Song of the Day: Borat - In My Country There Is a Problem

Thanks to Sean from the Boys of Summer for reminding me how much I was anticipating this game: Guitar Hero II. I remember the first time playing it and how the own clenched my soul and squeezed out all the rock I had. Now the second edition is out, hopefully with a wireless step up so I can truly do stage dives and floor slides. Man, they even have a Suicidal Tendencies track in the game! My friend Tim will even like it because its got some Rush! Holy Horacio Llamas!

Oh, and if that didn't blow you away yet, check out the a more comprehensive look of the track listing for the game!


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Song of the Day: Scarlett Johansson - Summertime

When you go out "dancing" at a dive bar in the seedy steel city, you really don't expect to be dazzled by much. If you live another day, chances are you've succeeded expectations. Anything beyond this is a rarity saved for the selected few. The night of indie dance named "I Say Disco, You Say Punk" turned into an accidental introduction to the band PartyTank!. This fun-loving band has the a great following. The crowd comes with plastic swords and body armour shaking their clutched medieval weapons in the air to the sounds of mayhem. One dude came in a fully covered upper body metallic suit and head gear, which must have weighed a tonne. The show was hilarious in the sense that I enjoyed the music and enjoyed the crowd participation to the show. Some took it upon themselves to make it an interactive show, which turned out for the best.

As a side note, the drummer of the band was none other than Tony Jacombe from Shallow North Dakota. I remember seeing Tony in my high school days where he and his band blew out my ears. I distinctively recall the first night I saw them where my ears suffered the worst post-show ear ache I'd ever have. Needless to say, SND rocked and rocked hard. Anyways, I'm pretty sure the rest of Partytank! are an amalgamation of other local rock bands as well. I even think the one guitarist is from SND as well.

The feel of the night was that it's still seeing people/musicians that I followed in my youth still rockin' out and having a good time. It was a good vibe for sure.

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Song of the Day: Classified - Unexplainable Hunger [remix]

Man, this week has been filled with Oktoberfest overflow, which equates to a slumbering sickness. I took three days off of work to rest my head. Funny thing is, I was sober most of celebration. I took it easy and I still got sick. Aiyaa! Oh, and props to the schnitzel. This stuff is off the chain! Oh and my complaint with Oktoberfest is that some of the venues need to turn the lights off in their halls. It's constantly like 2:00 am "Ho time"/"last call time", which is the worst part about drinking in the bars in the first place, so cut that sh*t out man!

Alright, back to the sickness... So with 12+ hours of sleep a day, I was able to finish "Killing Yourself to Live" by Chuck Klosterman. This guy is emo, but not your sappy, booh oo me emo, the kind who writes funny retrospective shit that's fun to read. KYTL is much like Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity". Chuck even pokes fun of himself regarding this. I thought that the book was so entertaining that I ran out and got "Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas". Can't wait to read his short stories and interviews with celebrities and such. I think I only have one more book after this one to finish reading all his stuff. It's good to be able to sit down and leisurely read.

I think Chuck would be a cool guy to meet/hang out with sometime. I would either buy lots of narcotia just to get him to mellow out. I think he'd be a totally nervous and agitated to meet one of his fans. But after that, what could we possibly do? I mean, who takes a pop culture critic to do anything without him basically critiquing something. Imagine going to a rock show? He'd have a shit hemorrhage. I can't see his friends taking him anywhere, unless they get him nice and liquored or "lifted". So the question is, how does a critic relax? Everything is a reflection of something and everything needs to be compared to something. It would drive some people insane. Anyways, enough about that. On the other hand, what's everyone else reading out there for fun these days? Any suggestions?

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Song of the Day: Classified - Fall from Paradise

So as I eluded to in a previous post regarding film from a camera, there has finally been some resolve to put this to rest. This past weekend, I spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon with my little cousin chilling seeing what the youths are into these days. So as we looked at cool kids stuff, I happen to have the roll of film wedged in my jacket dying to be developed. So I decided to develop the film from the camera at a local Walmart.

So the stories begins with Hlen and Genry (names were disguised for their protection) finding this abandoned camera on a ledge begging to be obliterated. As the story goes, if you give a camera to inebriated individuals, be prepared for a destructive outcome. At first, one of them noticed there was some photos that were not taken. The tourist in both Hlen and Genry decided to take pictures. With myself at the centre of the commotion. I think I even got a turn with the archaic contraption. Someone then dropped the camera and with natural striker instincts, Hlen and Smike (individual #3) decided to start and impromptu soccer match. The game was soon over as debris splattered across the floor. One of the individuals picked up the dislodged film and tossed it in my direction for reasons I cannot explain.

Skip to this past weekend. I had pocketed the film and strolled into one of the most disgruntled employees I have ever seen. Her speech can only described as "ugly" and her attitude ... I would not wish on the meanest of men. She must have had the following things going through her head:

A) Her boyfriend left her again and took the ice cube trays in the apartment
B) Had to work overtime to pay off her drug debt
C) Wondered why no one loves her
D) Didn't know how to react when faced with a mild mannered customer who wasn't in her face
E) Realized she could have saved a shit-tonne on her insurance from Geico

Anyways, I asked her what format the pictures would be saved as on the disk if I were to get a CD made. She answered with "The CD is saved in picture form". I then decided to probe even further with "yeah, but when you save the pictures onto the CD, they would have to be saved as a certain format. What format would that be?". Her jaw then dropped and looked at me as if I had just came out of the woodwork and posed the stupidest question-in-the-world-to-ask-an employee-of-a-Walmart-1-Hour-Photo-Centre. I guess I was rude because "normal" customers wouldn't dare ask her a question. I mean there was a reason why she got the teardrop tattoo in the first place right? Obviously, I didn't see it or else I wouldn't ask a perposterous question like I did. Anyways, the whole store was looking at her at this point because I had done the unthinkable and the only way she could counter my ignorance was to raise her voice as me. At this point, I know I wasn't going to make out with this one, so I just slipped a five dollar bill across the counter and said I would be back for the CD in an hour. Note, I had my little cousin with me so I didn't really want to my asshat on and tear into this one. There's always a place and time for that.

The final result was she forgot to develop my film and left it in a basket for her co-workers to do. So here are the fruits of my labour. Enjoy.



Oh, and you guys have to hear this hook from that Classified song "Fall from Paradise" so catchy. Not since Kanye's Through a Wire.... I can't get enough.

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Song of the Day: Classified - 5th Element

The Music that'll pick you up...

Not since Kanye West's debut disk have I actually listened to a full rap album. Sure, I've probably bought or downloaded a few, but I don't think I could have the patience to sit through the same regurgitation song after song (money, cash, hoes, holla etc...). But a recent Much Vibe interview alongside a showcase on Going Coastal (one of the few Much Music programs I can stomach), I've come to find an awesome DIY rapper North of the Maritime City of Halifax in the town of Enfield. It's astonishing to see a rapper who is as grounded as this guy is. The proof is in the pudding. His lyrics tell it like it is. Sure, there's a bunch of press about him as of late. He just dropped a new record not so long ago. But be sure to believe the hype. His beats are original and his lyrics are pretty solid and he's got something different to say.

I don't want to write him off as good just because he's Canadian. Even hip-hop acts from South of the border isn't able to keep my attention for more than a radio-hyped single. The dawn of the MP3 era has totally changed focus of the album to the single. If you can write a hit song and get a quick cash grab from it, then why not? Your star/celebrity status only lasts for fifteen minutes anyways, right? So to hear a solid full length album in this day and age that can captivate the attention of a non hip-hop head is pretty good. So good that I went out to buy two of his disks and I didn't even get the best one, though the two I got are amazing regardless. I mean who can sell out a crowd in Stratford, Ontario?!?! Hands down, sold me on this new and emerging (to me at least) artist/producer/manager. Seriously, get over the stigma that "rap can't be credible if it's coming from Canada" nonsense and have a listen. Classified wants you to believe the hype.
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Song of the Day: Ozma - Utsukushii Shibuya [J-Wave, Japanese Translation, Acoustic]

I've been pretty much obsessed with this new-ish MTV show called "My Sweet Sixteen" where self-proclaimed princess and princesses demand a luxurious birthday celebration. If things don't go their way, these spoiled teens throw over-the-top shit-fits to get their way. At first, the show is almost unbearable to watch. Eventually, it grows on you and it's so ridiculous that you can't turn your head away. MTV, you've done it again. The quality of television slips 9 notches below standard, but the entertainment value rises.