9

This movie looks really cool. Reminds me of a dark, action packed, post apocalyptic story with an original twist... actually that's exactly what it is.

Check it.

Music Year in Review: From My Perspective

2008 overall was a great year for music. We kicked off the year amazingly, having Radiohead performing their latest masterpiece In Rainbows in its entirety for everyone to see. The performance was taped and released on YouTube.

Shortly after, we were shown just what the magic men in Death Cab for Cutie had in store for us, by doing the unexpected, and dropping the first single of their critically acclaimed Narrow Stairs: "I Will Possess Your Heart". The song clocked in at a magnificent 8 minutes, and was mildly experimental compared to their previous works. The album eventually dropped, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, and even ended up as my #2 album of the year.

Without a doubt, 2008 was the year of the comebacks. Metallica released their latest album, their first in a long time, about 5 years. Some people say this was going to be their last chance to win people over, and keep their credibility among fans and critics. I think it's safe to say the band did so with Death Magnetic. The album rekindled old spirits with it's thrashy song structures, guitar solos, and attitude, but still blending new school, agroesque influences.

Although I didn't pick up Guns n' Roses latest Chinese Democracy, one must applaud the fact tat they finally released it. The album was announced in the 90's, and we just now got it.

Speaking of comebacks, the underground music world didn't have much to complain about. Christian Heavy Metal legends Living Sacrifice made their comeback, co-headlining the massive Christian Metal tour featuring Oh Sleeper, Demon Hunter, The Famine, and Advent. While we're on the subject, both bands Advent and The Famine fall under our category for big comebacks, considering both bands rose from the ashes of former Christian metal bands. Advent features members of one of my favorite bands: Beloved. And The Famine, members of Embodiment. Both bands released new music, and both records were pretty sweet.

2008 had some pretty sour parts as well. My all time favorite band, Life in Your Way, ended their long run. Even though the band is done, they left quite a legacy behind, three full length albums, and great memories. I had actually grown close to the members, and had befriended them, and they will be missed, but something inside tells me they might be back.

Thrice completed their 4 disc release The Alchemy Index Parts I-IV. The entire project was eic, and some people asked why I left it off my top albums list, and the answer is simple, it was just too epic to feature, but it deserves it's own acclaim. The effort is quite a feat, and an ambitious one at that, however they passed with flying colors.

Kanye West dropped his latest 808's & Heartbreak, the first record since the passing of his mother, and the separation from his fiance. The album was extremely personal as one can imagine, and Kanye took quite the leap of faith on his new style, displaying both talent and originality. The record received praises from critics, separated fans, and ended up as my #1 album of the year.

Alot more happened in 2008, but this sums up some of the biggest headlines from my point of view. 2009 hopes to feature a handful of great new records, some long awaited comebacks.

I'll see you there!

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel Engaged?

Again, stole this from Buzzgrinder.
This is one of those news bits where im both happy, scared and surprised at the same time. Mainly because I think Ben Gibbard is a genius musician, and Deschanel is cute, but a less than stellar actress, REALLY good singer.

I didn't even know they were dating though.

Good for them. Maybe there will be some weird John and Yoko thing that happens, Death cab will break up, but it wont matter because Ben IS DCFC.

Ryan Gosling Has a Band? IS Going to Suck My Blood?

Caught this over on Buzzgrinder.
Ryan Gosling (The Notebook) has a band, and this their video.

Is it just me or does he sound like Dracula. Im sure this song would be alot better if the recording was solid, instead of artsy fartsy terrible.

Anyways, check it out.

In The Room Where You Sleep (live video version)

IGN Posts Top 10 Christian Rock Bands That Don't Suck

I would obviously put some more notable bands on this list, but by all means, most of these are all pioneers of the "genre".

Plus it's pretty cool to see this list on IGN.

[link]

2008 Albums of the Year

I decided to take a different approach this year.
Normally I do a top 25, and do summaries of the top 10. Unfortunately, I simply didn't have enough time to do that, and there are just far too many great albums of this year to do a top 25.

So here we go.
Feel free to comment on them, post yours, or we can debate about why I chose what I did.

Also, I probably forgot about some albums, so I apologize.

1. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak
2. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
3. Emarosa - Relativity
4. Means - To Keep me From Sinking
5. Norma Jean - The Anti-Mother
6. Metallica - Death Magnetic
7. Saints Never Surrender - Brutus
8. Take it Back - Can't Fight Robots
9. Misery Signals - Controller
10. Trenches - The Tide Will Swallow us Whole

Honorable Mentions
Lower Definition - The Greatest of All Lost Arts
Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Seperation
Our Last Night - The Ghost Among Us
Spitfire - Cult Fiction
Destroy the Runner - I Lucifer

Best Debut
Our Last Night - The Ghost Among Us

Best Production
Misery Signals - Controller (Devin Townsend)

Breakout Album of the Year
Emarosa - Relativity

Best Song
Robots 3 Humans 0 - Norma Jean

Worst Album of the Year
Attack Attack - Someday Came Suddenly

UFC 92 Fight Predictions

Without a doubt the biggest fight card of the year, perhaps the biggest fight card in mixed martial arts history? Who knows.

Nonetheless, there are some great fights, and if you're not a UFC fan and you're trying to get into it, I would recommend checking this one out.

I went 2-1 on my predictions for the TUF finale, and before that I think I went 1-3 so to say the least im down but not out.

Here we go.

Forrest Griffin Vs. Rashad Evans

What a match up, champion Forrest Griffin comes off his huge title win over Rampage Jackson in a fight for thr history books. Evans off of his huge win, defeating and knocking out Chuck Liddel.

I think the thing to keep in mind about this fight is both fighters strengths. Evans is a striker without a doubt, he can defend on the ground, and even take some ground offensive, but the chances of this one going to the ground is slim. Evans is a perfect puncher, and we saw that in his fight against Liddell, and my guess is he will deal some pretty serious blows to Forrest.

On the other hand, we look at Forrest Griffin. Perhaps one of the most well conditioned fighters i've ever seen. Forrest's greatest strength lies in the fact that he can absolutely stand toe to toe with the heaviest hands in the UFC, especially after seeing him go 5 rounds with Jackson, while Jackson delivered blow after blow that would have KOed anyone else.

With that being said, this one on tape, looks like a toss up. However, I have trouble believing that Rashad Evans will do anything more than what Rampage did in his fight, and that's beat the living crap out of Forrest Griffin. Although that might sound like i'm saying Evans will win, it's not. Griffin's main tactic is that he doesn't mind people beating the crap out of him, but by doing this, his opponents waste their energy and remain frustrated enough to where they make big mistakes.

WINNER: Forrest Griffin

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir

This is the fight for the intterim championship between the TUF coaches, Nogueira and Mir. What that means, is that Nogueira is the Pride Fight champion, which UFC owns.

This fight will simply come down to ground game, and experience, in which Nogueira has over Frank Mir.

This one to me is a no brainer.

WINNER: Antonio Nogueira

Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson

This one looks like a tossup to me. Jackson has been defeated by Silva once before, but Jackson is more in his prime than ever, with something to prove after his loss to Forest Griffin. On the other hand, Silva seems like he's lost touch after showing less than stellar performances, even though some wins, in his last few fights. This one is a close one, but i'm gonna call for a winner.

WINNER: Quinton Jackson



OTHER FIGHT PREDICTIONS

CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio :: C.B. Dulloway
Matt Hamill Vs. Reese Andy :: Matt Hammill

Official Wolverine Origins Trailer

I posted the leaked one from Comicon a while back, and of course it was taken down. That trailer was a bit more in depth than this, but nonetheless, it looks like a great flick.

By the way, if you haven't seen this yet, you've been living in a hole.

My Take on Junie Browning

The Ultimate Fighter contestant Junie Browning has garnered quite the reputation as a loose cannon on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, and people were pretty skeptical from his performances on the show as well.

Shortly after the show was over, the announcement was made that he would be fighting other team Mir favorite Dave Kaplan at the TUF Finale.

Browning ended up walking away with the victory, in what some people called fight of the night, and definitely surprised some people, as well as possibly holding his spot in the UFC.

Check out this interview where Browning ultimately admits he was an idiot on the show, as well as predicting the unexpected winner of the Escudero/Nover fight.

Lack of Posts

I apologize, i've been super busy with finals and stuff, but I promise i'll have some new stuff tomorrow possibly, including reviews, yearly wrap up, and my albums of the year!

So drop by soon!

-Jaye

The Ultimate Fighter Finale

The Final 4 is set for The Ultimate Fighter finale on Saturday December 13th, live and FREE on Spike TV.

Here's some highlights on the fight card.

Phillipe Nover Vs. Efrain Escudero

Though Efrain defeated favorite Junie Browning, I think this one is going to be one sided on behalf of Nover. Nover's skills have gone simply unmatched throughout the show, displaying phenomenal striking ability, and an equally impressive ground game.

WINNER: Phillipe Nover


Ryan Bader Vs. Vinicius Magalhaes

Vinnie Magalhaes is a text book Jiu Jitsu master, but last weeks fight between Ryan Bader and Elliot Marshall, who is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, showed that Bader can defend against the ground attacks, by using his size and wrestling ability. Close fight, but I think this one comes down to Bader's wrestling ability again.

WINNER: Ryan Bader

Junie Browning Vs. Dave Kaplan

This is honestly a toss up. After watching Browning on the show, i've come to the conclusion that he just wasn't a focussed fighter. Maybe training with Team Coutoure has made him a more focused fighter. His striking ability is amazing, he throws some of the best, and most painful looking body shots i've ever seen. Bottom line is I simply haven't seen enough of Dave Kaplan to pass a judgment on him, he was absolutely destroyed by Phillipe Nover. Toss Up.

WINNER: Toss Up

Untooned

Alot of people probably have seen these, but I think they're amazing.
Basically they're just photo manipulations of famous cartoon characters.

NOTE: They're pretty creepy haha.

Real Life Photoshop

Someone posted this on emptees and I thought it was pretty sweet.

THRICE Live

Found this on another blog the other day, enjoy until the DVD comes out!

New Glassjaw Track

Legendary post-hardcore pioneers Glassjaw have posted a new song.
You can hear the track "You Think You're (John Fucking Lennon)" on their WEBSITE.

The song plays after about a minute and a half of a loop on the page, so wait for it.

This sounds extremely promising, and could be huge.

Black Friday Madness

Haha, so the image above ISN'T from black friday, it's a hardcore show. But they kinda remind me of these.

Anyways.
My story isn't that great. I'll sum it up.
In Lexington (big city close to where I live), there are 2 Best Buys, but one is fairly new, and people tend to forget about it. We went to this one. At the other one, people where camping in tents at 10 P.M. the day before.

I got up at 3:30 A.M., stood in line at 4 A.M. and only waited in line for 45 minutes, got in and got everything I wanted.

So...
Needless to say, I conquered black friday.

Anyone else have any crazy stories?
Other than the poor fellow who died yesterday :-(

New Watchmen Trailer

[link]

Amongst all the hype, i've simply been skeptical of this movie. I didn't know how well it was going to translate over to film. They need to push the drama envelope with this film, because that's what the graphic novel did.

It's not a super hero flick.
It's a mystery/drama about a group of people struggling with personal issues INSIDE of a reality where there are super heroes.

Just saying
I'm sure the flick will be great.

Doing More Reviews

I kinda got away from that for a while, but apparently people like that.
So...
I'll try to do more!

Thanks
-Jaye

REVIEW: Saints Never Surrender - Brutus

If there has been one trend as of late, and one I can't say I mind, it's the list of ever growing bands that draw from the "melodic hardcore" or Shai Hulud-esque influences. I personally grew up listening to bands like Beloved, Strongarm and Life in Your Way, both pioneers of the genre, and then later on grew to love bands like With Honor, and yes, Shai Hulud.

Though many bands try to imitate Shai Hulud's sound, they always seem to come close, but lack something, and it's usually the same thing; the technicality.

Saints Never Surrender's latest effort, Brutus is their third release, and second full length. This time aronud, they come out of the gate with the noticeable improvement of recording quality. The entire record is excellently pu ttogether. The guitar tones are both crisp and firm, the drums are precise, and though the records biggest flaw, the vocals, seem to detract, their recording is done nicely.

Brutus begins with a guitar tapping intro, extremely melodic, slow, and atmospheric, but this is the only time we see the band slow down. The album is extremely fast paced, and doesn't slow down. Mixing hardcore drumming with some very intricate arrangements as far as technicality goes. Songs are comprised of tons of short parts that rarely repeat, and transition so fast, it's even hard for me to keep up.

Where the music is strong, the vocals tend to lack. I'm personally not fan of the singers voice, but it does its job. However, some of the rythms don't follow the technicality of the music. They tend to jump around quite oftenm leaving the listener scratching their head.

while it's easy to get lost in the vocals, it's imparative that the listener pays attention to the music, as this is the records strongest suit, and what makes this an incredible record.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Kicking Off Christmas Movie Marathon

I'm kicking off Christmas movie marathon today by heading to the theatre and watching Four Christmases.

I'm a big Vince Vaughn fan, and this movie looks really funny.
I'll let you know my thoughts later.

Awesome Tee

I check out a few sweet t-shirt websites for designers, and there are always some pretty interesting shirts out there.

I'd like to think that I have a more particular tastes in the shirts I appreciate as well. It has to do more with cleverness and effectiveness as opposed to technicality of the design.

Anyways, This one IS awesome.

Top 25 Records of 2008 (COMING SOON)

I've been seeing alot of people's lately.
I simply can't bring myself to post mine yet, it's just too early.

However, it should be a great list because there have been some amazing records this year, even a few surprises.

Till then...
-Jaye

Hard Candy

Told my girlfriend I wasn't going to do this, but she knows me all too well.

We watched a crazy movie tonight that has been out for quite some time, but nonetheless, I encourage everyone to watch it. Great movie.

Carlton Cuse on Season 5 of LOST

Sorry, i'm going LOST crazy now.
Here is an interesting little interview with Carlton Cuse, one of the two main writers for the show.

At 3:20 he says something pretty interesting.

LOST Season 5 Promo/Subliminal Message

Last week during Grey's Anatomy, ABC debuted the first official cable promo for LOST Season 5.

For those that don't follow, this is the second to last season of LOST, and things are simply getting more intense than ever.

Check out the promo below.

Also inside the promo, just like most other things in LOST, and more notably, the promos, there WAS a subliminal message at approx. 1:34

A symbol/logo for AJIRA AIRWAYS.

What this actually is, is a mystery, but after doing some research, there is another fake website for the company that is much like some of the previous fake promo sites.

Here's some other info i've found relating to the logo.

Taken from LOSTpedia

* Ajira is Hindi for "island" or "isle".
* Ajira in Sanskrit may mean "a place to run or fight", "area" or "court".
* Ajira in Sanskrit also means "The Body" and "Any object of sense, air, wind, a frog" "Swift"
* Ajira in Islam means "Eternal life after Death"

I think the most interesting one of these, is the Eternal life after Death one. Possibly the island IS some place to go after death, or in some New Age practices (which J.J. Abrams is apart of), the island could be the utopia, trying to be corrupt by man, and life off of the island, or (the real world) could be considered death.

Your guess is as good as mine haha.
Add that to the list of theories.

Dustin Kensrue in Covington Kentucky

Thrice frontman, and alternative country singer Dustin Kensrue is coming to The Madhatter in Covington Kentucky. Excited? Uh, yeah.

Dustin has been known to obviously sing his own songs, possibly his new Christmas songs, as well as Thrice songs, and a cover or two or three.

My personal favorite is his cover of "Round Here" by Counting Crows, which I have a recording of.

Catch him on January 29th.

Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak

I've been a big Kanye West fan ever since I heard his story on "Through the Wire". An aspiring musician, and the big brain behind so many great rappers, such as the king himself JAY-Z, and all of his production just about, his near death accident, and his debut album seemed captivating to me.

Throughout his career, West has gained much criticism, not for his music, but his cocky attitude. Indeed he has lived up to the criticism, but credit must be given where it is due, his skills are simply un-matched. A self proclaimed heir to the throne of Jigga, West has built up quite the prominence.

His talents are displayed in his lyrical content, his production abilities, and over all artistic vision behind his record, and he always seems to set the bar for innovation in the rap world.

His last record Graduation, saw West's collaborative attempts with a wide array of artists, again to make a great record.

Now, after his mother's tragic death, and a renaissance of sorts, Kanye has re-created himself, and again become the embodiment of innovation. On his latest record 808's & Heartbreak he takes a back seat on what has made him so huge, his rapping. Instead, he switches his style, to a more pop infused dance, and melodic approach, one that he does very well.

To describe the style, all one can say is that he has kept low key throughout. Every song features the same drum sound, a real live 808 drum sound that is carried throughout the album, mixed with synth based textures and keys, then layered here and there with string arrangements. Though West shows his rapping ability, 90% of the record is based off of his singing. This alone can be a noticed differnece, the addtion of Auto-Tune, and synth pop vocals. Something that has been a new trend, especially in underground music lately, however West does it the way it's supposed to be done.

Each melody is superb, both hooky and catchy, but most of all subtle. So many times that we've heard the use of dramatic auto tuning, it's all over the place, and is not masked or done with taste at all. The emotion behind each song makes up for the breakup album of the century.

Bottom line is that THIS is Kanye's defining record. Probably not one he will capitalize on over and over again, but it's the fact that he went out on such a limb to do what he is doing, and therefore, breaking boundaries, and setting fourth on his own journey.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Christmas Move List

So Christmas is my favorite time of the year as i've already stated. I just get super hyped for it.

But with all great themed holidays comes movies.
So.

Starting the day before Thanksgiving, my girlfriend and friends will be starting Christmas Movie Month.

The goal is to try and watch all of these movies!

- Elf
- Christmas Vacation
- Home Alone 1 & 2
- Jingle All the Way
- A Christmas Story
- Fred Clause
- The Santa Clause
- Bad Santa
- Christmas With the Kranks
- Eight Crazy Nights
- The Grinch
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Polar Express
- Scrooged
- A Nightmare Before Christmas
- A Charlie Brown Christmas

iPHONE Tips

Just thought i'd post a couple random iPhone tips that people may or may not know.

When texting/typing, if you double tap the space bar, it adds an automatic period and space.

If you double tap the HOME button, it brings up an iPod controller to skip songs, or pause.

There ya go.
;-)

HIDDEN DANGERS: Starbucks Salted Caremel Hot Chocolate

So i'm into figuring out nutrition things for alot of regular places I go, especially ever since I got EAT THIS AND NOT THAT.

Basically, im not trying to make people feel bad, but im gonna at least approach this as an educational tool to inform people what to stay away from.

Bottom line, it's the little things that count when you're trying to cut pesky pounds, or just stay healthy.

Starbucks in itself can be a huge danger if you're not making small int picky decisions.
Here's a quick rundown.

DESERT BASED DRINKS v.s. NORMAL BEVERAGES

The first thing people should recognize when going to Starbucks is the difference between a specialty desert type of drink, and a normal coffee drink.

Yeah, not everyone likes regular coffee, I understand that. However, if you're drinking a WHITE MOCHA, CARAMEL MACCHIATO, FRAPPUCINO, PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE etc. Chances are you're building up in the calorie department, even if you get it with non-fat milk. They fill these suckers with syrup, so just watch out.

Instead, if you're looking for flavor, tryin a simple flavored latte with NON-FAT MILK, and NO WHIP CREAM (I shouldn't have to highlight this). Generally you're looking somewhere under the 200 calorie mark, so give it a try.

I RECOMMEND
- Grande Non-Fat Hazelnut Latte
- Grande Non-Fat Caramel Latte

Which brings me to my next point.

MILK

If you're concerned about small nit picky things, the #1 change should be in your milk. ORDER EVERYTHING NON-FAT. Unless it's regular coffee, 9 times out of 10, you wont be able to tell the difference, but nonetheless, just get off of the whole or 2% milk. Your calorie and fat intake will be significantly cute down.

Which brings me to the main event.
Around the beginning of October, Starbucks introduced their new signature hot chocolates, and im just gonna say, they are incredible. But MAKE SURE this isn't your everyday drink because you will regret it.

Below are the numbers for a GRANDE salted caramel signature hot chocolate with NO WHIP CREAM and NON-FAT MILK.

CALORIES - 510
FAT CALORIES - 180
TOTAL FAT - 20
SATURATED FAT - 12
CARBS - 78

So as you can, this is something that could easily be a meal. Especially when you think...

THIS DRINK HAS MORE CALORIES THAN A BIG MAC!!!!!!!!
So just be careful!

For more info, check out Starbucks nutrition calculator on their website!
[LINK]

Thrice Live CD/DVD

I have been calling for this for quite sometime.
Stoked to see it finally coming out.

This is one of the best bands of our generation. Hands down.

UFC 91

UFC 91 is tonight, im gonna start posting my fight predictions on here.
I only have 3 predictions for tonight. The card honestly isn't THAT great, but it's good to see fights.

Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar

I honestly think this fight is kind of a joke. Yes, Brock Lesnar is big as hell, and he was a great wrestler. But 3 MMA fights and already a UFC heavy shot? Nah, not for me. It's kind of a slap in the face to Couture I think. Nonetheless, I think Couture's experience is gonna take this one!

WINNER
Randy Couture
(submission, early second round)

Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson

This is the fight i'm looking forward to the most. Both fighters are technical as crap, and are fun to watch. It's gonna be close, but I think Joe Stevenson out matches Florian based on technicality. This fight is going to come down to who's judo can defend against the stand-up, and visa versa.

WINNER
Joe Stevenson

Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia

I love Nate Quarry, he's a great fighter, and to be honest, I don't know anything about Maia other than he's supposed to be a supperb fighter. I'm looking forward to this fight, but i'd say it's a tossup.

WINNER
Toss-Up

Christmas Music Recommendations

The holiday season is upon us, and every year I make quite the extensive Christmas playlist for myself, and most of my friends. I try to make a good mix of traditional songs by unconventional artists.

Here are some of my recommendations.



RELIENT K - LET IT SNOW BABY... LET IT REINDEER

Relient K came out with their first Christmas recording in 2003, called Dec the Halls and Bruise Your Hand, this record is actually included in their most recent release, Let it Snow... Let it Reindeer, which also offers a handful of new recordings, amoung original songs.

Their version of the 12 Days of Christmas mixes the normal version with pop punk riffs, and even gives a few humorous calls in the chorus. Definitely a pick up.


DUSTIN KENSRUE - CHRISTMAS ALBUM -

So this record doesn't drop until November 18th, but we got a little taste of it on this guy's previous release. The man above's name is Dustin Kensrue, and he's the vocalist/guitarist for post-hardcore powerhouse: Thrice. Last year he put out an Alternative Country solo release, which included a couple Christmas songs. Now, later this month, Kensrue will drop his second record, but this one is a full Christmas album, including both original songs and Christmas Carrols.

Christmas List

I don't know what everyone is thinking about getting for Christmas, i'll have my eye on some of the black Friday deals (more on that later),but here are some of the top things on my list.

Flat Screen Computer Monitor- I've been looking to run dual monitors while I design for quite some time, and now more than ever is the perfect time to get this done!

WACOM Bamboo Fun - A Wacom tablet is a tool graphic designers and artists use. You have a digital pen, and it allows you to get closer edits and more precise designs.

TOMS SHOES - My first pair are getting a whole, I need a new pair.

Arrested Development Series - Became one of my favorite shows this past summer, and I would love to have it.

Assorted Posters - I need to decorate, and finding a good mix of movie posters, show posters etc. would be nice.

Later on i'll post a few black Friday deals, and what my plans are for that.
Stay tuned!

Guitar Hero World Tour Gets Bad Reviews

Last week, Activision released the 4th installment in the Guitar Hero series (not including Rock the 80s and Aerosmith). Guitar Hero World Tour is the franchises answer to last seasons huge success, and the first full band game ever, Rock Band.

The game features a pretty in depth song list, as well as innovations to both the instruments and the game. However, the game has been criticized in this installment, namely by the gaming industries biggest online magazine, IGN, and receiving the lowest rating in the entire GH/RB war, a 7.9.

Rock Band received a lower ranking than the first, simply due to lack of innovation with the new game, receiving a 9, while RB1 got a 9.4 rating.

Some of the flaws have been faulty instrumentation, gameplay issues, and core values in the games franchise that were just missing.

I have yet to pick up the game with instruments, but I did manage to rent the game itself today, and will be taking the guitar part of the game for a spin tonight.

I'll let you know how it goes.

My Halloween Costume...

Man... I wish I could drop the money on real props haha...
Of course I wont, BUT....

I am determined on building a replica of the hoverboard...
more info soon.


BTW if you haven't figured it out, i'm gonna be Marty McFly

Guitar Hero World Tour

So the official countdown has begun.
GHWT drops this Sunday, and despite picture above, I will be purchasing the XBOX 360 version.

It couldn't have come at a more soon time either, I just broke my second kick pedal for my rock band drums. Im hoping they will be interchangeable, but good news is, the GH drums are cross format.

Here is a rundown of the game

Here is a more in-depth look

ATL Wrap Up

So i've been back for a few days now, it's great to be back home.
There really isn't much to update. I kind of gave the run down with the printer on my MySpace blog, so read that if you want.

All I will say, is when I tell people about it, they seem to look at me pretty puzzled, but honestly, that's ok. The technology that I will be working with is fairly new, and just recently has it been perfected, but when people see it, they will be blown away.

Here are some pictures from the aquarium.

*NOTE: All of these are iPhone pictures.

ATL Trip, Day 1

Hey everyone.
I'm posting this across all my blogs, so if you're reading this on S2S, my MySpace blog, or the Anchor blog, thanks for reading.

I'm currently hanging out in the Omni Hotel, attached to the CNN center, near Olympic park in downtown Atlanta GA.

I'm here attending the SGIA convention, which is a printers convention, looking with an investor into buying a direct to garment printer, which is another service Anchor Media will be offering.

I suppose more on that later.
Moreso, I just wanted to post some sweet pictures and stuff with regards to my trip. It's sweet, check em out. More updates to come.

Follow me on Twitter for updates!

ojayerusalem

anchormedia

Handful of Great Movies

Here is a list of some awesome movies i've seen lately that I think are worthy to pass along!

- Burn After Reading
- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
- Choke

I might see some more soon, there are alot of good ones out.
Also, don't pick up Iron Man unless you get the special edition, virtually NO special features in the standard version.

Re-Launced my Design Company

I've re-launched my design company, there all kinds of new things, and i'm always looking for clients!

If you're thinking about having some graphic design work done, drop us a line, we would love to help you!

www.anchormediaonline.com

www.myspace.com/anchormedia

http://anchormedia.blogspot.com

Preview For Next Weeks Office Episode: Business Ethics

Offf course there are other places you could go to find this, but then why would you come back here?

Hereit is...

TIDBITS :: 9/29/08

- Means broke up

- New Anberlin Record out tomorrow w/ DVD

- Get a $40 Copeland pack when ordering their new CD. Basically cool, overpriced stuff for a band that made one good CD, and is terrible live.

- Iron Man Special Edition out tomorrow with Bust at Best Buy (worth buying)

- Have some new things coming in due time.
Stay tuned for details.

New Brand New Song

There is anew brand new song surfacing around youtube, and quite honestly it's sounding phenomenal.

Here it is, and one is an acoustic version.

Eat This, Not That

Im a big fan of Men's Health magazine, and a few months ago I saw this book in a bookstore and had to pick it up.

If you're looking for a way to subtly cut back ont he calories and eat a bit better...
YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!

It's got just about everything in it.
It goes in depth on alot of common restaurants, and tells you what to eat, and what to stay away from. It also goes into talking about groceries and things like that.

Check it out.

The Fleet of Doom

Some people may have noticed on my MySpace page that I have a really sweet background going on.

It's from an art piece a design company called PALEHORSE came up with.

Check it out.

Sorry...

For the lack of posts, i've been busy.
Have some sweet announcements soon.

The Soloist (RD jr. / Jamie Foxx)

Saw this on Kanye's blog.
Looks captivating.

Underoath's Lost in The Sound of Seperation Debuts at #8

57,000 sold first week aint bad by any standards.
Maybe didn't climb as high as the last release.

I wonder if it has anything to do with singer Spencer Chamberlain publicly stating he was addicted to cocaine when the band left Warped tour that one year, and that he STILL struggles with it.

Read the article about it in AP.
It's interesting, and kinda sketchy.

iTunes 8 Now Available (Pretty Sweet)

New iTunes launched the other day.
It's pretty awesome if I must say so myself.

The Office Back on iTunes!!!

Last season NBC took its hit show (and one of my favorite shows) The Office off of iTunes.

The network wanted to charge more than $1.99 per episode (somewhere around the $4 mark, daaang).

This is pretty sweet, im glad to see it back.

R.I.P. Evan Tanner

1971-2008

Evan Tanner, a MMA fighter, best known for his long career in the UFC. Tanner was one of my favorite fighters to watch, and though his death is abrupt, he died doing something he loved.

Tanner was hiking in the desert of California, where he got lost and died from heat exhaustion.

Rest in Peace

6 Songs Off of Death Magnetic

Im not sure if you have to sign up for Mission Metallica, but you should, it's free. It's worth the 6 songs too....

Check em out.
http://www.missionmetallica.com/death-magnetic-exclusive-stream

Thwomp in the House of Boo - This is the Hunger of Bears

In today's world of music, it's rare to hear a band with originality. The whole needle in the haystack metaphor comes to mind when looking through the stacks upon stacks of carbon copy, MySpace friendly bands whose songs run together from chug, to sing, to 4x4, to puberty. It's a shame to say too, because there are a handful of bands out there trying to develop their own substance, but unfortunately, so much is taken away from them by teensters waiting to get signed by the next guy living on his mother's couch.

Fortunately enough though, look no further. Out of the rolling hills of Verona Kentucky comes a Mario named band called Thwomp in the House of Boo, or TITHOB for short. Their debut, This is the Hunger of Bears came out some time ago, but for the sake of people who care about music's sanity, I figured I would throw a review of their record at you.

From start to finish, this is a spazzy heavy outlet that will leave you scratching your head (in a good way) wondering where you've just been for the last half hour. Though the band takes a undertone metalcore outline of heavy chugs and growling vocals as the basis of their musical ADD formula, they quickly flip it on its backside to redefine the sound.

The record is at its very core a heavy music record, however it draws bits and pieces of Sonic Youth esque distortion to give it a tossed salad type of feel. Though you may be listening to what sounds like some sort rock riff such as the beginning of "All Day Grillet" the records first actual song, you find yourself amidst an atmosphere of screaming noise and distortion later on, somewhat reminiscent of early Post-Hardcore bands such as Heroin, Antioch Arrow, or even genre defining At The Drive-In.

The band utilize a sense of noise among their breed of rock/post hardcore ideas very well, and perhaps the most exciting part of this record, is how young the band is in their musical endeavors. Great bands progress, but even this record has such a sense of outward progression already.

The only low points on this record lie in the recording, which you can't really expect much of on a basically independent band's debut album. The guitar tones are quite crunchy, but the mix itself is actually decent, and the mastering is perfect. The other drawback could be the vocals. At times, the deep growling seems a bit out of place for this band, but hey, you can't really knock a band pushing the boundaries of originality.

This record is a must have for fans of early post-hardcore, even people growing listening to bands like Thursday, considering TITHOB uses quite a bit of aggresive rock style riffs.

FINAL GRADE: A-

New Metallica Song - My Apocalypse

UMMMM
WOW!!!!

Thrash much?

Metallica Song Has Production Issues

As most may know, or maybe you don't.
But the new Metallica single has garnered quite a few complaints. Not because the song isn't good, because it's great, but the song has some mixing and mastering issues. The song distorts all the way through, and even clips on some parts.

I wonder who is getting fired over this...
because honestly, it's inexcusable.

[link]

Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Seperation

Over the past few years, Underoath have walked around the music scene witha huge X on their backs. Seemingly being the poster boys for our generations underground community. Their breakout record They're Only Chasing Safety became the sing songy scream songy anthemic record in which has been used as a blueprint for hundreds of carbon copy bands. 2006's Define The Great Line was supposed to be their opus, and with no pun inteded, their defining record. The record saw a decomposing of the hooky choruses, and a peak at the darkness in which the band gave a sense of.

To me, Define... was just a glimpse of what the band was capable of. While some where hailing them for what was their career record, I just sat back thinking... "there has to be more to this."
In my mind, I was right with the follow up to 2006's acclaimed record, this years Lost in the Sound of Seperation.

Judging by their single that was released quite some time before the actual release, it would seem the band fell into a lull of sorts. Simply reminiscing on what Define... had offered us. Something scary to most bands, especially Underoath, considering they ARE the poster boys.
Instead the album is absolutely everywhere. From beginning to end, the album has an omniscient, and creepy feel to it. With it's technical guitar composition, to the whaling noise in which they have fully invested themselves in.

Songs move along nicely, absolutely unpredictable, and the band has fully embraced, and bridged the gap between their biggest influences in which they have been so vocal about. Bands like Botch, and At the Drive In.

The album's forefront is a narrative on vocalist Spencer Chamberlains public struggle with substance abuse in the past year,and it seems the record starts off in a deep dark hole. Songs barely having any melody, barely any singing, highly bass driven, and minor chords fill tracks 1 through 4. The songs approach the heavier side of Underoath, and are enveloped in the description "DARK SONG".
This seems to be the case all the way up until track 5 "The End is Near". This is the transition track from complete darkness, as after this track it seems the songs get progressively lighter and more melodic, feeling clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie's incredible singing.

The songs from here are incredibly progressive and fast paced, and it isn't until the As Cities Burn esque track "Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear" that we realize this is truly a perfect record that has everything. Forget everything you ever knew about Underoath because this is the band that defines progressive music for our generation. If last generation had Zepplin, this generation has Underoath because for once, they have absolutely been the definition of progressing from record to record without repeating themselves. Rarely, if not ever do they replay any sense of what has made them famous. This is truly a perfect record.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Agraceful - The Great I Am

It's hard for me to pin point exactly where alot of musicians who are barely out of high school, or who should still be in high school are really coming from. It's just odd to me, it's also hard to find a sense of honesty in their music. I can honestly say, looking back on it, if the band I was in while in high school publicly released music, it would be an absolute joke. The thing about growing up a music lover is that you can look back on either the stuff you listened to when you were younger, or even the music you made and laugh.

In Agraceful's case, it's a similar fashion. This young band is the product of ex-Emarosa singer Chris Roetter re-uniting with old band mates to make a new record. The funny thing is, the band has been a band for less than a year, but luckily they have had a working relationship, and found a record deal in what I call the MySpace A&R label Sumerian Records.

With all that being said, the band's debut release The Great I Am is exactly what you would expect from a band of their nature. Simple song structures, low and high screaming parts for your teen angst, breakdowns galore, and oh yeah, you betcha, the ever so illustrious singing choruses.

For all parts, the band passes as generic, and something I honestly can't say is my cup of tee, and though I can't pinpoint it, the band does have some sort of different edge from their peers, however I will get to that in a second. Though the record is pretty cookie cutter, it is honestly catchy as hell and has stayed on repeat for the past few days because I can't get the melodies out of my head.

The record was produced by Grant Beachy at Electric Angel Studios (The Revival Sound, O Jerusalem). Yeah, you saw my bands name to the left, and guilty as charged, I do have a biased opinion. However, the production is pinpoint. Extremely stripped down and crisp.

Bottom line with this record and this band, is like their peers, it's hard to pass any sense of judgment because of how young they are. The key is to watch what they do on their next two releases, and therefore, see the sense of progression they endure. If it's the same thing, I would say write them off, however, i'm an optimist, and this record IS on my good side, so im excited to see what happens next.

FINAL GRADE: B

Book Chat With Rainn Wilson

Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute on the Office) has a video podcast called Book Chat With Rainn Wilson. It's hilarious. Here is the first episode, you can check the rest of them out on YouTube.

Anberlin - New Surrender

I have to admit that I was shocked when I had heard that Anberlin was making another record as soon as they were. The follow up to their highly successful, and impressive title Cities, is New Surrender.

This album is rough before listening, simply because of the fact that it's the follow up to what was probably their career defining record. From the start I have to admit I was scratching my head. The songs seem as if they would have been on one of their previous records, almost a digression of maturity. The songs lack presence, and the melodies aren't as straight forward as many of their songs, and like most Anberlin records some songs stick out as being good, but other are simply forgettable.

For most Anberlin fans, I think all will like this record, however this will not be the album they are remembered for, and i'm sure if they have a deep catalog, this may even be the one that is disregarded as whole. Not saying the record is bad, it just doesn't have the presence and larger than life power pop prowess in which was so apparent in previous releases.

Now that isn't saying this record doesn't have high points. Perhaps the best track is one of the better Anberlin songs i've heard in a while, the last track "Misearbile Visu" sounds like it came directly out of a Death Cab For Cutie record, and sounds quite impressive for the soul fact that it's different. Maybe it's not the direction I or most fans would want to see them take completely, but it's a good track.
Also pop heavy songs like "Haight St." will keep you singing over and over again. I actually love this song. There are some other really great tracks on this one, but I think the lowest point of this record is in the re-recorded version of "The Feel Good Drag" which was on of the more powerful tracks on their sophomore effort Never Take Friendship Personal. The song just sounds terrible re-recorded, and it's way too stripped down from the original. It sounds like a b-side.

Though this isn't their best effort, I think it's worth picking up, just don't go out of your way to learn the words to every song, simply because I don't think most of them will end up on set lists down the road.

FINAL GRADE: B-

The Showdown - Back Breaker

The Showdown rather it was live, or on their last record Temptation Come My Way, the band could be perceived as a complete joke. Temptation was my pick for worst album of the year last year, and it was tough considering they produced an extremely impressive debut album. Their first record was a Southern Metal onslaught, complete with songs about battle, blood, and war, something that fit the demeanor perfect.

On their latest release Back Breaker, the band has rekindled old flames of straight forward metal, and even taking tidbits from Temptation, and chocking them into a mixture that works.

Gone are the cheesy lyrics about Christian perseverance, and back are songs of victory, and war, all themed around Greek mythology (song titles labeled as Achilles, Aphrodite, and Odysseus), the lyrics on this record are just as heavy as the music.

Musically, it's straight forward metal, with Metallica/Pantera esque choruses that do just fine. Some standout tracks are songs like "Back Breaker" "You Will Move" and "Give Us This Day", perhaps the heaviest track on the record. Its weak point comes in "The Hellhound Awaits" a ballad that seems like a B-Side from Temptation.

Bottom line is that this record is one of THE HEAVIEST I've heard this year, and all in all The Showdown is back to their old ways and I couldn't be more excited.

FINAL GRADE: A

Set Your Goals Eulogy Records Contract Bought Out, Self-Releasing Next Album?

Caught wind of this over at Lambgoat.
You can read their story here.

In the story, the band talks about self-releasing their next record. Could be one of the first bands of their size to decide to do this.

We'll see what happens.
Good luck to them.

Updates...

Hey people who read this...
Which I have no idea who does. But hey... I guess i'll post blindly.

Anyways, sorry I haven't been posting as much, i'm still busy with the summer winding down, but I got to go to the aquarium yesterday which was pretty sweet.

I'm gonna have a few CD reviews for people, i've had some people ask me to review some CD's that recently came out, including the new Norma Jean, Wrench in the Works, and I just snagged the new Sounds of Animals Fighting.

Also more random tidbits of news as always.

Take it easy.
Check back.

Also follow me on TWITTER

Comic Booking

So to continue with my little comic book adventure that I started with re-reading The Dark Knight returns...

I finished Wolverine Evolution this past weekend and it was great. Then I sat around and thought of ways to feed my addiction without actually buying another graphic novel, and remembered I had Marvel Civil War 1-6 sitting on a shelf, never been read.

So...
That's what i'm working on now!
Haha

I'll keep you updated

Metallica- Cyanide (OFFICIAL NEW SONG)

If you're as stoked about this as I am, this should put alot of questions to rest. If the rest of this record is like this... Metallica is back as far as im concerned.

This song definitely has a Kill em All/Ride the Lightning/Black Album feel to it, with a little bit more agro sense.

Sounds great.

Nice Record Covers

Buzzgrinder posted this, and my love for Graphic Design is re-posting it.
This blog posted a list of really nice album covers. Actually im not even sure what the list is for, I didn't even read it haha... just looked at the covers.

Check it...

[link]

Reading the Dark Knight Returns

So recently I picked back up The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300). It's an amazing graphic novel that i've had for a while, I just don't think I ever finished it.

Anyways...
For those kinda looking to explore their imaginations...
I recommend picking it up like I have and reading it as a sequel to the Dark Knight movie. It offers quite a bit of closure/continuity to the story. It picks up in the future when Bruce Wayne/Batman is older. The Joker is also older but starts up his tricks again. Harvey Dent is dead, but Two Face reigns. It's pretty sweet to read it this way, even going so far as reading it with Ledger's Joker voice in my head. That's pretty sweet. Batman also has a tank like in the movie haha.

Read it
It's good times.

I See Movies Because I Like Certain Actors

I do... I can't help it.
And in this case I like Michael Cera, although his characters are always generally the same, I love him, and honestly he just hasn't been in enough where i'm tired of it.

Check out this flick...

New Trumpets Layout

Go check it out
Too lazy to do a screen capture right now.

This layout is the debut of my new layout style, it's more graphically centered as opposed to just words ya know?

Alot more appealing I think