Friday, August 15, 2003 :::

New buttons for Anberlin, Homestar Runner, and Real Ultimate Power (the Ninja Site)!!!

If you have yet to hear Anberlin, CLICK ON MY NEW LINK NOW! They've released the best album of the year, and you owe it to yourself to listen to it. Pure rock fury, baby!

As for www.homestarrunner.com, this is simply THE BEST site on the world wide web. You could spend days there and still laugh your ass off. I did, and happily continue to do so. Seriously, click the new Homestar Runner button and explore the site. I recommend starting off with the Intro, then the "First time here?" button, followed by a visit to the "Characters" section and several minutes spent checking out the "Strong Bad E-Mails." This series of events will undoubtedly compose the highlight of your day. EVERYBODY TO THE LIMIT!

I'm looking for logos to use as links to the sites of Kenna, Thrice, Reggie and the Full Effect, and The Postal Service, so if anyone happens to come across a good-looking picture representing one of those bands, let me know.

Speaking of Reggie and the Full Effect...

BEST MUTHACLUCKING SHOW OF THE CENTURY! HAPPY CHICKENS!!!

Holy CRAP Reggie is great live. And by great, I mean incredibly awesome. And by that, I mean that if you missed out on their show because of some "Rejects" gig or whatever (which I believe includes all of you except for Will, Meghan and Stephanie), you are incredibly not awesome. This was possibly the best performance by a band that I've ever seen. I wish I had video of it - I'd watch it endlessly. Great costumes, great humor, great music...there's no way to describe it for you to understand. You had to be there. I think that there are some pictures on their message board, so be sure to check them out. I can't stop thinking about how amazing this show was... - without a doubt, the hightlight for me was when Klaus from Common Denominator (a death metal band from Finland, actually comprised of the members of Reggie) came out with his horns and sceptor. My God...I can't remember the last time that I was so excited. Truly unbelievable show...absolutely no way that it could have been any better.

I've purchased 92875 cds this summer...but I'll only recommend a few.

To start, if you haven't already checked out Kenna, I demand that you stop reading this right now, head over to Kenna Online, and listen to some samples from "New Sacred Cow". I promise that at the very least, it will be refreshing. It's quite different from anything else going on right now (and better that most of it, in my opinion). 4.5 out of 5.

I recommended Anberlin several months ago, but if you still haven't picked up their debut cd, "Blueprints for the Black Market", please, do yourself a favor and get it. I dub this record the best release of the year. Rock and roll lives! 5 out of 5.

On a heavier note, the new record from Thrice is well worth its $10 price tag. Blending elements of straight-up old-school metal with emo-rock, this band is as tight as they come. Thoughtful lyrics, awesome harmonies - fans of bands like Further Seems Forever can finally be friends with the hardcore kids. My only gripe (and it's a considerable one) is that the record can get pretty old pretty quickly. 3.5 out of 5.

I've only listened to Jack Johnson's "On and on" once all the way through...but I absolutely LOVED it. Perfect chill-at-the-beach music. Such a pleasant voice - a soothing tone with some reggae style - accompanied by tasteful percussion and surprisingly pure-sounding acoustic guitars. You can even hear the ocean on the last track. I may be rushing this, but...5 out of 5.

If you're looking for some good driving/study/relax/sleep music with soft vocals and awesome beats (aren't we all!?), check out The Postal Service. Fans of Bjork should have little trouble enjoying this, along with a more mainstream audience, due to the more-accessible vocals. The project is helmed by two talented dudes, and they've put together an awesome concept...but the album (entitled "Give Up") suffers somewhat by consisting of songs that often sound too similar (how's that for consonance?). Definitely something special, though... - I look forward to maturation with their next release. 4 out of 5.

Other records worth checking out:

The Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium
Formed from the ashes of At the Drive-In; no limits; for fans of ATDI, Tool, Radiohead, Pink Floyd.

Reggie and the Full Effect: Under the Tray
FUN is the word for this record. FOOD is another good word for it, too...

That's enough music for now. SO, school's right around the corner...time to leave work here at Swim Systems and head back to Gaynessville. Mixed emotions...as always, the worst part is leaving you guys behind (the vast majority of you, anyway). It makes so much sense for me to stay here - my friends are here, my band is here, my parents need the help at Swim Systems...but instead, I'm going to UF, still unaware of my calling, unsure if UF even holds it for me. At times like these, I wish that the human lifespan was longer so that I could finish school and still be "young" enough to start up a band afterwards. I'll probably just wind up being a Film teacher or professor somewhere, making short films on the side, working on music... - not a bad setup, actually. Kind of exciting to think about teaching kids who have a passion for film... - who knows. I suppose it's best to keep myself free of limitations as best as I can. Still wish G-ville was closer...

Again, Saladfishman's blog has been updated - I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you checked it out and left a comment. That'd be super-great! Until next time..."Socks go on your feet, not your arms - if he had meant for them to go on your arms, he would have put little finger things in them."

love paco.

::: posted by AJBrotz at 3:12 PM

Comments: Post a Comment