Hey everyone, thank you so much to those of you who have supported me so far!
And a special thanks goes to Taylor for helping me improve the overall appearance of my blog AND for making that awesome logo at the top! (doesn't it look great?!)
Not much has changed as far as the layout of the blog goes, just updated the appearance for now. Hope you all enjoy the new look. Please stay updated as I will hopefully catch a breeze to start getting more relevant posts going! Also remember there are only two (2) days left for the Band of the Week, so get your votes in quickly!
A brief look into music, films, and things of the sort
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Band of the Week!!!
Hey everyone! Starting this week I am going to start a band of the week poll. The bands chosen for the week will be totally random each week, with the only exception being that any band which has already earned this title will be left off the list (yes, each band can only win once).
I have been thinking of a way to include my readers a little more often, and this is it I believe.
So here is the way this will work, there will be a poll set up on the right-hand side of this page (above the followers section) with 4 choices. The winners of the Band of the Week title will be revealed every Monday, and the next poll will begin that same day (note that polls will close on Friday night). I will provide links to purchase every album for the winning band as well! Remember, you will be able to choose one band only, so if you want a certain band to be picked then I encourage you to tell your friends about my blog and send them this way. So in a sense this is also a way for me to pick up more readers on the blog. Keep this in mind, the more I feel like people are reading and keeping up with this thing, the more often I update posts and come up with new ideas to involve you guys!
Now, for those of you curious about how the choices are picked:
I have created a new playlist to my iTunes library, in this playlist I have placed one (1) song from EVERY band in my library. I then turn on the shuffle mode and click play. The first four (4) bands to be played are put on the poll. After a band is selected by you, the readers, that band's song will be removed from the playlist.
One last thing! I have a pretty wide ranging group of bands on my iTunes, but if you have a band that you would like to see get a shot at this list, then leave a comment giving me the band name and your favorite album of that band (if I don't have them in my library or haven't heard of them then this is a good way to get me some new music!)
So there you have it! Get to voting everyone, leave feedback, subscribe!
-Alex
I have been thinking of a way to include my readers a little more often, and this is it I believe.
So here is the way this will work, there will be a poll set up on the right-hand side of this page (above the followers section) with 4 choices. The winners of the Band of the Week title will be revealed every Monday, and the next poll will begin that same day (note that polls will close on Friday night). I will provide links to purchase every album for the winning band as well! Remember, you will be able to choose one band only, so if you want a certain band to be picked then I encourage you to tell your friends about my blog and send them this way. So in a sense this is also a way for me to pick up more readers on the blog. Keep this in mind, the more I feel like people are reading and keeping up with this thing, the more often I update posts and come up with new ideas to involve you guys!
Now, for those of you curious about how the choices are picked:
I have created a new playlist to my iTunes library, in this playlist I have placed one (1) song from EVERY band in my library. I then turn on the shuffle mode and click play. The first four (4) bands to be played are put on the poll. After a band is selected by you, the readers, that band's song will be removed from the playlist.
One last thing! I have a pretty wide ranging group of bands on my iTunes, but if you have a band that you would like to see get a shot at this list, then leave a comment giving me the band name and your favorite album of that band (if I don't have them in my library or haven't heard of them then this is a good way to get me some new music!)
So there you have it! Get to voting everyone, leave feedback, subscribe!
-Alex
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the story of a young man who falls in love with a girl and is forced to defeat her 7 evil ex's in order to continue dating her. It's a superb example of what love might drive us to do. And in the midst of movies like Inception, Twilight (even though I'm not a fan of it), The Book of Eli, and The Expendables -all of which were released this year- Scott Pilgrim delivers what is easily one of the most entertaining and relatable films so far.
Full of epic fights, quirky comedic moments, and semi-romantic scenes, this movie will keep you locked in until the end and make you want more. However, there is one thing, out of all others, that really deserves some appraisal: the soundtrack. That's right! Edgar Wright brought together a team of indie bands to compose the sound track, and I must say I am more than impressed. Some of the more notable groups were Beck, who wrote the music for the Sex Bob-omb's, and Metric, who contributed their song "Black Sheep" to be played by the Clash at Demonhead. And, for a special treat to any would-be gamers out there, Wright even went so far as to get permission from Nintendo to use music from The Legend of Zelda game series during Scott's dreamlike scenarios.
Wright utilized a unique blend of comic book animation and theatrics to bring us a new style of movie, proving once and for all that it is not impossible to give a movie a comic book feel (yeah I'm talking to you Ang Lee, thanks for ruining the first Hulk).
Anyways, when it comes right down to it, Scott Pilgrim delivers in all areas. And despite what the Box Office or Wall Street Journal says, it is easily one of the best films of the year (one of my top picks of all time personally). I encourage everyone to watch it at least once and experience the uniqueness of this film.
To see the trailer, click the link provided here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgOLmjhxVVU
I will provide a link to purchase the movie ASAP, thanks for reading! Please SUBSCRIBE, give feedback, tell your friends! Check back regularly. ;)
Monday, August 23, 2010
VersaEmerge - Fixed at Zero
Alternative/experimental rock group, VersaEmerge, scores big with their debut album Fixed at Zero!
For those of you who haven't checked out this band, I highly recommend them. I have personally been a fan of their music since Sierra first joined. Their style in music has changed over the duration that they have been a band, but this album is still good nonetheless.
The album opens with "Figure it Out," which has an almost mesmerizing intro, lulling you into a brief splash of electronica. This song was a great choice as an intro, exposing the bands potential without overdoing it.
The next two songs continue with the upbeat rush of Blake's guitar work and Sierra's surprisingly powerful voice before slowing down a bit with "You'll Never Know." This song reminds me a lot of Paramore, using a very linear drumming style and fairly simple yet driving guitar work.
"Stranger" is arguably my favorite song on the album, Sierra has a great hook in the chorus, and the bass in the verse has a fresh appeal. Of course, being a drummer myself, I cannot overlook the drums in this song; superb, to say the least. Now, for a bit of a twist, "Fire (Aim Your Arrows High)" features a blend of Sierra and Blake in vocals in addition to it being one of the more intense songs on the album. "Your Own LoV.E" and "Mythology" definitely have a taste of pop-punk and progressive, but the real treat is the epic 7 minute closer "Lost Tree" which opens with beautiful acoustics and vocals. My only complaint is about halfway through when the build up hits and Sierra attempts a scream or something like that. Other than that the song is great.
All in all, Fixed at Zero is an intuitive album with a blend of many different styles that many people will enjoy, and everyone should give a listen to. Sierra's vocals are among the best you will hear out of female singers and the album is a truly captivating work of art.
To give the album a listen, visit this link below:
Or to buy the album click on this link:
Sunday, August 22, 2010
This is me
I'm a musician, born into a family of musicians, who grew up playing with some of the best musicians around. My father traveled with such renowned musicians like Johnny Cash, toured with bands over seas, established connections with members from such old school hits like Petra (if you don't know who they are then I suggest you look into them, great band), and even had multiple offers to tour with huge country and gospel bands during that time.
I personally have been involved in music since I was 12, when I decided to pick up the drums. Since that time, I have toured America with a youth band and played with top-notch professional musicians from Florida and Nashville. I plucked at the guitar for a year or two, never really attempting to learn, when I was 17, then one day an offer came up to travel with a band playing lead guitar, so a good friend and AMAZING professional lead guitarist taught me (thank you Danny). That, combined with a guitar course I took in college, launched me out into the world of guitarists. I picked up bass somewhere along the line but I don't really remember when, I just sort of naturally adapted to it.
All that being said, I used to have a very one-sided opinion of music. I hated anything with screaming in it, I hated country, I hated rap, etc. etc. Until one day, traveling in Ireland, I came across a drummer from Italy who completely revolutionized the way I thought about music. We met on a bus, spoke for a little bit and I finally asked if he was in a band. He said yes, he played in a black metal band -my brother listens to that sort of music, and my brother hates most other styles of music despite being one of the best musicians I've ever known in my life- so I automatically assumed he listened to nothing else other than the underground styles of metal. But, to my surprise, I was wrong. This particular man also played in a pop band with his dad. POP. I was astounded. And when I asked why the strange mix of music he told me this (paraphrasing of course), "As a drummer, or a musician in general, it is important to be familiar with all genres that your instrument is associated with. Limiting your taste in music limits your ability as a musician."
I will never forget that lesson for the rest of my life.
To wrap this up, I hope this back-story gives me more credibility as a critic of music, and I hope it gives you more insight into how I think.
Sincerely,
Alex.
I personally have been involved in music since I was 12, when I decided to pick up the drums. Since that time, I have toured America with a youth band and played with top-notch professional musicians from Florida and Nashville. I plucked at the guitar for a year or two, never really attempting to learn, when I was 17, then one day an offer came up to travel with a band playing lead guitar, so a good friend and AMAZING professional lead guitarist taught me (thank you Danny). That, combined with a guitar course I took in college, launched me out into the world of guitarists. I picked up bass somewhere along the line but I don't really remember when, I just sort of naturally adapted to it.
All that being said, I used to have a very one-sided opinion of music. I hated anything with screaming in it, I hated country, I hated rap, etc. etc. Until one day, traveling in Ireland, I came across a drummer from Italy who completely revolutionized the way I thought about music. We met on a bus, spoke for a little bit and I finally asked if he was in a band. He said yes, he played in a black metal band -my brother listens to that sort of music, and my brother hates most other styles of music despite being one of the best musicians I've ever known in my life- so I automatically assumed he listened to nothing else other than the underground styles of metal. But, to my surprise, I was wrong. This particular man also played in a pop band with his dad. POP. I was astounded. And when I asked why the strange mix of music he told me this (paraphrasing of course), "As a drummer, or a musician in general, it is important to be familiar with all genres that your instrument is associated with. Limiting your taste in music limits your ability as a musician."
I will never forget that lesson for the rest of my life.
To wrap this up, I hope this back-story gives me more credibility as a critic of music, and I hope it gives you more insight into how I think.
Sincerely,
Alex.
Introduction...
Hello any would-be viewers, this is my first time blogging legitimately. My goal is to deliver ratings and overviews of music, movies, games, and anything else along those lines. I will try my hardest to ensure that I am not biased towards any particular thing simply because I am not a fan of it.
I really do hope you enjoy reading and following my entries, I promise to not be too boring. :)
So please, follow this page, leave feedback, and check back regularly as I will try to keep up to date with new media coming out.
Thank you,
Alex.
I really do hope you enjoy reading and following my entries, I promise to not be too boring. :)
So please, follow this page, leave feedback, and check back regularly as I will try to keep up to date with new media coming out.
Thank you,
Alex.
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