Needs More Slug

Rody Walker- Cigarette Song

Here ya go.

This is a pro smoking cigarette song

So everybody light one up and fucking sing along

Facelift

I got tired of the black, hope you enjoy the new scheme. I want a cool banner but alas my MS Paint days are long done. 

Last.FM 9/28/08

1		TV on the Radio		24
2		Geto Boys and Scarface		23
3		Portugal. The Man		17
3		Jake One		17
5		Sufjan Stevens		15
6		2Pac		12
6		Good Old War		12
8		Pompeii		11
9		Dear and the Headlights		10
10		Thursday		8

God Damnit Mogwai

Way to scare the absolute shit out of me.

Lines Of Sunday

Seeing as I won a hundred at the casino last night and have spent a lot of time on CentSports lately, I figured even being late I might as well give some insight on each weekend's NFL lines I like the most. This is not a guide to betting, please understand I'm not a professional and am only putting these up for entertainment purposes. Betting is illegal (wink).

Atlanta @ Carolina: Car -6.5 -100

Atlanta hasn't showed that they can beat a good team yet, so I'm not buying into the Matt Ryan mini-hype. Carolina has also beaten 2 teams much better than Atlanta and had a tough loss last week where they couldn't really figure out what to do on offense which should be corrected this week and run well enough to cover against a defense giving up 5 yards a carry. Fantasy sleeper alert: I'm starting Jonathan Stewart over Michael Turner in my money league this week. We'll see how this one turns out.

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay: 43 over -110

This is going to be a shootout. Last week against the Bears Tampa Bay showed they can not only throw the ball, but they can also give up a lot of passing to even a not so great offense. Al Harris (CB) is out with a broken spleen for Green Bay which means that even if Galloway isn't back yet Tampa should be able to throw just as proficiently as they did last week.

San Diego @ Oakland: SD -7.5 -110

San Diego is a really good team who have had a couple really tough breaks early in the season which is still leaving them to be a question mark on lines that they shouldn't be. Rivers is the real deal and Nnamdi Asomugha revealing he will be playing with a fractured elbow Phillip should have a nice day. Doesn't hurt that LT showed that his toe is feeling much better on monday night last week. The Raiders passing game is horrible and as long as the Chargers D doesn't let Michael Bush and McFadden pull an AD Peterson from last year they should be able to cover and then some.

MMA =/= Ultimate Fighting

I just capped that off of aol.com under a section of "Activities for your family on weekends". I'd say a good one half of all mainstream coverage of mixed martial arts refers to it as "Ultimate Fighting". Especially good on this example is "Ultimate Fighting is defined as mixed martial arts competition...". No, you can't define an organization using what defines it, it doesn't work that way. That would be like if I called a high school baseball game Major League baseball in high school. You would think the people who write these things would put a little more research into it besides "Hey, I heard one of my son's friends talking about this Ultimate Fighting stuff. I should suggest that, whatever it is. I'll just google 'Ultimate Fighting' and see what comes up and post that." Also the picture isn't of anyone in the UFC, so even more points there. They could at least have a link to Sherdog so people can actually read about the sport instead of just posting links to buy shit, especially from Chuck "Lost 3 of his last 4 fights" Liddell.

Not even interested in MMA? You'll still enjoy one of my favorite highlight videos ever of the lighter side of the sport.

Krazy Horse is god.

This can't be all that we have to weigh

This is my new favorite video, save it for a time when you need to smile.

Sorry

I haven't been paying attention to this at all lately, I apologize. I think every blogger has the pipe dream of a handful of readers who cling to their every word, so if any who sees this has wanted me to update more I'm going to get the ball rolling hard again. Those Chinese really know how to start a fire under you.

Songs That Should be In Rock Band/Guitar Hero

The other day a friend of mine was saying that the new Kanye song should be in Rock Band as a treat to the people who sing and drum. I told him he's an idiot because it'd be dumb to sing a computer's (autotune) part. But it got me thinking, what songs would be good to play in the future installments of the video games? Here's what I've come up with so far, feel free to post any suggestions/criticism in the comments. Keep in mind I'm biased towards the vocals since I end up doing them most of the time when I play, and I tried to exclude anything with screaming or instruments outside of the core three.

Beginners

Hot Rod Circuit- Consumed By Laziness

It's got a little bit for everyone. Cool bass line, simple riff with light solos, fun drumming and singing. I'd kick a hole in the wall doing the "My mother told me" part.

The Beatles- Come Together

Mostly because I want there to be a Beatles song on one of these games, but I think as a sing along this is their best suited. Not much for the guitarists, but you guys have two games all to yourself and can give some other people a little bit of fun once in awhile.

Weezer- El Scorcho

Another simple one with fun parts to it. The gargle at the beginning would also be required.

Band of Horses- The General Specific

The drums and guitar are simple as hell, but the singing chart would be all over the place to keep it fun.

Misfits- Hybrid Moments

Danzig + punk= pretty tough. The bass is probably the most complex chart, but Misfits merchandise anything they can and everyone likes to sing like Danzig when they have an excuse to.

Medium

Brand New- The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

Fuck you, it's Brand New and they can be on whatever I say they can be on. And this is a demo of the song, as the normal version I have is an m4a and those don't stream, if you never noticed I tip toed around that.

Bush- Comedown

The good 90's alternative bands don't get enough love in the games, so here's some sweetness and probably the best suited song on the album for the games. Challenging charts all the way around.

Days Away- God & Mars

This is the first song I thought of, as I've always wanted to know how to play the drums for it. Good singing from Keith and the guitars are challenging enough to give everyone some problems as they get better.

Gatsbys American Dream- Counterfeit Language

Every Gatsbys song is a musical adventure, but I'd say this is the Indiana Jones of them all when it comes to being best suited from the game and not Speaker for the Dead which is my first choice, but one of them darn m4as.

Muse- Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist

I believe Assassin is on one of the upcoming games, but Black Holes songs shouldn't be the only ones to get on video games. In fact, one of the future Guitar Hero band series games should be for Muse, because all of their songs are harder than anything Aerosmith's ever done.

Hard 

Queens of the Stone Age- Mexicola 

This song rocks dicks off, and after No One Knows and 3's & 7's were included in two of the Guitar Heros and Go With the Flow on Rock Band, they might as well keep throwing Homme's and companies shit on there because it's all perfect for the games

Circa Survive- Living Together

Another one harder for the singing, since no geek off the street can sing like Anthony, but all together this a tougher song.

The Fall of Troy- Quarter Past

I think it'd be funny to see people not familiar with the song saying "What's so hard about this?" through the first couple minutes of the song, and then Thomas Erak kicks in their door and melts their faces off.

Minus The Bear- Absinthe Party At the Fly Honey Warehouse

The closest thing I could think of to a math rock song, one of which should have been on the original two guitar heros.

3- All That Remains

Joey, Billy and Gartdrumm appear to be what the standard skill level should be for, and the guitar solo is pretty damn dope as well.

Expert

Avenged Sevenfold- I Won't See You Tonight (Part 2)

This song's like one giant nine minute guitar solo, and there's even a pretty tough vocal bit at seven minutes.

Coheed & Cambria- The Willing Well I: Fuel For the Feeding End

They have harder songs on guitar, but I think this is hardest for everything considered. I think I failed singing on Welcome Home the first time I tried, but you gotta sing like Claudio if you want it to be kickass.

The Dear Hunter- Dear Ms. Leading

It's a scientific fact that Erick Serna can shred like a madman, combine that with some tough Casey singing and Sammy drumming and you got yourself a pretty frustrating four and a half minutes.

Wax On Radio- Guilding The Lily

I will smash every drum pad on earth if I ever get to play Sammy Del Real's bit at the end of this, so intense.

Protest the Hero- Blindfolds Aside

I'm going to go ahead and say this would be the hardest song I have on my computer. Vocals- All over the place. Guitars- Maximum shred. Drums- Fast and a few times changes.

New Demo From The Fall of Troy, "The Vomiting Winter"

Stream/DL here.

Ripped from the radio show they premiered it on tonight, props to Zonko from Cobalt.

noodlenoodlenoodle

2006: Fear Before the March of Flames- The Always Open Mouth

I didn't call yesterday's album "The best album ever written" because in my own little world, this is it. I don't really know what to say about it besides it's in this little special place nestled between screamo and post hardcore, and that, seriously, it's the best album ever written. My basement is flooded and I'm tired and won't feel like updating this tomorrow so I'm sorry if this feels half assed or shoving down your throat, but the best I can do right now is try to back up the lyrics thing, so bare with me as I get my mind off of the water filling my life. I'm going to post a couple songs of the raddest shit ever. And yes I just made up "raddest".

High As A Horse

If we give the horses blinders they won't see the approaching ledge

Too much time and effort spent on just another bridge

We trust the local doctor, we trust the medicine

Our child gets a scratch we get our child a brand new head

We eat what's on our plate, we drink what's in our cup

We like the shiny T.V. screen, it spits we lap it up

And so they push this product, and they know we'll buy it

They sing a song, we hum along

We sing, but we don't understand the words to the song

And they fill our heads with sugar coated shit

'Cause there's no need to talk when we have medicine

There's a pill for every fucked up thought

And a cure for every fucked up child

When the mind starts running be sure it won't cross the finish line

And if it wanders bring it back and cage it for some time

And if it stretches it will only one day rip

To prevent excessive thought

Just keep it up on the shelf

And when the shelves are full

And supplies are short, and quickly running out

You've got a thousand mindless zombies

And terrified horses on your hands

It was a damn good plan

It was a damn good plan

A Brief Tutorial In Bachanalia

Hey man, heard you're a real clean shot

When I got a couple drinks in me, and I got a couple drinks in me!

Hey man, heard you get the job done

When I got a couple drinks in me, I'm known to practice apathy!

When you see me stagger

Know I'm being antagonized by what you can't hear

And just moving with the current

Current state of self embalming

Where I don't involve myself with human affairs

Just leave me an address of where I live

I'll make it slow and painful

I don't ask for much

They will lead us out of town, straight out of town

We can dodge the freight cars, just passer-bys in the morning

A few bills, and the occasional, occasional, occasional human touch

I won't move if you won't move

Trade cigarettes for stories, you and I the Lords of the Rails

Straight out of town and that is why we follow the pennies lay for we have stories and smokes

Drink to take the edge off

I told you that I'd bring you my head

I told you I was better off dead

Have you heard the kind of shit that I've said?

'Cause I'm a mad, mad man... No, I'm not a mad man

I told you if you slipped me a drink

I told you not to speak when I'm thinking

I told you I was having a hard time sleeping

Yeah, I'm a sad, sad man

Yeah, I'm a real sad man!

There's empty bar stools to each of my sides

And empty glasses, so who the fuck's talking?

Just a lonely man with a death wish, and a head full of crossed wires

Making a deal with himself

He keeps talking

He keeps nodding

A sick son of a bitch

Will always end like this

Happy saturday everyone, have a good weekend.

2005: The Receiving End of Sirens- Between The Heart & The Synapse

This is probably my favorite album of all time. It's nothing groundbreaking, they didn't change the face of music with it, but to me everything about it is perfect. Packed to the gills with wordplay and a creative concept, Brendan Brown and Casey Crescenzo wrote such great lyrics to go along with the sequencing laden post hardcore music they perfected. I've listened to this album well over a hundred times, and for the first 75 or so I always took everything in the songs literally, but as time passed little hints and hidden meanings would always present themselves and give me a whole new appreciation for everything contained within. I've never actually seen Brendan and Casey explain all of the song's meanings, but one that will be with me for the rest of my life is the recurring lines throughout the album "This is the last night in my body/Somehow, for now, this skin will have to do." The latter line being sung either after or simultaneously with the first. But I always ignored the second line, and focused solely on the first. Telling myself I would eventually change from the rut I was stuck in, I would always repeat in my head "This is the last night in my body" before going to bed. Then I'd wake up the next day and repeat my same routine. One late night it all clicked for me, I heard the second line "Somehow, for now, this skin will have to do" and I realized, you can't change who you are over night. Be content with what you are and make the best of it. I know the whole "This album changed my life" thing is cliche and hard to believe, but over the past 2 years, 9 months and 18 days (Yeah, that's right I know the exact day I bought the album) this album has helped make me a better person more than anything else I've ever had.

Key Tracks: The Rival Cycle, This Armistice, Epilogue

Bonus: Maybe my favorite moment in music history, Casey returning for The Red Eye of Soromon Farewell Show.

The cannon's calling our name

I hear her singing to me

In morse code,

"This is our revolution!

To arms! To arms!

This is our revolution!"

We are the corps of corpses

We are up in arms and armed

2004: Madvillain- Madvillainy

Jonathan already did this album and the only other one I could think of is something I'm pretty sure Drew is going to do, so read Jonathan's post instead. 

Here's some Will E. Whitmore

2003: Coheed & Cambria- In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

I still remember the day I bought this album. I took the day off from school and had one of DirecTV's music channels on all day and heard "Blood Red Summer" and thought it was a cool song. Five hours later I still had What did I do to deserve, what did I do to deserve stuck in my head. Later that night I went to Best Buy along with a friend who was going to pick up a new t.v. and I saw this album and figured what the hell it's only $9. Little did I know this album would basically reshape the way my life was, in the way it set up a lot of things, but that's another blog entirely. Filled with concepts, catchy prog pop songs and badass guitars, this album set up the success the band is seeing today. I made a lot of friends through this album, most of whom will hopefully read this, so for old time's sake give this album a listen and remember how awesome it was the first time you heard it.

Key Tracks: The Crowing, The Camper Volourium II: Backend of Forever, 2113

2002: Hot Rod Circuit- Sorry About Tomorrow

Hot Rod Circuit's front man, Andy Jackson, stated that when writing this album "This was the first record I can honestly say I wrote and took some time on lyrics and breaking it all down." and it becomes blatantly obvious that it was the recipe for the success this album had. I may have jumped the gun a little when I said Bleed American was the catchiest album I've heard, because this is right there with it. I've never been sure what to actually call the sound of this album, I usually settle on "blue collar pop" but not in a Bruce Springsteen kind of way. It's a perfect blend of pop punk and neo country, fused into a kind of superior version of both. 

Key Tracks: At Nature's Mercy, Consumed By Laziness, The Night They Blew Up the Moon

RIP Evan Tanner

If you have a moment head on over to evantanner.net to see the tribute they've set up. Lots of good stories about the man. Here's one I remember hearing about earlier this year, and shows how kind of a soul Evan was. The world lost a good human being yesterday.

A Parent Teacher Association had been working hard to raise the funds needed to build a safe playground for the 870+ children attending this low-income school in Fort Worth. A $5,000 grant that the school received for the playground had a stipulation. After raising the remaining funds needed for the playground equipment the school would have to build it themselves.

They needed 150 volunteers to do the build successfully. A parent started contacting as many athletes as she could think of. She knew that strength and stamina was what the school was going to need to get the playground built in one day. There were few responses. Professional fighter, Evan Tanner of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) heard about the need for tough guys with big hearts and offered to fly in from Las Vegas to help.

“Your Cause is a good one.” “I will be there,” Evan Tanner simply stated.

The playground build was on Saturday, November 3rd. Starting at 8am and ending at 5pm when the playground was completed. Evan Tanner showed up bright and early with a smile on his face and ready to work.

Tanner spent the first part of the day building a rock climb side by side with a parent and some teachers. After that job was done he moved outside to the site and just jumped in and moved from one task to another. Seeing each task completed before he moved on to the next. Not once did he stand still unless it was for a picture with a fan.

First Look At Fear Before the March of Flame's Upcoming S/T Record

I can't wait for this.

2001: Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American

This album is Bleed American, after 9/11 they had to change it to be a self titled album and I decided to post that cover just to show how fucking dumb of a change it was. The original cover had the JEW part in smaller font with Bleed American right next to it. SO OFFENSIVE! Anygay, this is like the quintessential American Rock record with singles up the ass and good music all around. Self recorded and platinum certified, this was such a significant album in the way that it showed artists that they didn't have to do whatever labels told them, even if some bands forgot that COUGHcoheedCOUGH. It very well may be the catchiest album of all time, as anyone from ages 8 to 50 can appreciate any song on the album.

Key Tracks: A Praise Chorus, Sweetness, The Authority Song

2000: Kind of Like Spitting- Nothing Makes Sense Without It

I actually just got this album in the past couple of months, but I like it a lot and I couldn't find anything else good from 2000 aka the time of nu metal and Eminem. Singer-songwriter Ben Barnett wrote an album of songs that could easily be confused for early Brand New demos as they do sound much alike. Wailing slow songs of cynicism and drawing comparisons to Elliot Smith and Billy Bragg, Barnett seemed to have bridged the gap between the early midwest emo sound with the newer label stamped on anything with feeling to it. I'm finding it hard to keep writing while trying to pay attention to the Bears so this one's a little short, but check it out if you like Brand New or just good heartfelt music in general.

Key Tracks: Short Story Long, Birds of a Feather, Out of Harm's Way... Finally

1999: 3- Paint By Number

The debut and my personal favorite album of 3, Paint By Number is a funky as fuck, fun-riff driven album by the now Prog Metal band. Every song is something you can nod your head or tap your foot too, with really no weak songs on the whole album. I actually made a cd for a friend recently with the song Old Grey Dog on it, since his dog who was probably my favorite pet in the entire world had died recently. He loved it, and when I listened to it after his dog dying it actually struck harder with me of how great of a song it is.

Down, boy

You're too old to be jumpin' for joy

Turn your eyes to me

So clouded they barely can see

That you've grown

Much older than dogs get to be

Come and take just one last walk with me

Key Tracks: Wrongside, Astroknot, Heart Attack

1998: Queens of the Stone Age- Self Titled

That's right I'm so committed to this blog I'm even posting on my birthday. And fuck imageshack for not giving direct links to images anymore, like I'm not going to just get it off the dumb fucking "show your friends" link. Hey, friend, look! I'm posting this image on the internet and I wanted to show you first! Alright, enough of that. This album rocks balls, it's that simple. The debut album and aftermath of Kyuss, QOTSA came out swinging with this post stoner rock album. Trading in boring, repeating riffs with monotone singing Josh Homme came back with awesome, repeating riffs with great vocals. I know their later album Songs for the Deaf is a concept about driving through the desert, but this album has the same feeling to me. It was basically Josh Homme and Alfredo Hernandez pounding out all of these songs, as Hernandez played drums and Homme played everything else, credited as himself and Carlo Von Sexron. At the end of the last track "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" a voicemail can be heard of future bass player and all around asshole Nick Oliveri saying he would love to join the band. So do yourself a favor and get one last gasp of summer by throwing this album on and drinking a couple beers while the sun's going down.

Key Tracks: Avon, If Only, Mexicola

1997: Mark Mulcahy- Fathering

When picking out my list I wanted to try not to have any bands or artists have more than one appearance through the years, but this is the exception. Previously appearing in the 1989 post with Miracle Legion, Mark Mulcahy later went solo after they and Polaris became defunct. His first solo album, Fathering is his best to date. I found this album at a very confusing and dark time of my life and it helped me get through my problems, so each song has a special meaning to me. From the moment I pressed play and opening track, Hey Self Deafeater, started, I knew I had found something special. At that moment in time the lyrics were exactly what I had needed to hear, and I'll forever be grateful for Mulcahy writing this music, "Never mind overjoyed, just start with happy, there's no more silent nights, and no more horrid fights, just got a new place and put a thousand miles between you and your wrong impressions... Hey self defeater, you're underrated by yourself so quit looking down, and look up." Most of the album tells tales of love lost and fictional men, but it's all beautifully arranged and shows how talented of a musician Mulcahy is. Proven by the fact that Thom Yorke has admitted to Mulcahy being a large influence of his and even went as far as to dedicate a song to him at a Radiohead show in Boston. With spacious, echoing guitar riffs the song Ciao, My Shining Star eerily resembles an unreleased Jeff Buckley song as Mulcahy showcases his falsetto. The album's not as upbeat as most of his other work, but it's easily his best.

Key Tracks: Hurry Please Hurry, In the Afternoon, Bill Jocko

1996: Alice In Chains- Unplugged

I believe this was the third CD I ever owned, after the aforementioned Kerplunk and Paul's Boutique. It was the first album I bought upon moving to Illinois after my parents separated, so understandably it holds a lot of memories and sentiment to me. When Alice In Chains recorded this, singer Layne Staley was going through a vicious bout with heroin addiction, and if you've seen the broadcast or DVD of this night you can see it had taken it's toll. With dark rings around his eyes the frail Layne, sporting pink hair, looked like he wouldn't had been able to lift a guitar had he needed to. But his voice, my favorite voice ever, that was still intact. At the time the original broadcast aired this was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in my young life, but now it's almost painful to watch. Layne's is just such a sad story. But this album was his swan song, his last gift to everyone who loved him. He and Jerry Cantell provided some of the best harmonizing to ever be shown on MTV, everything about the entire set was perfect. From the songs chosen to the performance to the visualization, it will always stand the test of time.

Key Tracks: Brother, Down In A Hole, Over Now

Bonus- Video of Down In A Hole from the broadcast.

Anyone know what song this samples?

It's off the special 80's version of the Louis Logic album Sin-A-Matic, and even with me being a somewhat specialist with popular 80's songs I have no idea what it is. Lil' help?

Idiot Gear

1995: Dre Dog- I Hate You With A Passion

Quite possibly one of the grimiest albums made since the emergence of the Wu Tang Clan, this was the last album released by Andre Adams under the name Dre Dog, as he later changed it to Andre Nickatina. The staple of the Dre Dog era was gritty beats and rhymes about the darker side of the rap game, and this album exemplified it all. With production by TC among others, and features from Black C of RBL Posse, Cougnut of IMP, and Totally Insane, the Bay Area star power of this album is what makes it such a classic. But Dre Dog didn't need too much help from others, as the solo songs put so much emotion and despair into glorifying a lifestyle which seemed to be taking it's toll. It's like watching the conflict of Dre being so caught up in what he's doing that from song to song you see both sides of it all. From partying with drugs on "Powda 4 The Hoes" to the repercussions of his habits on "Situation Critical". You hear it all on this album, and it gives a great view into what was going on in San Francisco in the early to mid 90's.

Key Tracks: Muthafucka (Ft. Cougnut), Killa Whale, Mind Full of Hatred

1994: Weezer- Blue Album

There's not a lot to say about this one, everyone knows and loves it, but I never realized how fucking funny the cover is until right now. Look at a bigger version here. Patrick looks like a frog, Rivers looks like he just got out of 7th grade gym class, Matt looks like he dressed up for the annual big barn hay bail jamboree and is about to ask Cindy Lou if she wants to dance to Cotton Eye Joe and Brian looks like an extra from Swingers.

Key Tracks: Everything, but especially Only In Dreams

New Wax On Radio... Stuff

Probably my favorite band from Chicago, Wax On Radio has been posting video clips lately of them making some new music. And if you hadn't heard, Luke Dent (Ex-The Dear Hunter) is in the band now.

Over man and animal, I grew too tall;
Now when I speak—no one speaks with me at all.

I grew too high and too lonely —
I wait: on what do I wait only?

Close by, the clouds are sitting:
I wait on the first lightning.