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.