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

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

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...

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...

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

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

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

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.