Bear Naked

Album Review: Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

2011-11-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

There was once a time (and by that, I mean no more than about six months ago) when I hated Manchester Orchestra simply because of their name (which sounds way to goddamn hipster-ish for my tastes) and their perceived-to-be shitty fanbase. However, as has been the case at least 674 times in the past, I actually listened to them and discovered that they were, musically, right up my alley.

2009's "Mean Everything to Nothing" is what got me hooked on Manchester Orchestra, mostly because I heard the track "I've Got Friends" on MLB 11: The Show and was instantly in love. The rest of the album proved to be the exact type of shit that I had been looking for over the past few years, and I decided to check into the rest of their material. That's when I stumbled across their latest effort, "Simple Math" (released in May of this year). It took me a few listens to get into it, as it does not contain the amount of energy that "Mean Everything to Nothing" possesses.

The album starts off with "Deer," a somewhat dreary and depressing track that sounds a hell of a lot like Neil Young. The deeply personal lyrical content sets the tone for the rest of the album, as you can easily feel the anguish and regret that vocalist/guitarist Andy Hull is trying to convey to the listener. There isn't much in the way of drums or distortion during the opening track; it's more of a "dude-and-his-stool" type of song. However, the band doesn't waste any time kicking into high gear with the opening notes of the second track, "Mighty." You get a little bit of a feel for Diorama-era Silverchair musically (as the band throws in some legit orchestra parts), while Hull seamlessly flows through the track lyrically. There's a lot of technicality to this track, as it includes an array of drum fills and stays relatively heavy all the way through.

"Pensacola" sounds almost like a jingle that would fit perfectly with a FreeCreditReport.com commercial. With that being said, it has a pretty catchy gang-vocal chorus line - "Alcohol, Dirty Malls, Pensacola, Florida Bars." The fourth track, "April Fool," is downright awesome. This is where the band finally exhibits some of the raw emotion and energy that is captured so well on their previous album. It has more than a few good old-fashioned rock-and-roll riffs, and just generally flows well and has great hooks.

"Pale Black Eye" comes next, and it is absolutely the highlight of the record. So many things are done well in this song that it is truly hard to explain - a simple listen will do the trick. This song will, no doubt in my mind, draw you in the first time you hear it. The musicianship is outstanding, and the song builds up incredibly well. If the closing chorus doesn't give you the chills, I'll let you punch me in the face a bunch of times should you see me in person. Absolutely stunning track.

"Virgin" doesn't leave a whole lot to be desired either, as the band incorporates a youth choir of some sort, a la Underoath in their hit track "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door," or even Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." This track is a lot simpler, as the chorus is the base of the song, but it works really well in this case. It also doesn't hurt that the track is incredibly heavy.

After "Virgin," the album falls off just a little bit in terms of intensity/energy/emotion. Granted, the remaining tracks are still done well, but they don't highlight the band's real strength, in my opinion. And, judging by their live performance (and specifically, the songs the band chooses to play live), Manchester Orchestra would probably agree with me. That's not to say that the last few songs aren't catchy, though, because they are. The album's closer, "Leaky Breaks," gives us another good dose of Hull's insanely personal lyrics, laid out over some basic-yet-fitting musicianship. Good ending (although not as epic as Mean Everything to Nothing's closing track) to a fantastic album.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended if you like: Brand New, Neil Young, Bright Eyes
Favorite Track: "Pale Black Eye"

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Hey, I just remembered I have a blog!

2011-08-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

I promised some good people that I would update this thing on a regular basis, but I have failed miserably. I just want to let those people know that it hurts my heart to break promises to those I love, and that I am sorry. However, in my own defense, it's not like I have just been sitting around watching baseball all summer for once. In fact, I haven't been able to watch anywhere even close to as much baseball as I would like to due to school, work, softball team, and husband/homeowner duties. I have learned over the past year or so that shit does in fact happen.

Anyway, here's a recap of the summer-of-2011-life of one Bryan F. Kilpatrick:

I attended college during the summer semester (early-May through early-August), and did a pretty bang-up job in both of my classes; I registered my third consecutive 4.0. School is easy; finding the time to attend during the busy season at work is not.
I've been playing a dickload of softball - for three teams, in fact. However, it still is nothing like baseball (at least the hitting portion of it), so I still suck. I thought I was getting better last fall, as I was hitting the bejesus out of the ball for a good two months or so, but not swinging a bat even once during the winter months really put the fuck on my ability to hit the ball, as a regressed to the mean during the spring season. Hopefully, I get my stroke back and if so, I'm promising myself I won't lose it again during the offseason.
Nikki and I are trying to have a kid. For those of you who know me well, that's nothing new. However, we're getting balls-deep (ya know, literally and otherwise) into it these days, as visits to the fertility doctor will become the norm.
Work is work; gotta keep those athletes out there using Easton products happy.
I've been visibly pissed off since like mid-April, as the Rockies have chosen to tank yet another season despite having the best talent in the National League's Western division. I do still, however, enjoy writing about them (and about baseball in general), so at least there's that. Plus, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview hall of fame baseball player Tony Gwynn, and that was flat-out bitchin'.
Utah football is coming up soon, and I'm hekka-pumped about that. If Jordan Wynn stays healthy, they're going to have a nice little debut season (anywhere from 8 to 10 wins) in the Pac-12. If he doesn't, well, this guy is their backup QB, and he threw more interceptions than touchdowns last year in junior college, so I think you can probably guess how the season will go (4-6 wins) if he sees anything more than mop-up duty. On the other hand, he looks pretty smug, so I guess we'll see.
I'm probably going to sing in a band soon. Be ready, folks; Child Abuse is going to take over the world (or, at least parts of Salt Lake City).
I went to Seattle for the second time in as many years, and also took an impromptu trip to Lake Tahoe. It was my first time there, and I must say that the place is just as good as advertised. Clean, cold, crystal-clear lakes FTW. And, perhaps the best part of all is that my family and I did not get raped by Ben Roethlisberger. I'll put a 'W' in my column for that.
As a result of the trips (and various other escapades), I'm kind of poor right now. However, I'm still enjoying life, so I'm not too worried about it.
I love my dogs (both my friends and my actual dogs).

That's all for me. Hopefully I have more to write about soon, including sports (college football season, postseason baseball, and fantasy football) and some album reviews (been listening to a ton of Manchester Orchestra lately, but there's been some other stuff in the mix that I'll write about).

Until then, there's the door. Over there. ----->

Life Is Good...

2010-07-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

See?

I'll try to update this thing every once in a while. But for now, that's all I've got - just wanted to let y'all know that life is good.

Bye.

MLB Power Rankings: Preseason Edition

2010-03-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Presented to you completely homer-free:

1. New York Yankees
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Boston Red Sox
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Seattle Mariners
6. Colorado Rockies
7. Tampa Bay Rays
8. Atlanta Braves
9. Minnesota Twins
10. Los Angeles Dodgers
11. Los Angeles Angels
12. Texas Rangers
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
15. Florida Marlins
16. Chicago Cubs
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Detroit Tigers
19. Chicago White Sox
20. Cincinnati Reds
21. Oakland Athletics
22. Washington Nationals
23. Houston Astros
24. New York Mets
25. Toronto Blue Jays
26. Baltimore Orioles
27. Cleveland Indians
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
29. Kansas City Royals
30. San Diego Padres

In the next couple of days, I'm going to do an in-depth preview with predictions and what not. Stay tuned for that.

I Been Gone A Long Time...

2010-03-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Man, I'm a bad blogger. I haven't posted in ages - to my loyal followers, I sincerely apologize for that. I even promised Shelby I'd keep it updated; that also is right on the border of making me not only a bad blogger (as stated above), but a bad friend too.

Anyway, with this being the first day of what is, in my mind, the greatest series of sporting events of the year (outside of the Major League Baseball postseason), I mostly wrote this post so I could share my bracket with y'all:

I'm telling you right now: take that shit to the bank, because it's as good as money. Also, I have a few thoughts on this year's NCAA Tournament concerning the seeding, matchups, upset picks, and the like.

First of all, I think BYU is under-seeded for the fourth straight season. In the past three years, they've lost 8-9 games to Xavier and Texas A&M (twice), and you could argue that any team who is put in the position of being under-seeded and having to play stronger competition could fall victim to the same first round demise. However, with all of that being said, I can't say that I necessarily feel sympathy for the Kewgz, either. Here's the deal - although they technically have the right to complain about seeding, they can only do it so much. Why, you ask? I'll lay it all out for you here: BYU does not/cannot/will not play on Sundays. So, that takes them out of the mix for half of the bracket each year (because half of the first and second round games are of the Friday/Sunday format, while the others are Thursday/Saturday games). This significantly reduces the committee's options for BYU, which is what is leading to them being grossly under-seeded in some years. I don't really want to get into the whole rivalry aspect of things (as everyone knows, I'm a huge Utah fan), but maybe you should win a first round game before being concerned about possibly having to play on a Sunday? Just sayin'...

Also, as you can see by my bracket, I have laid out quite a few upset possibilities. The one I truly believe will happen is the Siena Saints over the Purdue Boilermakers. The Boilermakers simply aren't the team that they were before Robbie Hummel was injured, and really shouldn't be a 4-seed. Meanwhile, Siena is big game-tested and despite their conference affiliation, is a very good team. Don't be surprised if, or should I say, when the Saints beat Purdue tomorrow. Another upset that I believe is very likely to happen is the Murray State Racers over the Vanderbilt Commodores. For some reason, I just cannot picture the Commodores as a legitimate college basketball program. Meanwhile, the Racers went 30-4 this season and outscored their opponents by 17 points per game. To sum it all up, Purdue and Vanderbilt are fucked.

I'm going to post pictures of my basement soon (which I'll say is coming along very nicely). My deadline date is still locked in for April 5th - which, not-so-coincidentally, is the same day as MLB's opening day. It's safe to say that I won't be at work that day, and that I'll be taking in a whole lot of spirits - to go with a whole lot of baseball.

Album Review: Crime In Stereo - I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone

2010-02-19T05:29:00.001-08:00

I haven't received the vinyl in the mail yet, but I've decided to post the review anyway because I know all of my faithful followers have been saying to themselves "What the fuck assblood, post a new blog entry already!," so here it is. I figured that once I receive the record in the mail, I'll just update the photo at the top of the post.

Anyway, here's what I think of this record: it's a very good (almost brilliant) mess. When I first heard it, I didn't know what the fuck was going on and to this day, I still have a hard time breaking it down. But, regardless of how difficult it may be to digest and the fact that the album doesn't "flow" particularly well, there are some terrific songs. The intro track "Queue Moderns" is sort of a bore, though it picks up a bit toward the end. It leads into "Drugwolf," which is probably one of the band's best songs on any album. It serves as a great precursor to the rest of the record, as it has a late-90's alternative feel, mixed with a little bit of early-90's grunge. Plus, it includes all of the elements that make Crime In Stereo who they are. The third track, titled "Exit Halo," has some pretty cool riffs and what not, but the vocal effort is very poor on this song. After all is said and done, it's nothing more than a tribute to Brand New's recent material. "Not Dead" is a real gem - it is almost a mix of Nirvana and Cursive, coupled with Crime In Stereo's signature sound, and it all contributes to a very good track. "Odalisque" took me back to the band's last release, "...Is Dead," and would fit in very well on that album. "Young" is a very slow track, but is very catchy and the vocals are strong. There's actually a part in the song that reminds me a bit of Guns and Roses' "Patience."

Kicking off the second half of the album is "Type One," which is probably the most aggressive track on the album, as it would have a place on some of the band's older releases, as well. "Republica" is a bit of a mainstream-sounding song, as it even has a dance rock part in the middle, similar to Modest Mouse or Franz Ferdinand. Still good, though. "Dark Island City" is a remake of the track bearing the same name that was originally released on "The Troubled Stateside." However, this one sounds nothing like its predecessor. It is a slow, spacey track that features acoustic versions of the same riffs from the original song. The album ends with "I Cannot Answer You Tonight," which also sounds a bit like classic Crime In Stereo, but with cheesier lyrics ("It's OK, it's OK, come back to me!" is repeated several times throughout the track).

Overall, the album does not flow as well as "...Is Dead," doesn't pack the punch that "The Troubled Stateside" did, and it is hindered by some dull tracks and some shitty lyrics at times, but it is still a good release and another big step forward for a band that has become known for its progression.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended if you like: Brand New, Nirvana, Cursive
Favorite track: "Drugwolf"

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Super Bowl Review: F*ck You Garrett Hartley, and (not) much more

2010-02-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

As promised, my Super Bowl review:

My good friend The Dude hosted a Super Bowl party yesterday. As I mentioned in my last post, there wasn't a whole lot of game watching that went on (on my part, at least). Instead, there was ping pong (which saw yours truly get dominated by a combined score of 62-22), nom noms (chili dogs, nachos, and the like), and gambling-o-plenty (you try getting about 20 cheapskates to buy "squares," it's damn near fucking impossible). Because of that, I won't have much of a breakdown of the game, so I hope that's not what you're looking for. Oh, and I refuse to talk about Super Bowl commercials (mostly because I didn't see any). And last but not least, I won't mention The Who beyond this point (although my good pal Kory did a bang-up job filling in on drums for them).

So, while helping prepare the food (among other things) and then dishing myself up a large plate or two, I completely missed the first quarter and most of the second as well. I finally got to sit down and watch for a minute and noticed that because the score was 10-3 Colts, I was in position to win a 75er if that score held up until halftime. But, those pesky Saints seemed destined to ruin things for me as they drove down the field and suddenly, found themselves inside the five and ready to score. However, the Colts defense (and a questionable decision by Saints' head coach Sean Payton to leave points out on the field) kept my dream of finally owning 75 dollars for the first time in my life intact. That didn't last long, though, as the ultra-conservative (and downright boring) Colts immediately went 3-and-out and allowed the Saints to get the ball back with ample time left in the half. It all came down to Saints kicker Garrett Hartley and a 43-yard field goal attempt. If he missed, I would be the proud winner of three-quarters of a hundo. If he converted the kick, the money instead would go to dudes like Aaron Jones (the Peter Gammons look-alike at my work) and Richard Kunkel, who is a squirrely little fuck (but righteously good dude) that I know through my buddy JR. I figured I had a good shot of getting the money, as the field goal kicking in the NFL playoffs had been atrocious up to that point. As it turns out, though, the son of a bitch split the uprights and part of me died inside. Had he missed and I won the money, it would have saved me from a rigorous sweating at the hands of my sometimes-mean-yet-always-adorable wife earlier today. Oh well.

Despite the continued bad financial luck of the big guy (me), good times were still definitely had. The Saints won, obviously, so that was cool too. The Colts are insipid, emotionless, and employers of Austin Collie, so they didn't deserve to win (sorry, Uncle Rick). Drew Brees is a god damned animal and is now no longer the most underrated quarterback in the NFL (and deservedly so), and the rest of the team is filled with pretty likable dudes - outside of Reggie Bust, er, Bush and Jeremy Shockey, anyway.

My review of the new Crime In Stereo record (and maybe a DL link, if you're lucky) will be posted within the next week (or sooner, if I get my vinyl copy early). Also, I'm going to start talking some Colorado Rockies baseball soon (though not much, as I'll make you go to another site that features my writing - PurpleRow.com - for the real in-depth info), since pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training next weekend (OH MY GOD I LOVE THOSE WORDS).

'Til then, take 'er easy.

Peyton Manning died in a plane crash...

2010-02-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

You bet he did, last night on board United Flight 947 on his way to China for a Kittie and Winds Of Plague show.

Anyway, Nikki and I are starting the process of finishing our basement this weekend. We bought all of the lumber last weekend - along with a new TV, which sucked my slobodan so we took it back and got a Samsung instead. Keep this in mind - only buy Samsung or Sony TV's. Everything else is just a waste of time/money. At the very least, don't buy an Insignia. You get what you pay for. Back to the basement - we hope to have it framed by the end of the weekend so we can run the electrical during the week and get starting on sheet-rocking next weekend. Life is good...I'll post pictures along the way. That's pretty much what I wanted to let y'all in on.

The new Crime In Stereo album leaked, so I'll throw up a review sometime during the next week. Let's just say that it is taking some getting used to, but I think I'll like it after it's all said and done. I'll probably do a review of the Super Bowl, too, though I'm sure I won't end up watching much of it due to the fact that I'll be attending a Super Bowl party. Anybody who has experienced one of those knows that very little football ends up being watched, despite the fact that it's on the TV screen for the entire duration of the gathering.

Welp, see ya later.

I watched a change in you...

2010-01-29T06:51:00.000-08:00

I was going to title this "Sometimes Selling Out Is Waking Up," but it would have flown right over most people's heads.

Over the past three or four years, I've been going through a lot of changes. Apparently, all of that came to a head when I decided to try my first drink a few months ago. Since then, I've been ridiculed and judged by some, while accepted (and in some cases, even congratulated) by others. It seems that every possible reaction has been conveyed to me upon the release of the new information.

I guess it all started a few years ago when I was approaching the end of my several-year tenure of doing shows. I was growing tired of all of the empty accusations, shit-talk, and drama, and was beginning to find out who my real friends were. I didn't know it at the time, but found out later that for the entire time I was doing shows, I was getting thrown under the bus by people who I thought were my friends but apparently, were pretty far from it. It got to the point where hardcore and straight edge didn't mean what they used to. I made the mistake of exposing myself to "the business end" of hardcore, and it wasn't a pretty sight. It has actually almost completely ruined everything I once loved about it. I have to put some of the blame on myself for losing sight of what hardcore actually meant to me over the decade prior, but I'm definitely not responsible for all of it. Anyway, despite the fact that I pretty much ceased attending shows and hanging out with the people that I was friends with for the past 5+ years, I stayed straight edge. I knew that without it, I would have been in a dark place while going through all of the shit that was happening in my life at the time (all of the stuff above, combined with going through a divorce, was a tough pill to swallow).

Fast forward to 2009...I found myself completely not in love with the idea of labeling myself as straight edge (and for all of you "lifestyle" elitists, I didn't give a shit about that anymore, either). I despised it, and talked shit on the idea of it most of the time. So, realizing I was doing a tremendous disservice to those who were still taking it seriously, I decided to give up on it altogether in June of 2009. And, before you get the hankering to run your mouth, I'm hoping that you read everything above and realize that this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment, "my friends drink so I do too" thing. It was a long, drawn-out process. I knew then, and still know now, that without straight edge, I wouldn't be in a successful marriage, have a great job, or own a nice house. So for that, I'm thankful. However, it's just not for me anymore. People who are truly supportive of me will understand that, as I understand (and am sympathetic toward) their changes and other happenings in life.

It wasn't until October that I took my first sip of alcohol (that's exactly what it was - a sip), just to get curiosity out of the way. It was okay - definitely nothing life-changing, but I knew that if I wanted to have a drink, I would do just that. After all, it's all about doing what YOU want to do. Fuck what anybody else thinks. So, after consuming about one total fluid ounce of alcohol from that point until the beginning of December, I went to a bar with my friends, had a few drinks, got a little bit drunk, and DIDN'T drive home. Since then, I've had some drinks every other weekend or so, and haven't really experienced much more than a slight buzz. I had a lot of reservations when I started doing this - I wasn't even sure how or why it happened, but I was worried that it would become an addiction, as my family has a history of that. However, I've found myself to be quite responsible, and it has bloomed into nothing but a social activity that happens every so often (though, I'm still in a bit of an awkward stage and have been told that I look like a teenage girl when I drink).

So, you may be asking "What's next, heavy binge drinking, weed-smoking, cocaine, and meth?" Well, no. I try not to be an idiot, though shit does indeed happen. But, I guess it all boils down to this: regardless of what I do, it is truly my decision, and while I'll respect other people's opinion on the matter, it won't change who I am or who I'll become (even if I wanted it to). I trust myself enough to know that I'll make only the best decisions, and those close to me do as well (that's what I'm told, at least). I'm still the same old lovable, fun-loving, easy going Bryan, though. I hope that's the one that people became enamored with, not the "tough-guy, full-of-hate, fuck-you-I'm-edge" Bryan who died years ago (and probably wasn't even real in the first place).

VINYL NERD ALERT: Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot

2010-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

So, I received this beauty in the mail today. I pre-ordered it like a month ago, and I thought it was supposed to come at the end of last week, but instead I was left hanging until today. It was definitely worth the wait, though. The album's packaging is of the gatefold variety, as it is a double LP. I'm not sure how limited the pressing I bought is, but it's good looking regardless, as both records are white and black-colored. The vinyl version also includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks ("D10 D11" and "Deportation Spreads") that were not on the CD or digital versions. And, as is usually the case with unreleased tracks, they are two of the better songs on the entire recording. Anyway, I've included a link to download the album below (with the two bonus tracks included). Enjoy...I know I will! Oh, and I don't really need to review this album. It was my number one album of 2009, and I posted a somewhat in-depth review in a Facebook note. Go find that if you want details, or just trust me when I tell you that "The Tropic Rot" is terrific.

Rating: 9/10
Recommended if you like: Cursed, Deftones, Cave In
Favorite Track: "Pamplemousse"

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Check Out This Album: Sleigh Bells - EP

2010-01-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

My good buddy Davyn introduced me to this band a couple of months back, and I didn't really give them the time of day until now. I was searching through songs to put on a playlist and I randomly picked "Crown on the Ground" by Sleigh Bells and was hooked. I'm not really a fan of Electropop, and I definitely hate The Sounds, but this band has elements of both, and I love them for some reason. They have this purposely blown-out type of sound, and it just works. Maybe I only like them because they only have two members - one is Derek Miller, formerly of Poison The Well, and the other is some good looking babe named Alexis. Anyway, they've said they never plan on making their demo available for sale, so I'll just post the download link here. Every song on it is really good except for the tracks A/B Machines and 2HELLWU, which are kind of clownshoes if you ask me. Good stuff, though, overall. Thank me later, and go thank them now for making good music.

Rating: 7/10
Recommended if you like: The Sounds, Santogold, Yeah Yeah Yeahs!
Favorite Track: "Crown on the Ground"

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Last Name Ever, First Name Greatest

2010-01-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you all know that the playlist I posted yesterday was a HIT! Everybody I talked to at work loved it - even people with no vested interest in what was going on. Like, for example, the 40-ish year old packing temp who told me that she was pleased with it because there was a wide array of music. Plus, my boss gave me props for it so that's always good. And as an added bonus, I never had to hear that god-awful Bear vs. Shark song because it never came on when I was in the room.

Anyway, I've been arguing with a lot of people lately about NFL's Pro Bowl and how it has been moved to the week before the Super Bowl, as opposed to the week after - where it has been since its inception. Their main gripe with it is that the players who were voted to the All-Pro teams who play for one of the Super Bowl teams won't participate in the game. While I see that as a valid point, it doesn't diminish the quality of the game. Instead, what diminishes the quality of the game is when you play it a week after the Super Bowl, when nobody gives a shit about football anymore except for that 350-pound guy with the West Valley beard wearing one of those leather jackets with every team's logo sewn on it. Not to mention, the game was played in Hawaii every year in a half-full stadium on fucking artificial turf. All of that, combined with the fact that only about 8 people watched it, made for some unmotivated football and as a result, the Pro Bowl was a bigger snooze fest than a Raiders-Chiefs game in December.

Now, with the game being played a week before the Super Bowl, and at the same site as the Super Bowl, I guarantee you the place will be packed and the ratings will sky rocket - even if Peyton Manning and Brett Favre aren't there pretending to have fun and play hard. Look, the Super Bowl has always needed more big time football-related festivities surrounding it, so I'm all for this, and I'm sure the majority of the NFL's fan base will be as well.

That's all for now. I'm supposed to get the vinyl that I've been waiting for so patiently for a month now. If/when I do, I'll post a picture and review of it.

80's Billy Joel Doo-wop Sucks!

2010-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

So, we're having a party/BBQ-type deal at work tomorrow, and my boss asked Mayra (one of my co-workers) and I to create a music playlist. The reason for that is because apparently we were the only ones that complained about the music selection for the last work function (which, I shit you not, consisted ENTIRELY of sad mexican songs). In case you're saying to yourself, "oh fuck that Bryan's just a big racist pile of shit," Mayra herself is latina and still thought the tunes were obnoxious.

So, here is our version of an Easton Party Playlist (which does include some Spanish songs, in case you still think I'm a bigot). My selections have an asterisk next to them; the rest are Mayra's or other people's (like Jacques, who thankfully suggested Katy Perry and MGMT):

Crime in Stereo - Animal Pharm*
Bear vs. Shark - Buses/No Buses
Britney Spears - 3
The Movielife - Walking on Glass
Foo Fighters - Everlong
El Desprecio - Aventura
Elvis Crespo - Pintame
Michael Jackson - You Rock My World
La Quinta Estacion - El Sol No Regresa
Santana - Oye Como Va
Celia Cruz - Azucar Negra
Kenny Chesney - Young
Jimmy Eat World - Pain*
Kanye West - RoboCop*
Kid Cudi - Day n Nite*
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get*
Muse - Uprising
Open Hand - Tough Girl*
Poison The Well - Riverside*
Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground
Tegan and Sara - Walking With a Ghost*
Drake (ft. Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Eminem) - Forever*
DJ Felli Fel (ft. Ludacris, Diddy, Lil Jon, and Akon) - Get Buck in Here*
Maino (ft. T-Pain) - All the Above*
Katy Perry - Hot n Cold
MGMT - Kids

Sure, some of these songs are fucking terrible (who the hell suggested Bear vs. Shark?), but I bet girls are going to be getting their grind on left and right to this mix. Either that, or I'll get fired because it sucks so bad. We'll see...wish me luck!

Album Review: I Am The Ocean - Escapist Fiction

2010-01-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

So look, I know these guys are my friends so you may think my opinion is slightly biased, but you'll no longer pin such heinous accusations on me when you see my next sentence.

Taylor, Eric, Jeremy, Dreu, Kellen, and everybody else that has or had something to do with this band - this is not a personal attack. I love you guys. With that being said, I did not like I Am The Ocean's first effort, "And Your City Needs Swallowing." It was honestly kind of a snooze fest. Make no mistake about it - these guys are talented musicians who know how to write in-depth songs and play their instruments very well. However, the boredom that consumed me while listening to that album made me probably rate it a 4/10. However, all of the negative things I said above DO NOT apply to IATO's newest album, "Escapist Fiction." From the very first track, "Yours," I could already tell that this wasn't going to be the same sleep-inducing 54 minutes that their first album tended to be. Instead it was heavy, intense, well-written, vocally competent, and just plain good. That certainly did not stop with "Let Awe In," which completely epitomizes how this band has progressed into a force to be reckoned with. On the track "Grace," Dreu does some terrific things with his vocal melodies - at times leaving the band sounding a touch like ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Our Dead and The Juliana Theory - the latter of which continues through a good portion of the album. On the tracks "Stealing from Clifton" and "Icy," the instrument players sound about as cohesive as you can possibly sound - which is something this band has never had much of a problem with - while never compromising technicality or heaviness.

All in all, this is a terrific record which unfortunately probably won't be heard by as many people as it deserves to be. Good job, dudes - you deserve everything good that comes your way as a result of this effort.

Rating: 9/10
Recommended if you like: Glassjaw, The Juliana Theory, Thrice
Favorite Track: "Let Awe In"

MySpace
DL - I would put up a download link, but they're my friends so you should support them by buying their record. So, I linked to the album's iTunes store page instead. Get over it.

O HAI!

2010-01-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my website. Or blog, as all of the kids say these days. I was hoping I'd be able to have Angelfire or Geocities host this page, but what can you do, right?

Anyway, the purpose of this initial post is to introduce myself. I'm Bryan (better known as The Old Grizzly Bear, The Big Guy, or BFKP), a happily married 26-year-old dude living in Utah. I like it here for the most part, but my heart lies in places such as Denver, CO and San Diego, CA. One day, I'd like to leave everything behind (with the exception of my wife and dog, of course) and escape to one of those places.

Um, what else...oh, I love music. Though I'm not actively involved with the "hardcore community" anymore (I'll get into that later), I still have a passion for the music, message, and meaning of the hardcore 'genre' (although all of the bullshit that comes along with it has been exploited over the years). I also love collecting vinyl; I used to be into it in the latter part of the 90's/early part of the 00's, but found myself unable to afford it. However, now that I make a decent living for myself, I can afford to buy a record or ten every once in a while.

It sounds cliche, but my friends and family mean the world to me. A lot of things have gone wrong with my family in the past, but no matter what, I'm always going to be around to help them, and I hope the same goes vice-versa. I also married into a new family, and they are wonderful, loving, and caring people. I couldn't have hand-picked a better bunch of in-laws. A lot of my closest friends have been going through changes lately (myself included - again, more on that later), and it has put some strain on our relationships with each other, but I strongly believe that friendship will prevail in the end. Or, at least I hope so.

Last but not least, sports...while I've always been a huge sports fan, I found myself clinging to them even more when my life hit a downward spiral about five years ago. Ever since, my passion for them has surpassed what it ever was before - even in the MLB/NBA glory days of the mid-90's. I am completely and utterly (and disgustingly, for that matter) in love with University of Utah football and basketball, as well as the Colorado Rockies baseball club. I'm in the process of erecting a man cave in the basement of my home to show my love for the three squads. God, I'm a fucking loser.

So, that's that for now. Check in regularly, as I'll be updating this quite frequently with sports/life thoughts, album reviews, vinyl scores, and all sorts of other shit. Until then, take 'er easy.