An End

I am putting this blog on a type of hiatus. I'll get back to it one day, but I feel like it is tearing my attention from my other creative sources. I'll keep my other two blogs going and I'll keep this one up for a while, I just will not add to it. Thank you for the three years of attention.
Tumblr
Viral Meningoencephalitis

Thank You again
Jay

Mind = Blown

Well, this is all kinds of awkward. I find myself without a topic surrounding entertainment. I have heard a few new albums, and I have checked out a couple of shows since I last updated.

I have been completely wrapped up in school prospects, essays for bursary, and planning for the inevitable future. The path is VERY daunting right now, and full of goo. Mission Goo.

My friend Stephen showed me two bands that blew me apart. Stolas and Hail The Sun are two of the most complicated and exacting bands I have ever heard. Think The Dillinger Escape Plan mixed with modern emo. They are truly bizarre and amazing. I find it kind of nice to find a band that does not use screaming and growling as a crutch, but remaining incredibly complicated. It is also a nice departure from the pop and instrumental place I have been in for a very long time.

Hail The Sun is in the same vein as the Mars Volta or something with those ideas. The vocals are very clean and very on point. Very Anthony Green, but without copying to closely. Actually, The Sounds Of Animals Fighting is a very apt comparison. It is like a hit to the face, yet still very beautiful. The guitar lines are some of the most complicated things I have ever heard, and they have a drummer that I can gush over with every strike of a skin. Unfortunately, I can only write about what I hear. There is no information about them on my usual research site.

Stolas is another Mars Volta inspired group that makes complicated sound absolutely beautiful. A little closer, but not as punk, as At The Drive In. They have very interesting progressions and writing techniques. The standard writing block is left on the side of the road and it is bleeding to death. The album Allomaternal opens with a beautiful finger picking bit. Again, the drums. THE DRUMS. They still have a bit of classic rock mentality: they tend to use jazz-esque solos and interludes that you can almost expect from something a little more contemporary. That is far from a bad thing, however. The website I usually use has failed me. AGAIN. So, I'll just go off what I can hear.
Song three definitely has an almost Nothingface feel. The main difference is that I'm not cringing over bad lyrical decisions.

So, that is an update. I will try to write something more substantial and maybe look for something new for the next update.

I AM AFFILIATED WITH YOUTUBEMUSICSUCKS.COM.

Ramble

So, for the first time in a while, I'm not going to make a post that focuses on music as a whole. I will talk about what I am listening to, but later!

So, I have started this thought with the same word I have started the last one with. I do not know when it started, but I have become a bit obsessed with grammar and spelling. Or, at least I have on a very basic level. I am not quite sure when this happened, but I find myself almost focused exclusively on sentence forming. Especially, but not exclusively, when it comes to official sources. I received an e-mail from Mohawk that was entirely one sentence strewn across two paragraphs. All I could seem to do was worry that I was about to pay into an institution that does not make sure things are correct. I digress. I was just thrown off completely and had to share with everyone.

Did I mention that? I got accepted to the Urban Design program at Mohawk College starting this September! If you have heard me ramble on and on enough, then carry on to the next paragraph. My good God, I am very excited. I saw that I was a thing band in December and put in an application on a whim. When I found out that I was invited into their program, I was not only astonished, but mildly stupid excited! What has not been fun is the chasing down everyone involved with the disability faculty and organizing bursaries and all that fun. Since, ya know, I might still be in the wheelchair when I go.

I refuse to further put my life on hold all because I cannot physically do what I once did. I thank and appreciate every person who has stood by my side through all of this bull shit and has graced my life with their presence. Party ASAP? Deal.

Do not let my words confuse what is at hand: I appreciate every person who has ever been around and I appreciate those who continue to read my journals. They have been exercises in writing, HTML, and expression, as well as me being as pretentious as possible. thank you.

News about my other blog about my journey over the last year and a bit: I will be updating more frequently. I have been getting harassed by people wanting to know what has happened and what the next steps are. Because of the requests, I will be updating on the second of every month, as well as the sixteenth. Why those days? I like them. I hope they work. I have been writing updates the day of publication. A large part of the gap is to give me time to proof read every bit of what I am saying.

THE MUSIC

Lately, I find myself listen to a lot of europop. I do not have an excuse. I am slightly embarrassed that I used that phrase with no sarcasm attached. Hear me out! The Do are just an interesting blend of middle eastern cord progressions with some of the most interesting orchestration I have ever heard. If you have not yet, look into them. You are welcome.

WELL, that ends another rant about stuff I am probably wrong about. Have my last few updates kept you at least mildly interested? It has been a lot of fun to write.

I AM AFFILIATED WITH YOUTUBEMUSICSUCKS.COM.

Words!

Why did no one tell me that there were grammar errors in my last post?
I am so embarrassed...

I woke up today with Second Sight by Placebo in my head. It was a grand thing, seeing as I have not listened to that song in a long time. As I looked though my collection of all things Placebo, I came to remember why I loved this band and I started to think about why other people should, at least, pay attention to them.

Placebo is that band from the nineties that had that song about how a friend with weed was better and that song may or may not have been about sleeping with a girl. They created a wall of sound that a melody could be constructed from. This would have been quite the feat, seeing as they are a three piece.

They have released albums since 1996, and have only released a couple of songs in that period that I think were less than par. I really feel like they hit their stride from 1998 to 2000. That would have been from the albums Without You I'm Nothing, Black Market Music, and Sleeping With Ghosts. Without You I'm Nothing has all of the songs they got famous for, in a good way. Pure Morning is a cascade of incredibly written melodies and horribly self depreciating lyrics. Every You Every Me is interesting because it follows one guitar structure for the entire three and a half minutes and does not let up. Both of these songs are examples of the power that nineties songs could have. The rest of the album toys with Pink Floyed inspired trends and Grunge ideals

Black Market Music is interesting because it really is nothing but a bridge between two great albums. Sure! It is necessary, but really does not warrant much discussion or people might wonder what is wrong with you because you are talking about just a fucking bridge. It does feature David Bowie on a track, doing a duet. I find that rather amazing, I am not going to lie.

Sleeping with ghost is the very definition of a huge album. It opens with the instrumental Bulletproof Cupid which is very high energy and intense and does not let up. Vocally, this album spends a lot of time repeating lines and ideas. The lyrics are a lot more mature than they were on previous works.
The instrument tone on this album is strange. There seems to be a lot put into the high mid range. What is kind of nice about this mix is that you can hear the songs at a much lower volume than you could normally hear music at. The glaring downside is that the songs, at times, are piercing. Maybe that is just me? It is still a fucking good album.

I AM AFFILIATED WITH YOUTUBEMUSICSUCKS.COM.

Alphabetize Your Life

What a horrible name I have concocted.
ANYWAY!
I feel like mentioning a band per letter in the alphabet for no real reason. I asked and was given a task, but I am having more trouble writing it than I thought I would. I just need a little bit to orchestrate my thoughts into something pure and streamlined.

A:
ANATHALLO - - FLOATING WORLD
I was shown this band by an old coworker. They are VERY pretty and VERY talented. This album can be a great background to any pre-battle. I picture armies getting ready with long swords and shields. To be clear, this band DOES NOT sound medieval. I just picture medieval warfare for some reason.

B:
BATTLE OF MICE - - A DAY OF NIGHTS
One of the heaviest albums I own. There is nothing horribly technical about it, but lyrically it causes me to shudders and fear for my life. The vocalist jumps between having a little-girl-esque-voice to screaming like a banshee. I do recommend this album for to anyone freshly out of a relationship. It just works so well.

C:
CONTROLLER.CONTROLLER - - HISTORY
Again, a coworker showed this to me. I hate that I love this album for how catchy it is. I really do think this short 6 song 7 track EP is all I will ever need. With that said, this short EP is in my top picks of all time. It is fun, but dark.

D:
DEERHOOF - - EVIL
I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS ALBUM. It is just so weird! I do not even know where to start writing. I saw a video for a song somehow, and I fell in love. As much as I recommend most things this band has done, I always go back to this album and think "DAMN! Those are some sweet jams!" Basically, take jazz and mix it with pop. Now, throw over the most stereotypical Japanese sounding singer over everything and you are NO WHERE NEER AS AWESOME AS YOU SHOULD BE.

E:
THE END - - WITHIN DIVIDIA
Remember just about where I said Battle Of Mice was the heaviest thing on this list? The End is the most chaotic. Think Dillinger Escape Plan with less apparent orchestration.

F:
FINAL FANTASY - - HE POOS CLOUDS
From one side of the spectrum to the other, Owen Pallett is a multi-instrumentalist from Mississauga, Ontario. Final Fantasy was the pseudonym that he used for a while before he just decided to stick with his own name. It is at least interesting to think one Canadian boy came up with every sound heard on this album.

G:
GRIZZLY BEAR - - SHIELDS
If you follow the independent scene at all, you know this album. It has a very interesting flow and it really does feel like it is from a different decade. I always liken it to something like Steely Dan.

H:
HORRORS - - STRANGE HOUSE
70's inspired punk done today! Incredibly British and incredibly grimy. Do not look too hard into this band: The fan base is mildly disappointing, to say the least.

I:
IKARA COLT - - BASIC INSTRUCTIONS EP
My God it is the fastest five songs you will ever hear if you do not already know this band you are missing out they are so good oh my God and so punk it is great!

J:
JOSE GONZALEZ - - IN OUR NATURE
Great acoustic almost-folk. Very traditional feeling. Just nice to throw on. It also contains very poignant lyrics. I am going to drop the coworker line again, because I have to give special credit to the girl who showed me this album. It really did change the way I view the boundaries on composing music.

K:
KING COBB STEELIE - - DESTROY ALL CODES
This album is a weird combination of jazz and electronica. Mostly instrumental and all amazing, Massive Attack is probably the closest to finding a band that fits the hole in music this band fills. They have many good albums, but this is the one I listen to the most.

(song is not from the album. Still good, though. I tried... Really I did...)

L:
LIFE LIKE ROCKETS - - EP
LOCAL PUNK DONE RIGHT.

M:
MAPS AND ATLASES - - TREES, SWALLOWS, HOUSES
Bands like this make me wonder why anyone bothers with anything ever. Even if you do not like the frantic barage of sound, you have to aknowledge the musicianship. The lead guitar player is the lead singer, for fuck sakes.

N:
NOTHINGFACE - - SKELETONS
Nu-metal from the turn of the century. I hate lumping all of it together, but "like Slipknot but not Slipknot" describes this album so well. They were of the blunt lyrics and ideas school of thought, which made their songs fun to learn to understand. It was a bit too bad that the singer would say something important then follow it up with "... FUCKING FUCK!" It kind of ruined their credibility.

O:
ONETHIX POINT NEVER
I do not have an album. If you have one, please share. I saw them (him?) open for Sigur Ros a little while ago. I was blown away by the use of sounds and loops to create something beautiful. Great stage show, great sound, great ideas.

P:
PILATE - - SELF CONTROL AT LIFE'S SPEED
I will admit that the first time I heard ANYTHING by this band, I mistook it for a Radiohead song I did not have. I saw this band a few years ago, and I had a great time. Horribly depressing and a very oppressive sound. I will say they are amazing musicians. It was too bad that they were forced into so many name changes.

Q:
QUICKSAND - - MANIC COMPRESSION
A classic album in my books. This is the second of two albums that this band had. They broke up shortly after this release in 1994. I did get to see them on a reunion tour a year or two ago. It was very good, and they looked very old. Old, but they still had it. I lost my voice from trying to screech along.

R:
ROSESDEAD - - STAGES
I will not even write much. If you are around my age, into heavier music and from the KW; you at least know this album.

S:
SPARTA - - WIRETAP SCARS
One would thing that this would be a hard letter to choose for. The letter S has so many amazing choices. Sparta was, however, one of the main reasons I felt like doing this list because I want people to know about this album, but I never know how to point people towards it. Pretty, punky, bizzare, amazing. Those are just a few descriptors for it. I could also bring up the fact that it has one of the most powerful endings ever orchestrated. It has one of the most punishing opening songs to. GRAHHH I'M GUSHING. I think I will listen to this song for a while before I continue writing.
(................)
(back)

T:
TEAM SLEEP
This is basically Deftones with a bit more electronica mixed in. Not as musically heavy, but quite the emotional roller coaster.

U:
U.N.K.L.E. - - PSYENCE FICTION
I just really love this album.

V:
VEX RED - - START WITH A STRONG AND PERSISTENT DESIRE
This band did one album ten years ago and then vanished, as far as I can tell. Quite the album, however. Interesting use of electronics and hard rock. There seemed to be an emergence of bands all trying their hand at the nineties industrial metal movement almost a decade later. This album stands out from all the crowds because the singer had such a different way of singing. the flash meant that this band never started to be horrible, which they could have become if they delayed their exit.

W:
WEAKERTHANS - - RECONSTUCTION SITE
I have put off doing this album for much of the same reason I put off writing about the Sparta album mentioned earlier. It is so good, but I just do not know what to say. HORRIFICALLY DEPRESSING BUT MIX COUNTRY AND PUNK. That is all you will get from me.

X:
XX
That is a lot of X's in a line...
This band has gotten a lot of press surrounding their Coexist album. They are very good and very minimalist. I will not say much because it has all been said before.

Y:
YELL THE BURDEN - - PANGENESIS
Remember what I said about Maps & Atlases? SAME. The drums are ridiculous, when you take into account that everything is single kick. Everyone else is so incredibly on time that it almost does not seem possible. PLUS THEY ARE FROM CAMBRIDGE! Great Scott, they are fantastic.

Z:
ZEUSE - - SAY US
Sixties rock today! Incredibly tight! I really can't say much more.

,.<>)**%:
!!!
EVERYBODY DANCE! Now be angry. DANCE IT OFF! And repeat. Indefinately.

I AM AFFILIATED WITH YOUTUBEMUSICSUCKS.COM.

Final for Now.

So, like I stated last week, I will not complete my top listened to CDS. I still have about 1.3 days worth to go through, and I am ready to a change. However, I do wish to bring 3 of my favourites to the forefront.

I will try not to gush too much. These are, after all, some of my favourite albums of all time.

DREDG -- LEIMOTIF
Way too jazzy for life at times, and always full of great crescendos, Dredg came into the world swinging. It is almost if U2 did not suck. The vocals are varied and different, the guitar is not too jangly, the bass (may he RIP) is truly the best use of bass ever, and the drums are tight as hell. The album toys with a Middle Eastern feeling and mixes it with metal.

65DAYSOFSTATIC -- ONE FOR ALL TIME
Instrumental gold. Everything this album does is fantastic. It opens with a song that fluctuates tempo every note and ends with a finally that begs for a repeat. I picked this album up from work one day when I was feeling experimental. Since then, I have showed it to MANY of my friends because I feel like it is important. It has words without having words. It lets you experience every bit of it without telling you how to feel. It literally made me question everything I knew about life and music. It has changed my perception of sound, orchestration, and everything. I hate that I am so vague in my description and so bold at the same time. I have a very hard time explaining how much this album means to me and how much it has changed everything.

WINTERSLEEP -- UNTITLED
Big surprise, I know. This album combines ridiculously depressing lyrical concepts with some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear. The drumming sounds simple, but is really amazing and huge. I cannot say enough good about this album. I am listening to it right now to try to find something nice to say, but all that comes to mind is "blahhhhhh good music blahhhhhh".

Okay, I'm done talking about albums that are old as fuck now. Only things I have recently picked up and video games from now on. I hope you have not minded this voyage this venture through my musical history and library that we have just gone through.
Little reminder that I will update my other blog about what I have been through on the second day of every month. Updates here will be random, but mighty. Tumblr is full of random bull shit. Usually things and stuff. Occasionally things I probably should not put on the internet. Links to everything on the right. I'm waaaaaaay too lazy to try too find all the proper URLs right now.

Fuck It

I give up on the giant list. Do not get me wrong: I am having a lot of fun talking about albums that are close to my heart. I feel like I am ignoring other things that are pertinent to talk about because I am forcing myself to just type about one thing. It is mildly ironic.

My dad and I just finished the Marco Polo series available on Netflix. I have not done enough reading to state whether or not it is historically accurate, but it is rather enjoyable, none the less. I have heard it compared to Game of Thrones, but I disagree. I mean, there is AT LEAST half as many boobs.

I have also been playing Persona 4 in celebration for the fifth one coming out this year maybe. I have probably talked about it, so I will keep this brief. Basically, you are the new kid in a region. You make friend with the misfits on pretty much your first day. You eventually get sucked into an alternate dimension where you can control beings that fight with a great strength. I am not doing this game justice. It is amazing. Just play it. I would normally suggest it for certain people, but I really do think everyone should just try it for an hour. You will either love it, or you will not.

Yeah. I can either be found playing that, or Tetris. Seriously: I can stop playing. I am playing it on the PlayStation 3. The version is the one released 2010 on PSN. If you know what I mean, GREAT! If you do not know what I mean; GREAT!

Anyway, I started the other blog describing where I was for the last two years. I have started taking questions. If you ask me in person, I will only give a half answer. I need a bit to dwell on what I want to say, and I am too angry to say full truths in person.

Things That I Do Not Know What To Say

I really do think that I love every album I write about. My list involves the following several musical ventures.

Attack In Black -- Years (Counted By Fingertips)
When a punk band does folk. One of my favourite albums of all time. It has the classiness of folk, with the grit of punk.




Battles -- Mirrored
What is possible with music. Everything that is done on this album is wrong in the right way.




The Blood Brothers -- Crimes
The most abrasive vocal patters I can handle. The lyrics are brilliant and poignant.



Broken Bells -- Broken Bells
Old school sounding with new ideas. This is the singer of The Shins trying something fantastic and new.



Cat Power -- The Greatest
The most depressing album that you will ever find. So good.



Death Cab For Cutie -- Transatlanticism
I have great pride that I spelt the name of this album right without looking! Seriously; everyone should know this album. There is nothing inharently amazing, but I really enjoy the general groove and feeling it evokes. It also reminds me of my old co-worker, Esra. Remember that show in Toronto on the island? Stars sucked.



The Dillinger Escape Plan -- Miss Machine
I am proud to say that I can drum every song on this album. It took a lot of work, but it was so much fun.



Gang Of Four -- Entertainment
I remember finding the song Natural's Not In It at work one day. It was one of the best days of my life.



How To Destroy Angels -- How To Destroy Angels
Everything Nine Inch Nails but different enough that you can listen to it and The Fragile back to back without feeling off about it. The Space Between holds the honour of being one of my favourite songs of all time AND one of my favourite videos. Good show.



Norma Jean -- O' God, The Aftermath
One of the heaviest things I have ever listened to. Just move past the Christian overtones if you are not into that kind of thing.



Placebo -- Without You I'm Nothing
I have nothing to say about this album. It is just so fucking good, you have to listen to it, if you have not already.



Said The Whale -- Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia
Canadiana Goodness. Seriously, this is one of the coolest albums I have ever come across. I am a sucker for any band that can randomly pull off a four part harmony in the middle of just being a boss.



Sloan -- Navy Blues
ALL THE NINETIES CANADIANA BANDS! AHAHAHHAHAHAHA



The Weakerthans -- Reconstruction Site
I have tried to write so many things about this album. It is incredibly important to the way I view life and to the person I try to be. Giant plus: It has a song about a cat asking his owner to be less of a sad-sack.
A CAT. TELLING HIS OWNER TO BE LESS OF A SAD-SACK. Seriously: So BRILLIANT!

And so ends another rambling. Can you tell that I am growing bored of this playlist? Just another day of listening, and the remaining are albums I am very excited about. Enjoy your day. Thank you for reading!

Please remember to send in questions you would like answered. I have started another blog (I will have linkage soon) and I will run out of stories without having direction very soon.

News

As many, if not all, you have heard: I am going to post secondary in the fall for Urban Development. I am looking forward to this opportunity.

In writing news, I am thinking about starting a thing where once a month I will talk about my journey over the last year. I need help, though. I would like questions to answer. I am starting this blog because if I did, indeed, contract viral meningoencephalitis (or something like it. No one is sure), there is NO information on it and about as many survivors. I hope I can give hope, or something, and possibly create a community. Shoot me a message on social media, or e-mail me. Comments down below are also much appreciated.

I really hope this project works, and I really hope you have one or more questions that I can answer. In the event I find your question inappropriate, which is close to never, I will respond quietly on the side. I am in no way a medical professional. I'm not even a nurse. What I am is VERY stubborn. If I cannot come up with, what I consider, a satisfactory answer, I will do what I can to get the necessary information.

Sorry for the ramble. More about music (and maybe video games?) soon.

The Band With One Of The Longest Names Ever

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.

Seriously; that is such a great name.

I was force fed this band by an old co-worker of mine. He claimed that they were one of the greatest bands that ever existed. I initially claimed he was mad. At the end of the day, we were both right.

He showed me the album "Source Tags and Codes" and I was immediately enamoured by the trashing cacophony that faced me. There was something broken about it. There was something wrong. From the way the album started to how the album finished, there was not a track that I did not love.

I thought that maybe this band from Texas may be a one-trick-pony, so I gave "Worlds Apart" a try. I was pleased to find SOMETHING I was far from enjoying by this band. Both to my chagrin and my pleasure, it was just the one album. Everything else that has been released by this troupe is great.

Short update. Just because I have nothing else to say, in a good way. This band is very VERY important to me, and I am very happy that they are back in my vocabulary. The album "Lost Songs" is just as good as the self titled debut. Do yourself a favour, and listen to this band. Let me know what you think. I have so many great things to say about this band.

I did a thing...

For the first time in a very long time, I pirated a couple of albums. I do NOT agree with doing so, and I take great pride in saying I own 90% of my vast collection of albums.

Today I am going to talk about two albums that bookend my hospital fun. Minus the Bear released Infinity Overhead in August, 20012 and Lost Loves over 2 years later in October 2014. They are both very good albums, but really very different.

Infinity Overhead is very electronic, compared to the more jazz oriented Menos El Oso. Listing is not only one of my favourite songs of all time, but it has one of the best videos I have ever seen. What is fantastic, to me, is how everything is mixed and recorded in the highest quality possible. Nothing feels like it is not supossed to be a focus for your attention. Do you like to listen to drums? SUPER CLEAN! Bass? CLEAR AS DAY. It is fantastic. The album does suffer from the Omni issue, though. Occasionally, the members of the band remind you that they are getting old, and they are a pop band. The occasion disco-esque track penetrates the dreamscape that this album creates. It can be a bit jarring.

One thing can be said about Lost Loves right away: THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE RECORDING QUALITY? At first, I just assumed I got a bad seed and should just stop bitching. Everything I have listened to and read agrees, however, that the recording quality took an awkward dive for this recording. It almost feels like the songs are radiating from another room. The songs, however, are fantastic. I tend to get worried or suspicious of bands that have been around this long. I wonder if they can still pull it off. I wonder if they can keep their edge. Minus The Bear has proven themselves again. I still would not put this album in the top 3 by this band, and it certainly will not touch my top fifty recordings, but it is a VERY good time. I do recommend this album highly.

I'll talk more about things I actually hold in super high regards soon. I might do another bomb, you know, because I am a dick.

(Edited by Katie Maz.)

Buried Inside :: Chronoclast: Selected Essays On Time Reckoning and Auto-Cannibalsm

Well, THAT is a title to be trifled with. I heard Time as Ideology on a mix when I was in high school. If I'm not mistaken; grade eleven. It was a Relapse Records compilation that had everything from Dillinger Escape Plan to A Life Once Lost on it. It is not too often that I look fondly at the metal that got me introduced to everything, but I hold great exception with this album. The drummer is a beast. His hands move fast, much faster than I could even muster at my best. The blast beets, the rolls, the general feel of the rhythm that is exacting.

Overall, this album is by far the most oppressive and brutal albums I have ever heard. The bass is used almost like a bomb and the guitars feel incredibly calculated. The album may be mixed so that there is a general balance that may be the same through and through, but the uniform wall of sound adds to the crushing flow.

Side Update

So, I am not going to talk about my robust music collection, for this update anyway. Instead, someone asked what all I am doing now. I will fill you in by talking way too much. There will be inside jokes that I will never explain. Why? I am a dick.

I will start with arms:
I am doing fifty bicep curl reps of about twelve pounds. Using the twelve pound weights, I am also doing twenty or so tricep reps. I am doing twenty scapulary and pectoral reps, each at about 3 pounds.

I am doing thirty squats at a counter everyday. At least ten free standing.

I am walking about one kilometre a day with a four-wheeled walker.

Areas needing improvement continue to be my ankles and my hips. Those two areas seemed to have suffered the most muscle atrophied. The right side, in particular, is lagging behind in the path to recovery. I'm not one hundred percent on what the next step is, or what all needs attention. I am fixated on my right foot, in particular, but I am not sure if that is the only place or if it is just the most noticeable place.

Non-health related news, I applied to school for Urban Development. Acceptance is not until April, at the earliest. Until then, I will remain biting my nails in anticipation as well as grooming. It is time that I do some growing up and I shed the life that I was accustomed to.

I really do hope you had a great holiday season and the rest of your month goes well. More music news next update and more personal updates when I feel they need to happen.

Depression and Music

Recently I was asked a strange question by one of my closest friends. She asked "Do you listen to anything happy?" I guess I should answer this better than going "bluh bluh blah..."

A good portion of what I listen to is not happy. Actually, most is rather depressing and dark. I is not from a standpoint of "dark shit hur hur hur" but instead from a place of actual apreciation for a darker take on life and all things around it.

It is far from surprising that I am this way. A good portion of what I review and talk about is dark and full of regrets, written down by the person who wants to share a story of a past love, a past mistake, or a past fear. I may just skip the remaining nine-hundred and whatever songs I have remaining and just jump to my top favourite albums of all time to further show the example of what I mean. Basically, I see nothing as permanent. Yes, there are certain things I hope to have in my life forever. My girlfriend, for instance. I cannot, however, accept that happiness is a permanent state of being. It seems to be fleeting, much in the same way that a good meal is something to look forward to. One just seems to look forward and speak highly of what may come in the future, not so much about what they have been through or experienced. I did not realize that I had this way of thinking until it was somewhat pointed out. It took me a very long time to come up with ANY words to explain myself in anyway.

This is most notable in my movie collection. I have not seen most movies, and I refuse to express my opinion for fear of being pretentious, but I seem drawn to dramatic re-invisions of real events and sad tales that end in a state far from happy.

I find that with the literature I enjoy. My attention seems to be placed into classical poetry, like Dante's Inferno and Paradise Lost. Pieces that dwell on how great everything is do not keep my attention for very long.

I am finding this with music. My loyalties lay with bands like Cursive or 65DaysOfSatic. One of the albums I will talk about is Beautiful Midnight by Mathew Good Band. It is a biting look at society, especially the stigma on how people should act. Especially in the 90's. I am just old enough to realize how stark and very true everything he says is. The Future Is X-Rated is epeciallly bleak because it is such a very true writing of how society became and how physical appearance seems to reflect peoples desires and perspective needs. Giant is an anthem about how we all want to be on the top for some reason, regardless of cost.

I am using this album as an example because it feels like it should have happier lyrics but, alas, everything is horrible. Everything is your fault. Every line is easy to relate back to your life or, at the very least, someone that you know.

I Lied

I'm doing another batch review. These are all critically acclaimed albums that other people have done a great job of reviewing. I am not going to waste your time and my time talking about how great they are when there are countless articles speaking about how great they are.
Some of these albums are fucking old, but they are still important.

TOOL -- LATERALUS
I'm not going to say a whole lot. If you do not know this album, at least one single from this album, you are ridiculous and should have your life examined. It is extremely heavy, emotionally and musically, and extremely influential.

BECK -- MIDNIGHT VULTURES
Personal favourite to play in a store because no one actually knows when this album came out. Tongue and cheek lyrics litter this funk infused marvel of funky soundscapes. This is a great soundtrack to a good day. It is an even better soundtrack to make fun of a sexy night. If you have a friend that brags about getting laid often, and we all have at least one of those friends, this is a great thing to play behind everything they say. Side note, if you cannot think of who that friend is, it may be you. Well, that, or you have very reserved friends. Or no friends. That is cool, to.

And yes, this is my favourite video. Possibly ever.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN -- FOLD YOUR HANDS CHILD, YOU WALK LIKE A PEASANT
Chamber pop, chamber pop, oh--laady laady laady..
This album defines what it means to be a British Lord. It is quiet and polite, yet speaks of horrible horrible things. Things like masturbating in public, war, relationships, blunt sexual acts, and homosexuality. It is so fucking awesome. The lyrics actually make one look up and say "uh... Did he just say what I think he said?" GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH listen to this album GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH.
CHANGE OF PACE. They can also be incredibly insightful and brutal. I Fought In A War is one of the greatest anti-war anthems to ever exist.

BOARDS OF CANADA -- MUSIC HAS A RIGHT TO CHILDREN
This album defies anything you know about anything. The only words and weird sound clips. The music sounds like a seventies soundtrack. Best on vinyl.

BRAND NEW -- THE DEVIL AND GOD ARE RAGING INSIDE ME
Fucking fuck. This album is so depressing, it should be illegal. Don't get me wrong: This album, lyrically and musically, will always be everything I wish to aspire to as a musician. I have always felt like I have not done enough for the music industry as a whole because I have not created something this great. I cannot even listen to the album while I write this because I will get sucked in by its haunting atmosphere and brilliant narrative. I almost do not want to FIND a track off this because it will break up the tension that this album generates. But I will. Just for you.

FLAMING LIPS -- YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS
The polar opposite from the other album I brought up. This album is about a small Japanese girl and her battle with giant pink monster robots from the planet Mars. It is fun, strange, and a roaring good time.

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR -- F# A# (INFINITY)
Only three tracks. Only amazing. The world this album creates is just haunting and robust. Incredibly minimalist, but very, very bleak. The phrase "Chamber-Punk" was coined to describe what this could be considered. It is similar to classical, but all the musicians learned their instrument while composing these songs. This is a great soundtrack to a man, sitting in a chair, smoking a cigar, not talking.

KING COBB STEELY -- MAYDAY
This album was a random find a while ago. I heard the song "Below The Stars" while randomly channel surfing one day. They are this odd combination of jazz and electronica. Rather unlike anything I have ever heard before, ten year old me took note sub consciously. I eventually found the album and I have not really stopped listening to it since.

ISIS -- IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH
This album has a great flow to it. I saw this band open for TOOL in Toronto. They moved a lot more than I could while keeping count to time signatures I would have a hard time following, let alone writing.

NINE INCH NAILS -- THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL (2004 dlx edition)
Incredibly influential. The first disc is the classic industrial album in all its glory, and the second disc was remixes and b-sides that may or may not have been released in the ten year window. I would not recommend the deluxe if you are not a huge fan or if you really do not care about high definition releases. This collection is still one of my favourites. Yes, Trent Reznor wrote Hurt. No, 'I WANNA FUCK YOU LIKE AN ANIMAL' is far from the sexiest line ever. No, that song is not actually about sex.

Fuck. I really do love writing this way. How many times now have I said "I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN" but I just keep doing it? I have knocked my list from four and a half days worth of music down to two point seven days. That feels much better. I will continue to do my favourites. I'm having a lot of fun just listening to these with purpose further than "hurr gud musics hurr."

I do have two new albums, thanks to Jemma. I will talk about those soon. I will also have a huge health update as soon as I have hit some sort of milestone that other people may care about.

I will note that it was getting embarrassing, updating my Facebook with "I HAVE UPDATED MY BLOG" over and over again. So, I am no longer advertising. If you have found it on your own, or you actually like reading, please drop me a line some how. I would love to hear something from you. I am only MILDLY douchy...

Trip Hop

Beast is a strange horse: first off, they combine industrial music with rap and pop to create this very elaborate, yet strange, concoction that leaves the listener wanting more. Two, they are not a horse. They are a two piece from Montreal. Fancy.

Beast are unabashedly Christian in their writing. I would harp on them for that, but they really do not come off as preachy. Instead, they feel like they honestly believe what they are speaking about. They seem to acknowledge the fact that parts of their belief facade is fucked up and out dated. I honestly do not know what it is about this album I like so much, but I listen to it very often. Some would say, too much. Thus, why it made the list. That and, well, I really do feel like more people should know of this group.