Hey Stagger! I’m gonna make my big attack!
Just another WordPress.com weblogArchive for January, 2008
Unconditional Love, Grievances and Pizza
It makes me upset that there is minimal chance that any of these songs will end up in Rock Band, but here are some songs that really should be in that game. I’ve been meaning to make this list for forever now (and it came out way longer than I expected):
- Crazy = Cute by Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer
- Mary Without Sound, Better Open the Door or pretty much any other song by Motion City Soundtrack
- The Loved Ones, Love for Tender or No Action by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.
- Romeo A Go-Go by Every Time I Die
- A to B or First Day by The Futureheads
- Wouldn’t Believe It or 10 Minutes by The Get Up Kids
- Stuck Pig by Glassjaw
- Lying Through Your Teeth or Scandalous by Head Automatica
- Hold Up by The Living End
- Second to Last by New Found Glory
- Your Love by The Outfield
- Halleluajh by Paramore
- Fucking anything by Queen, especially Somebody to Love or Don’t Stop Me Now
Don’t get me wrong, I love Rock Band, but the song list does leave something to be desired. I think a big part of the reason why is that they had to go up against their own monster. Guitar Hero was already on its third installment under a now near household name and Harmonix is trying to sell this ambitious $170 box of rock. To help move units they had to make sure they had songs that people would recognize, leaving us with songs that perhaps aren’t the most fun musically, but that appeal to a wide audience. With their plan to constantly add new songs there is still a chance that some more obscure, fun songs could end up in the game, I just wish they would ask me what to put in it. I’m really looking forward to when they start putting full albums up for download; I would love to be able to play all the way through an album I love with some friends. I think that’s the best way they could get across what they were trying to do with this game in the first place.
In other news, earlier today I acquired one of the (apparently much sought after) Steinways Pizza Packs. If you aren’t in direct contact with me and haven’t heard about this yet, It’s Alive! Records (the very same people that brought us the Chinese Telephones Super Pack) are releasing the new Steinways 7″ “Unoriginal Recipe” and sold 100 Pizza Packs – which include a “pizza crust” colored 7″, a t-shirt, a magnet and some other stuff all packaged in a pizza box. Point is, I should be getting one in the mail in the next few weeks and a bunch of people are already freaking out that they didn’t get one, so yeah, I’m awesome.
And lastly (although it appeared first in the title because it is the most important) this weekend Mal and I saw 27 Dresses and I don’t think I’ve stopped thinking about Katherine Heigl since. Kat, when you see this – and I know you will – call me, I think we’d work well together. Also you’re movie was immensely entertaining even though it was completely predictable and riddled with cheesy dialog and a truly terrible sidekick. None of the said dialog was from you of course, you were brilliant, the sun shining through in a partly cloudy sky. I love you and goodnight.
Chinese Telephones: a love story
With each listen I become slightly more enamored with this album. I can’t think of anything more positive that I could say about music; an album that gets better with age? You sir are a liar!
The first thing that struck me about the Chinese Telephone’s first full length is how well it works as an album. By themselves, most of these songs are great, but the way they are put together on this album gives them something extra, what I’ve heard you might call “je ne sais quoi” (thanks Dr. Frank!) It almost feels as if you’re listening to a live set from a band who perhaps puts a little too much thought into what songs would sound best next to eachother, what song would best open the set, and what would be a great closing song to leave the people wanting more.
The song writing on this album is exactly how I like it. They manage to do a lot with a little, using basic pop punk song writing to make something original. Even if I can only make out a line or two in each song, I enjoy the mix of frantic vocals with the more melodic, singalong parts. Songs like “Stay Around” have a more straight pop-punk feel to them, while songs like “Tell Me Tell Me” feel a little dirtier, which is assisted by the overall sound of the album.
Aside from great songs the overall feel of the album is what propells it from good pop-punk, to a great album. I recomend getting your hands on this as soon as you can so you can really start to love it in a couple of weeks.
Top Tracks: Tell Me Tell Me; Back to you Again; Keep Smiling
What my life is missing
I just read the first chapters of “Wake Up, Sir!” by Jonathan Ames. After 13 pages it appears that this book is ready to do some serious ass kicking. I’m assuming that the narrator is getting ready to get into some serious trouble, only to be bailed out by his trusty valet Jeeves. If anyone wants to write a good book, it’s a pretty safe bet to start with an extremely sarcastic and/or witty narrator and then throw in a thoroughly straight-laced butler/valet/general-keeper-of-well-being. Hugh Laurie’s “The Gun Seller” took this formula, through in some explosions and espionage, and the end product was nothing short of fantastic. I’ll probably write something about how great this book was when I finish it, seeing as the main thing I wanted to do with this blog is talk about the books/movies/albums/video games I read/watch/listen to/play, so that perhaps I could spread a little of the joy in my life to others through good taste.
Top 5’s
Now that the twenty-aught-savage has come to an end, these can be made official.
Top 5 Albums of 2007*:
5) Common – Finding Forever
Top Tracks: So Far to Go; Driving Me Wild; The Game
4) The Ergs! – Upstairs/Downstairs
Top Tracks: Boston, Mass; See Him Again; 2nd Foundation
3) The Copyrights – Make Sound
Top Tracks: Stand Up/Stand Down; Knee Deep; Caveat Emptor
2) Motion City Soundtrack – Even if it Kills Me
Top Tracks: Antonia; Last Night; Fell In Love Without You
1) The Unlovables – Heartsickle
Top Tracks: Let You Go; Have You Ever?; What You Want/What You Got
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light, The Methadones – This Won’t Hurt and Chinese Telephones – s/t
Top 5 Movies of 2007*:
5) You Kill Me
4) Juno
3) Eastern Promises
2) Superbad
1) Knocked Up
Movies that kick too much ass to be on this list: National Treasure 2, Live Free or Die Hard and The Game Plan (I’m really only assuming on that one.)
*I have not even heard/seen a vast majority of the albums/movies released this year so this list is fairly limited and should not be taken to heart.
EDIT: I decided to add my favorite three tracks from each of my top 5 albums.
