roll to start this goddamn song?"<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there's a lot of music here that is kind of hard to listen to on its own. Though I usually don't have a problem with songs of extreme length, the first and last songs are entirely too long for casual listening, or at least for car listening. Even many of the shorter tracks aren't strong enough to stand up to regular listening, and instead do a better job as part of the whole. Some songs also use arbitrary vocal gimmicks that don't really make much sense, like in "You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will." where it sounds as if Oberst is playing from a bathroom stall. Still, there's plenty of music for standard listening here, and Oberst's intelligent, current and sometimes depressing lyrics make up for many of the balls the music drop.<br />
<br />
Overall, if you want to listen to some quality folk-inspired rock music, you can't go wrong with Bright Eyes or Conor Oberst. While Iron & Wine would probably be a better first step for those just trying to get into folky music, Bright Eyes is a great next step, and though much of the music doesn't stand up well on its own, there's definitely some great music here to be listened to.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6seC9NXMrSk">"False Advertising"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuXkhE0VMcw&ob=av2e">"Lover I Don't Have To Love"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUym7n7fJTQ&ob=av2e">"Bowl of Oranges"</a> (a little quiet. You might turn up the volume)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q77-ggkzWRI">"Waist of Paint"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDWKSie5gLo">"Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and Be Loved)"</a>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-67073037522010245012011-09-13T17:28:00.000-07:002011-09-13T17:28:50.543-07:00Dream Theater's New AlbumIt just came in the mail today, so you should be expecting a review of it at some point in the near future. Obviously if you're interested you probably won't be holding out for me to pass judgement on it, so you'll already have it by now. Anyway, at least you'll be able to read my opinion of the new drummer. All I've heard of the single is a few seconds so I don't really have an opinion just yet. As much as I wish Portnoy hadn't left, I'm sure he's off doing something new and interesting, and as long as this new guy's good enough to fill those shoes, I'll be satisfied.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, I also got another ten albums since the fifth. Seven of those were more birthday presents, and three of them, <i>Veckatimest</i> - Grizzly Bear, <i>Hot Fuss</i> - The Killers, and <i>Roll the Bones</i> - Rush. I don't feel like listing the rest because I'm just like that, I guess. You'll see them in a little while anyway.Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-23784171121898875512011-09-12T00:01:00.000-07:002011-09-12T00:01:02.163-07:00Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Invisible" by Skylar Grey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzNKPm-0iF0_FSVRCDLTxEYgjr9FKls8omr6_abCb-Fpjf5okSQhDl30v2820uKgLHNbtH-CCVwmr8hoKF8VfZ5p_yqIr92VkkBB3NZuaYO5fntJ-sIjLzEHdpXLlr-WHIAelWt8la4A/s1600/Skylar-Grey-Invisible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzNKPm-0iF0_FSVRCDLTxEYgjr9FKls8omr6_abCb-Fpjf5okSQhDl30v2820uKgLHNbtH-CCVwmr8hoKF8VfZ5p_yqIr92VkkBB3NZuaYO5fntJ-sIjLzEHdpXLlr-WHIAelWt8la4A/s320/Skylar-Grey-Invisible.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Have you ever heard of Holly Brook? No, of course you haven't. She is a singer-songwriter who only released one album back in 2006. At least, <i>I </i>don't remember this. Though, I wasn't really a big music person back then.<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of Skylar Grey? Yes, of course you have. She's been all over the place, being featured in many rappers' songs, like "Coming Home" by Diddy - Dirty Money and "I Need A Doctor" by Doctor Dre (but really more Eminem than Dre). She also co-wrote "Love The Way You Lie" for Eminem, which was nominated for song of the year <i>and</i> record of the year at the 2011 Grammy awards. She recorded a demo of the song, which is on YouTube. Go watch now!<br />
<br />
Know what these two people have in common? Have you guess yet? Yes! They are the same person! Wait... you knew that already? <i>I</i> didn't.<br />
<br />
Frankly, I've been waiting for news on her Skylar Grey debut ever since I heard "I Need A Doctor" at the Grammies. "Dance Without You" ended up coming out without my knowledge, and when I saw this on the "single of the week" space on iTunes, I was like "HOLY SHIT YES THIS IS AMAZING MUST HAVE NAU NAU NAU!" Then I got her other single, and I was happy. I wish I had gotten this out when it was free, so everyone else could have it for free too, but you'll have to pay a small fee. It's worth it, trust me.<br />
<br />
You just need to hear this woman's voice to know she will make waves, and if she doesn't, there's something seriously wrong with this world. Her album is set for Fall 2011. I hope this will hold me over until then.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/L_NlywbArHc/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L_NlywbArHc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L_NlywbArHc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848140830535070409.post-42707998809257264402011-09-11T11:50:00.000-07:002011-09-11T11:56:51.634-07:00Video Game Review: "Catherine" - Atlus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYnuTPhAQMG3vc_7G8sw2zbVBjb34q3h_n4NHDVsmOozZoiii3M5lm86f-eytg8Qh0AiBSJfRFJIsrMbWst5BW6yp3BVBJeJK9A7sqi4uEEP1Ae77h43I2W11JVQ6m1Ct5G8oDe4QA80/s1600/1721948-catherine_ps3_super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYnuTPhAQMG3vc_7G8sw2zbVBjb34q3h_n4NHDVsmOozZoiii3M5lm86f-eytg8Qh0AiBSJfRFJIsrMbWst5BW6yp3BVBJeJK9A7sqi4uEEP1Ae77h43I2W11JVQ6m1Ct5G8oDe4QA80/s320/1721948-catherine_ps3_super.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Yes, I thought I'd get into reviewing video games.<br />
<br />
In a land of sequels, prequels, big budgets, tired old IPs and identical new IPs, one wonders where all the creativity has gone. Certainly not to the next <i>Call of Duty</i>, where all they need is a few more guns and maps to call it a new game, and definitely not the indie game scene, where most of its inspiration seems to come from age-old fads resurrected. What the industry really needs once in a while is a kick in its side from something so staggeringly strange and wonderful that it's almost impossible not to love.<br />
<br />
Enter <i>Catherine</i>, the new title from Japanese developer Atlus, who are behind the <i>Megami Tensei </i>and <i>Trauma Center</i> IPs. These people certainly specialize in the weird and creative, and <i>Catherine</i> has only that in common with their other titles, nay, other video games in general.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Looking at the cover, you may ask yourself, "why did you buy this game? It's clearly for straight men." But no! The game is far more than porn bait and erotica, though some of it is more than a little suggestive. <i>Catherine</i> is a puzzle-platformer dating-sim romance game. Yes, that's all one game. By day, our protagonist, Vincent Brooks, struggles with his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Katherine, while he finds himself cheating on her with a mysterious other girl, Catherine, even though he doesn't remember any part of it. By night, he has strange dreams of climbing wall after wall as a sheep, surrounded by other sheep who are trying to achieve the same goal as he is: freedom. But how are day and night connected?<br />
<br />
Let's talk story. Vincent Brooks is a man who should be in the prime of his life, but he's found himself in a totally new job and a girlfriend of several years who has just figured out she's pregnant. He's also met a new girl who, though he doesn't remember it, he has been using as an escape from his current girlfriend. That is, he's cheating, and neither girl knows he's with another. He doesn't know what he's doing, and he is tormented by both of them as the story continues. In one way it puts a face on the person who desires to be with another girl, and in another it shows just how horrific the situation can become, especially in the hands of someone like Vincent. In the end the player is left with a choice: Katherine, his long-time lover that he may end up with in a shotgun wedding, or Catherine, the extremely attractive young woman that's just come into his life? The choices the player makes in the game determine the overall outcome of his trials, whether or not he chooses to hurt or help people, and the questions he answers. Though sometimes he seems a little too reserved, (often times I ended up yelling for him to say something he should be saying, like to comfort his girlfriend or to get out of a bad situation) Vincent himself is an average character we can all relate to.<br />
<br />
At night, Vincent having these strange nightmares that he can't remember in the morning. Nightmares where he climbs for his life, trying to outrun the crumbling of the floor below his feet. One thing he does know for sure: if he falls in his nightmare, he dies in real life. Around his local hangout in the waking world there are rumors of a strange curse that attacks men who cheat on their lovers, and eventually Vincent makes the connection that this curse may have something to do with the nightmares he (and eventually, as he discovers, other people in his bar as well) is having. The story, and much of the game, as well, revolves around love, marriage and freedom. The symbolism in the dream represent man and woman (Venus and Mars symbols all around), and marriage (the in-between save points take the form of a small church, with pews, red carpets and a confessional). The story has a lot of depth and literally questions the player on their views of love and marriage.<br />
<br />
The story is told, like any other game, mostly in cutscenes. The graphic design takes the form of an anime story and the scenes even switch between video game- and anime-style animation. Facial expressions are over-the-top, detail is deep and characters are compelling, if a bit poorly voiced at times. The action music is also totally fantastic. Shoji Meguro remixed classical pieces for the gameplay sequences, bringing a sense of epic scale and fast-paced action to many of the climbing stages. An example of the music is his remix of "Polovtsian Dances" by Borodin, which so perfectly fits the theme of climbing an epic mountain, as well as Bizet's "Farandole," performed with electric guitars and drums as well as orchestra. The game, as far as I can tell, comes with an art booklet and a music CD with all the action sequence music. As well as making the action more interesting, it's a great listen on its own.<br />
<br />
The gameplay is divided between nightmare and daytime sequences. During the day, Vincent hangs out with his buddies in the Stray Sheep after work. He interacts with his friends Jonny, the intellectual smoker who's stuck in a relationship with someone he says he can't marry, Orlando, the fisherman whose wife left him years ago, and Toby, the young, naive boy with a crush on the waitress. As he drinks, Vincent is encouraged to interact with the other patrons and regulars of the bar, as well as the owner, "Boss," and Erica, the waitress. These interactions aren't entirely important, but who knows? You might start seeing them in your dreams. You can also text your lovers, drink your alcohol and play the video game in the corner, which is based on the dreams you're having and could very well save your life with practice. All these elements bring together a dating sim type of gameplay for the daytime, but they are essential for the story, which is one of the two focal points of the game, and it really isn't an issue. It's actually fun to talk to the people in the bar, and once you start to care about their well being, you start hoping for your favorite patrons to walk in so you can talk to them, see how their lives are going.<br />
<br />
At night, Vincent has his nightmares. They are the other big focus of the game alongside the story. These sequences give you a very simple goal: climb for your life. As Vincent with ram horns, you must move around the big blocks to create paths across gorges, stairs to the next highest level and to create pathways to your freedom. It sounds simple; in fact, the rules are not hard to learn and the techniques the game teaches you in between stages become second nature with practice. But don't get me wrong. This is a <i>hard</i> game. Very hard. Sometimes it's damn near impossible to figure out exactly how to climb up a particularly unusual wall, full of holes or lacking in blocks to stack and make stairs, so you're left there to wonder how to climb the wall while the floor slowly falls away below your feet. Sometimes not so slowly. Each new area introduces a new kind of block, from ice blocks that will make you slip across its surface to trap blocks that sent up spikes to impale you. These sequences are also where the game really earns its M rating. There's a <i>lot</i> of blood and gore, especially when you die, and not to mention the huge, incredibly disturbing bosses that come after you at the end of each area.<br />
<br />
In between stages you're allowed a rest area, where you can save, and you will be very grateful for these. You can also talk to the other people that are climbing in your dreams. Some of these people are based on the people you've met in real life, and talking to them may mean the difference between life and death for them, and for you as well, as they will teach you new techniques for climbing. The only time I could have any problem with the game is here; the somewhat wonky controls can be infuriating if they don't do exactly what you want them to do, which can result in instant death. Good thing lives are plentiful: not once did I run out of them, and I ended up with 80-something by the end.<br />
<br />
Some of the best things about the game come in the little tidbits of goodness that come in the most unexpected places. During the day when Vincent is hanging out in the bar, for instance, he will finish his glass of whatever he's drinking and the game will pop up with trivia about the drink. There's even an achievement/trophy for getting each piece of trivia for a drink, which will almost certainly be reached for at least one drink if you simply finish one every night, since Vincent's drink of choice is rum and cola. During the nightmares, in between stages he must enter a confessional to continue so that the lord of all this madness can ask a question of Vincent. Really, though, he's asking the player personal questions about their views on love and marriage, like "Do you see someone who cheats as admirable?" or "If you and your best friend's lover fell in love with each other, would you pursue a relationship or back off?" These questions are necessary for the story as they dictate which girl you end up choosing and affect Vincent's internal monologue in reaction to various plot twists, but the best part comes after the question, when the game accesses the internet to bring up a pie chart of how other players answered the question. It's old technology, but it's really cool to see that being implemented in a game in that way.<br />
<br />
Overall, this game is one of the most unique and interesting games of the year. Not only that, it's really fun. The puzzles and block climbing gameplay, though seemingly too simple at first, will have you coming back for more, and the possibility of different ending encourages multiple playthroughs, even if you won't be answering the mid-area questions honestly next time around. The visual style is compelling, the music is fantastic and the story is a classic, tried and true romance. You owe it to yourself to experience this game, its exciting, lovable story and its addictive gameplay.<br />
<br />
Catherine<i> is available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 from Atlus.</i>Zachary Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302410296878963328noreply@blogger.com0