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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

Honorable Mentions: Indi Edition!

A name, a description, and a song. Can you tell I'm both not sure what to say and bored of this already?
To be clear, that is bored of this list, not of music.
Though: I think I will make this a list of things that you will not find easily.

DEER AND THE HEADLIGHTS -- SMALL STEPS, HEAVY HOOVES
There is something magical about this band. It is straight up rock, but composed by some of the best musicians ever.

HOOSIER POET -- SELF TITLED
From the great land of Hamilton (ew), this three piece dared to bring something different to Cambridge at a time when everyone seemed to bring the chugs. I believe they are broken up, and I know they did not go as far as I wish they did, but if you can find this album, it is so good.

THE JUNCTION -- & With This Comes Tomorrow
By far, one of the best live shows I have ever seen. Also, one of the poppiest bands I have sat through. Brilliantly tight and way too talented.

KRAEHMER -- IT WAS THE FASTEST I EVER RAN, IT WAS THE FURTHEST I EVER SAW
This album introduced me to technical progressions. Keep in mind, everything they ever did was with a single kick. Fuck that.
I CANNOT FIND ANY FUCKING MUSIC. IF YOU FIND SOMETHING, SEND IT TO ME, PLEASE?

LAMBS -- SELF TITLED I used to work with Sean (the lead singer) at a music store. I also recorded his old punk band many years ago. This was quite the shock, in the best ways.
I do not own this album, but I could not find the song online.

SLENDER LORIS -- WORLD TOUR
I got this CD after my band opened for them from my friends Kevin and Mike. This CD is everything that punk should be. Except, you know, good.
Check out teir BandCamp. Free music, or do what I recommend and support them. Keep in mind, the entire set is this short. Fuck yeah.

TUGNUT -- ODE TO PETE
This album is important. Everything about this album is both amazing AND loud!

the other elephant is on the ROAD

Farewell To Freeway -- Weekdays Seldom Wake To Victory
Take that, some semblance of alphabetical order, kind of! This band has a soft part of my heart because they were part of the first local show I ever saw. There is an atmosphere to this album that few have ever been able to recreate. To be fair, I do not think this band found that feel again until they released Only Time Will Tell in 2009. It came out JUST before the breakdown became a thing that ever band used, and it will forever be what I think punk can be. This short album brought me through high school and constantly reminded me that, with perseverance, a music career is possible.

FOR THE MATITATICS -- WE IMPEND
If AT THE DIVE IN never broke up, and became less thrashy(?). I consider this to be one of the greatest albums ever.

THE REDFLECKS -- THE STORY CANNOT END
This band took the ideas Metric had and made them less, Canadian maybe? Or the ideas behind U2 but performed them, less shit? I am not sure what to compare them to, but it is a very good, very short album.

That is it for these amalgamation lists. They are a lot of fun, and they are a great way to cut my work down, but I feel like I am taking a cheap way out. Please support everyone making music you love, but independent artists are working from their own financial reserves. I have done that the wrong way for years, but I have also witnessed the difficulties of those doing it right. If I do not update, have a great New Years. Otherwise, see you soon!

Honorable Mentions (PART TWO)

I really wanted to avoid doing another one of these, but I feel as if my loyalties are better served this way from time to time. We just got through the Christmas season. I am sure there at a couple of people looking to use a gift card up. So, this list will contain things that are not too hard to find but HOLY FUCK you should own them.

Beastie Boys -- Ill Communication
This is a great example of a punk band turning their attention towards something else. Beastie Boys started as a hardcore punk band but decided to do hip hop instead. Releasing the first album in 1986 and continuing on until 2011 (when Adam Yauch died of cancer). This album has everything from straight-up rap tracks to almost-punk like parts and pieces. It also takes credit as being the first hip hop albums I review ever. This album also sits very high on my "you should really own and love" list. Yes, everything I am currently writing about is on that list, but this is very VERY high on that list, even though I'm not saying much about it.


Blink-182 -- Enema Of The State
This is one of the earliest album I have ever listened to of my own accord. This album inspired me to consider being in a band, and showed me that you can write songs just to write songs. Here's to you, Blink 182. (as much as I did not mean to rhyme, that was awesome)



Every Time I Die -- Hot Damn!
Well fuck; this album is very deserving to be on this list. It is also deserving of the intro "well fuck."



The Hives -- Tyrannosaurus Hives
This band has, I feel, been overlooked by people for FAR too long. This album is intelligent and methodical. It is also intelligent and biting. There is nothing more fun.


Hot Hot Heat -- Future Breeds
Who would have thought that the band that brought you the song "Bandages" would also bring one of the catchiest, and quite frankly, the best albums of all time? It has been four years and I HAVE LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM AT LEAST ONCE A WAKING DAY. Seriously: So good.

throw grenades instead of baby showers..



Incubus -- Make Yourself
In the list of "First ten albums I bought for myself." This album is both one of the most beautiful and brutal things I have ever heard. The guitar. The vocals. The Bass. The drums. The DJ. This album really is the best of every world ever. I have yet to find better in most regards, without being metal or showcasing someone.



A Life Once Lost -- Hunter
Probably the most cliche metal bands that I am into. They were also one of worst shows I have ever seen. This doesn't mean I don't love this album any less. I would recommend this album to any hardcore fan or metal head.



Mars Volta -- Deloused In The Comatorium
This is an album that proved, to me, that you can do what you want, when you want. I am still blown away by two facts: that this album contains both Televators and Intertiatic E.S.P., and that this band was spawn from At The Drive In. Seriously. Good Show. Good fucking Show.



Modest Mouse -- Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Easily one of the most depressing bands that have ever existed. It really seems like everything they speak of is how everything is wrong and how nothing will ever fix it. You are meaningless. Your life is meaningless. BUT HERE IS A SONG TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT BEING USELESS. This was the last album they did before the beautiful Johnny Marr (of The Smiths) joined for an album and an EP. I really do think it is a good album by this band to start with. The overall subject matter is less nihilistic. compared to everything else they have done, anyway. At least the music of the songs is happy. It is kind of sick, in a way. Depress you with lyrics to a song that catches you with a happy, quirky line. Then, BAM! Depressing lyrics everywhere.



Panic! At The Disco -- A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
I hate that I love this band so. Even more because THIS has to be one of the best albums ever written. All the circusy goodness one could ever want. I have heard that the live show surrounding this album was amazing, as well.

Bibio

I was talking about this tirade of updates I am doing with my girlfriend the other day. I was stumped on whether I should do my next piece... Yeah: piece... on something everyone knows, or if I should do something a bit more obscure, or if I should do another mass update with five short reviews, to cut my list down a chunk again. I think I have come to a decision to do Ambivalence Avenue by Bibio, simply because I feel like it perfectly encapsulates a big part of my life. How I was, how I am, and how I will be again.

A few of my friends know this album best as "The CD I Was Always Playing Whenever I drove Anywhere." I listen to this album A LOT. I find it rather haunting in all the right ways. Some tracks are folk. They tend to be the tracks that more closely resemble contemporary music lyrically and they also tend to be very short. The acception is the song Lovers Cravings with its runtime coming just shy of four minutes. My personal favourite is the track Sugarette because it plays with being dub step from almost an ironic angle.

This an electro album, clean and simple. I really can't recommend this album highly enough.



Every song is great. Enjoy.

Maximo Park

Hello hello hello and blah blah blah blah blah...

HI THERE! Enough of being strange: on with the review!
This post, I want to talk about an album I have literally listened to too often for a few of my friends and my entire family.
Maximo Park || A Certain Trigger
It is a pop/rock album. I was trying to figure out some other description for it, but that is what it is. It is pop the same way The Arctic Monkey's are pop: inappropriately. The story goes as follows: There was a band. They were looking for a singer. As they were giving up, a mutual friend of theirs got fucking LOADED and started singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the bar they frequented. Later that night, or maybe the day after when he slept off the alcohol, they asked him to give it a go as front man. Fuck me sideways, it was a good choice.
There is something refreshing about his lyrics: It almost feels like there is a story being told. Nothing else really stands out, but that can be good at times. I know that I listen to a plethora of bands who all have one person at a focal point. It is nice to not have to deal with that for once.
At the end of the day, this album is host to at least one of my favourite songs. Potentially two. Not entirely sure.



(As you watch this, picture me thrashing about. That will guarantee the full experience)

Honorable Mentions

To quote one of my favourite Maximo Park songs: "THAT'S ENOUGH! I can't take anymore..." By that, I mean I wont do all 40 reviews I had lined up. I will still do most of them, but I am going to do a quick one-line "buy this record" sort of thing. Or, links to reviews in the past.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE- SONGS FOR THE DEAF
The drumming on this album is really cool. The song writing is varied and unique. It also has some of the most inappropriate lines hidden in the madness.



JIM GUTHRIE- SWORD AND SWORCERY LP | THE BALLAD OF THE SPACE BABIES
I consider this one of the great video game soundtracks and one of the greatest soundscape records of all time. It could be used as a hip hop backtrack or it is just something great to put on in the background. It doesn't help that is also belongs to one of the greatest indi games ever made. I may be biased.



MILIEU - EUFLORIA
Great ambient electronica. Four discs worth of greatness. I really don't have the time to listen to all of this, but fuck, it is so good.



PROTEST THE HERO - KEZIA
By far, one of the most technical albums that ever existed. It is my favourite that this band has produced, as well as a great time on drums. I enjoyed many hours trying to learn "Blindfolds Aside."


U.N.K.L.E. - PSYENCE FICTION
I feel like this may be one of the greatest electro/hip hop albums that have ever existed. Unfortunately, I no longer have this album in my library. I say unfortunately, but it's probably for the sanity of everyone around me. I would not stop playing it.

This took forever to find.


WEEN - QUEBEC
The only reason I have this album in a short review form is because I don't know how to have one opinion for such a diverse album. I can't decide whether I take this band seriously or not, but damn this album is cool.


SILVERSUN PICKUPS - CARVANUS
Basically, they want to be the Smashing Pumpkins. It is okay, though, because this album is still fantastic. It has the same drive that has been missing from rock for years.



SAMSARIS - ST
I already did this. I will say that everyone should look into this album.



THE CURE - KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME
80's alternative punk. Such a fantastic snapshot of the era.


That is all you get this time. I'll do a proper review next week. Until then, I wish thee farewell and much love!
Let me know some how if you have checked out an album I have written about! I would like to hear your opinion and I thrive on discussion!

AS I REACH UP MY HANDS TO THE SKY

Goddamn I love this album. I am currently listening to Control by Misery Signals. I was introduced to this band because Pat Hussey said "Are you fucked? You are a drummer and you don't know this band?!" Well, my drunk and/or stoned friend, thank you. He showed me Mirrors, which I love very much, but I picked up Control on the release date and I never looked at music the same way again.

I don't want my love for this album to be taken as misplaced. I really wish that one of my favourite albums was not metal. My goodness, I wish I did not spend days, if not weeks, trying to learn the drum line to "A Certain Death" and only gave up when my hands were raw and bleeding. My throat has been thrashed from screaming along to "Labrythnian" and I did not even care. I wore the scars I have gained from this album like a fucking trophy. I really wish that I wouldn't fanboy over this one, but damnit I can't help it.

Okay; I am done gushing and now, I will write the review part. The guitars are haunting. Even when this band is doing the obligatory early 2000's breakdown, there seems to be some level of beauty. Not to say that the album is not heavy. I think most people would be hard pressed to find a heavier album.

Note on the drums: They Are Fucking Stupid. By stupid, I mean that I an surprised that anyone could ever come up with them. They follow the guitar lines most of the time. That is not saying the guitar lines would be easy to follow, and it is far from a copout.

The song I picked to share off this album is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. It is called "Coma." Please enjoy.

Short update

I was halfway through writing this great article about how much I loved this album. Then I remembered they said most of what I was going to say in this video.

Continue?

I am sorry for the delay leading up to this post. I am actually very nervous to continue this list because every other band on this list sits VERY close to my heart. I'm at the kind of crossroad where I lay unsure about what to post for fear of not doing justice to some of what I consider to be the greatest albums ever written. This week, I will look at Thursday's album War All the Time. This band is one of those where I completely understand someone not liking them. The vocalist is terrible and something is off about every musician involved.

I personally love every minute of this album. The lyrics are horrible depressing and the music is equally crushing. There is an air of experimentation with ever strike of every chord. The drums are very simple in their orchestration and it works beautifully. The bass nimbly moves between the root and I think he may hit the fifth ever time he strays. The vocals are in key, but barely. The singer really likes to straddle the line between being on key and not. The scream on this album sounds incredible forced and harsh.

My song of choice has to be Signals In The Air. It starts with this delicate drum line that continues through the entirety of the introduction. The chorus is a crushing and full sounding cacophony of sound that has the power to bring me to tears at times. The guitar floats all over the key that this song sits in. Overall, I think this song may have the lowest number of root notes out of any song I listen to.


Every song on this album in speaking about the horrors of war. I'm sure it is a metaphor for something. Unfortunately, I do not know what that would be.

My end point is that I really feel like this album should be in everyone's collection. It is beautiful. It is broken. It is depressing as fuck. It is perfect.

I really have to thank my co-worker Megan and her boyfriend Alberto for forcing me to listen to this album over and over so I actually get through all of this.






My girlfriend reminded me I have a Tumblr. I tend to post things that have no relevance or weight on there. IF you, for whatever reason, want to read more of my writing, come check it out!

Humour Me

This could either be a great idea that spawns something great! Or it could be the worst thing I have ever thought of.

I made a playlist a couple of weeks ago containing my top favourite albums. This was regardless of genre type, or musical stylings. The end result was 4.4 days worth of music for me to listen to and spend pretty much all my time listening to it and figuring out what it means in the grand scheme of things. This is why I have not updated in a while.

I am still trying to figure out writing layouts as well as statement. The goal I have in mind is to share with those who care why I say what I do. I also want to expose albums and sounds that may not be as well advertised. These are also albums that I feel may be advertised as what they are not. Like calling Aphex Twin just electronica without going into what the Richard D. James album contains.
On That Note

APHEX TWIN- RICHARD D. JAMES ALBUM
This album marks my intro into the world of abstract concepts in music and orchestration. This album contains many different emotions, but the overarching feel is that of confusion and anguish. The album contains some of the most gentile piano lines and some of the harshest drum lines. It is also home to some of the most awkward displays. for example: "I would like some milk from the milkman's wife's tits." Yes. That is a thing. It is also chanted behind some of the most delicate melodies.
I tend to use this album as a background to my day to day. It may explain why my mind can feel so disorganized and draped in chaos all of the time.

For a sound review: I am not quite sure what to say. Though some of his albums hail on the heavier side, this one does not. Pieces from this would go fantastically into a period movie or something. The songs match an imagery of people waltzing. Think almost steam punk; with the random bit of electronics mixed in with period articles of clothing.
I find myself going back to this album at the strangest times for something different every time. I assume everyone knows who Aphex Twin is, by now. I keep being surprised by who people know and who they don't. Now I am rambling. Ramble ramble ramble.

What to Do? What to Do..

I did it! I have gone through all my music I currently own to find something to review! What did I find?

NOTHING.

So I figured I would do some sort of review on my progress.

I started this magical journey with the doctors, my friends, my family, all assuming that I died. If this were true, it would have been the most unimpressive death... After I proved I wouldn't die, they believed I would be brain dead. Then they thought I would be brain dead and have no higher brain function. I proved that wrong pretty quickly. The next "diagnosis" was that I would never move my hands or arms ever again. That took some time to disprove. Everything else was stated between November 2013 and January 2014, with life support pulled back on November 30th. I regained movement of my hands and arms in March and was told in the middle of that month that I would never walk with or without assistive devices. I am proud to say that, though with assistive devices, I am making my way forward. The other day I walked 100m without a rest. I am moving up in the assistive devices pyramid every month, with this month being the introduction of the 4-wheeled walker, otherwise known as a "rollator."

It may have been one year since I first fell over, but I am far from giving up. I have a great support system around me, and I really hope to be back to work soon. Muscle movement is coming along really quickly, for what is expected. I have all the major muscles back, at some capacity. My ankles are still angle-specific, but I finally have some motion coming back to them. Toes: There is no movement on the right side. Feeling is pretty well all back. There are certain areas where the feeling is not quite back to normal, but I can feel pretty well everything. My balance is still shit, but that is part in parcel with being in a chair for months. OH: it is also in response to the coma I found out! YAY IT'S NORMAL!

The main reason I am writing this, other than to let those who are interested in what is new and stuff, is to rant. I am trying to cut down on the self deprecating humour. I think I might be offending people. I know that I am painting a horrible picture of myself, at the very least. It is just so easy to think of ways to ridicule the situation I am in!

What I will say on the topic of music is that I have been listening to a large amount of Canadian content. Canada has a sound that doesn't seem prevalent anywhere else in the world. We do indi rock well, we do folk well, we do metal well. Why? I just think we decided to express our nationalism in our music rather than politics or army. Most bands from Canada share an overtone, or at least a timbre. If you compare Canadian songs from the 90's to Canadian songs of today, there is a certain quality that gleams through.
Of course I started typing this because my current playlist went Said The Whale, The Tea Party, then Holy Fuck. Seriously, I found what I want to say: if you do not know those three bands, check them out. They do not have many similar qualities, but they are all awesome.

I think for my next update, I'll finally fill everyone in on what I actually listen to. The answer it a bit more specific than "everything."

SIDE-TRACK!

i was going to write about two albums, but I thought I would do a recommendation list instead! Yay it is so exciting!

Team Sleep

It is the singer from Deftones being NOT metal kind of. It is emotionally heavy,but closer to new Skinny Puppy, or something else along that line. Really, it is Deftones light. So if you like the sound, but can't do the harshness, definatley an album to pick up. While you are at it, buy me one. I ripped a friends copy a few years ago. I listen to this album far too often to not own it. Plus, I am really hoping for a second one.

Title Fight :: Shed

Probably one of the most punk albums that I own. Well, minus the lyrics. Lyrics are a bit emo, but in a good "fuck everything" kind of way. I find this album to be rather intelligent in every regard. Everything feels like it is is the right place. I find it rather Godly, if I am aloud to be blunt.

Touche Amore :: Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me

Short Review
This album describes being on tour one billion ways.
Fucking buy it.



Short update today. My eyes are giving me a pile of greif. I am sorry if I spelt anything wrong and I missed it, fuck everything. Anyway, I hope to get everything looked at and I will do a real update or two,probably earlier than later.

Sorry!




I'm posting this without previewing it. Sorry if I fucked it up.

Tea Party

Rolling through a common area, I over heard Walking Wounded emenating from a speaker. I used to hate that song to no end due to repetition, but it has been a while for some reason. It made me remember the 90's and all the great Canadian content that came out at that time.

Tea Party was one of those bands that remained timeless for a great deal of their career. They also got me into most styles I grew into. The album that really caught my heart was The Interzone Mantras, released back in 2001. The album was much move reserved than most other albums of the time, but it still managed to expose people to a great volume of other genres. Angel, on top of being a single, was a great pop-rock song. The Martyr and The Margareta, however, is almost Middle Eastern in it's progressions and scales. To be honest, the Middle Eastern scales repeat pretty often thought the album. It makes for a great look at the 90's alt rock scene.

Every musician on this album is amazing. Jeff Martin is fantastic in every capacity he is used. Jeff Burrows, through learning his trap riffs on this album in particular, taught me most of what I know. Stuart Chatword, as well as looking awesome during this period, will always be one of the great bassist in my mind. There is a subtle brilliants in everything that happens. It feels improvised, yet it was very apparent that everything is pre-meditated. This album is very beautiful and very important. Is this a must own? I would say no, even though it is one of my favourites. I do recommend this album to anyone who is looking to expand what they enjoy. It is quite the different experience from one song to the next.

This review was hard as fuck to write. What do you say about your favourite album when it is not all "dude... wait for the solo.. THERE! Right fucking there. That's the shit." Maybe I should stick to more punk, metal, and electronic music reviews.

FOUND IN DRAFTS

(I'm still avoiding doing that massive "you need these" albums post.)
HELLO! I have been spending my Saturday doing what I do most Saturday's I have off; I have been listening to music and reading. It has been awesome, but then I got a bit... reflective?

I was asked by an old acquaintance today if I could come and try out for his band. They are in need of a drummer and, well; I like to hit things. I started to try to figure out what I kit layout I should bring to a tryout. It also got me thinking about what I even play (from a genre standpoint). So, I started to go backwards starting with the last thing I did with The Twin.

The Twin

Inner Demons

Inner Demons was the last set of songs I wrote with The Twin. The actual writing process took about a year between November 2011 to approximately March 2012. For this album, I decided to go as minimalistic as I possibly could while still being able to play the first EP. I just used the following: kick drum with a double kick peddle, high hats, 20" ride, rack tom, floor tom and snare. This forced me to focus more on using the kit to create interesting patterns as opposed to using a multitude of cymbals to create a wall of sound. The actual writing process involved a lot of Pat handing me a riff and me playing it a billion different ways until I got the feel and flow I wanted. Most of the drum lines were not set in stone until I got into studio with Jordan and we agreed on the final hit counts. In studio, we added a second 20" ride to fill the recordings out a bit.
The general feel I went for came from my pop background instead of the metal one I usually used. I tried to use complimentary beats as opposed to trying to play as fast and heavy as possible. The exception being Live Together/Die Alone, which is just me beating the crap out of everything I had.

NOTE: Roman Candles had been recorded for almost a year before everything else and, therefore, had a china in the mix.
NOTE PART TWO: Fact or Fiction was a song that was intended for the first EP, but was cut. We accidentally played it again years later.

Dirty Dancing & Victims

These songs were meant as part of a three song mini EP that just never seemed to finish. We spent way too much time working on them and not enough time hiding them from the public. The end result was some of the drumming I am most proud of and probably will be for the time being in my career. Dirty Dancing was just an exercise I used to do with bands like The Dillinger Escape Play or Meshuggah, where I don't actually follow the drums but every single stroke of every instrument. For instance, I would make the guitar lines all hand work and the bass lines all kick drum play. What came out of me doing it over a track like Dirty Dancing sounded far more chaotic than what is actually going on. Except for the last part, which was me showing a friend of mine that you can do interesting things with only a rack tom and a floor tom. I don't think she ever realized that it was for her, but that is okay. Victims was a little more straight forward in being it was closer to a standard hardcore "follow the accents" game. This song kind of fell out of me the week we first recorded it and, other than minor flourish tweeks, it never changed. It was also the last track I ever recorded with 3 cymbals and, therefore, is full of splashy goodness. So many china hits!
These two songs were intended to be complicated on drums. The riffs were sporadic, but still dived into parts of crescendo. This allowed me the freedom to ruin myself for a part or two, then back it up with something simple. These songs on stage always left me needing a moment before we continued; the day we retired Victims, I was a very happy boy.

EP

The first EP was one of the first times I had ever been recorded by someone else. The experience that I gained from the summer of 2009 will forever be treasured. It showed me what a shit contract looks like and what kind of people to keep watch on. I am STILL proud of the songs on this EP, even if the quality is garbage. I worked for several weeks straight with The Twin before I joined to shape the skeletons they had been working on the year prior. The sound we were going for was clear in all of our minds right up until the last day of studio. My set up for the kit back then was HUGE. Tom and such was the same, but I'm pretty sure I had 4 cymbals plus a china.
At the time I was on a huge death and nu-metal kick. Other than a couple of Underoath tracks, I had stayed away from most of the scene they were trying to enter. I came from a very violent and uneducated place. I like to pretend that this made us somewhat unique at the time. III remains as one of my proudest moments in drum writing history.

Livestalk & The Bodies Sessions

Kevin came up to me a few months after All Cut Up disbanded and asked if I would record a couple of the old tunes that he has modified. He explained how he was working with a calvalcade of different musicians from the area to come up with some new collective project with his favourite musicians. The three songs that I picked were Introduction/Slight Deduction, Pour Vous... and A Yearning (For Originality). All of these songs I had played with Kevin at a show a few months prior and still remembered most of them, so I felt like this was the best option due to time constraints and other things. We went to this shit jam hall out in Hespeler, crammed a tiny drum kick and a few microphones into the room, and gave her shit. The session went off without a hitch, but I had honestly forgotten all about it after a few months. About a year later (maybe longer), Kevin asks to meet me in a parking lot. I was not expecting myself to ever play on an album that felt that way, but I was in love with the ideas and final product. I have gushed over this album for years, and if you know me you will know just how proud I am of it, so I will stick to just my small part in this portrait.
I used the same drum kit layout I used for the Inner Demons EP, except I believe I left the double kick at home. Introduction... and Pour Vous... were both written by Kevin a year later using a sequencer (Fruity Loops?) to line up the basic drum progression he needed. I just gave parts a bit more flourish and beefed up the ending of Pour Vous. A Yearning... was an All Cut Up track that we never (?) used. There are more time signature changes than anything I have worked on previous or prior, and the accents don't always line up measure by measure. I'm not going to lie, I like to use that track to show what I am capable of as a drummer. The whole process from my side took maybe three hours and a good portion of that was catching up and seeing how life had been for my giant friend.

(4/4, 6/8, 4/4, 6/8, 4/4, 6/8, 10/8, 4/4... 7/4, 6/4)

All Cut Up

Human Promo

This was just Kevin and I recording onto tape at the Tugnut household. It was just post Caitlin deciding to leave the band, so we just covered all the parts. The EP consists of one song from our second EP, one from the first and three that were new. It showed a progression from where we were to where we were trying to get to. It was all recorded in one day and, unless I'm wrong, was mostly one take live off the floor. I actually really miss this set. I am pretty sure that we were too young for what we were coming up with.
I used so much gear back then; I think I count 5 cymbals plus high hats. The songs were all pop or punk in structure, so the writing was pretty straight forward. Flourishes were usually either a stop or blisteringly fast fills. Also, how did my feet move that fast at any time? There is NO editing to what we were playing, and I can't even pretend to be that fast for that long anymore. I don't think I could have for years at this point. Oh, me when I didn't have a job...
ALSO! I still use bits and pieces of the song Eat The Pills, Kid in other songs I have written since! Just noticed that when listening to it for the first time in forever.

Okay, fuck it. I'm done going down this road. There are three sessions you are going to be missing. The one was in 2006, when All Cut Up recorded a full length album. The other two were the first two ACU EPs and MY GOOD GOD we don't know what we are doing but it's awesome. I recorded the other three and I didn't know how compressors worked. For being in high school and listening to a strange array of music, we pulled off something pretty cool. Though I miss it most days, I hear it is better dead. Did you want to check these albums out? Let me know! Get a hold of me and I can set up stream points no problem. Hell, I think All Cut Up is still on MySpace, if you wanted to sort through the decades worth of bands that are now long dead to find us.

I'll probably do something less wordy next week. Or maybe I'll just put up pictures of cats. Internet loves cats.
-J