"Green Day sucks, they should've stopped making music before they started."
"Rock Band sucks, why don't people play real guitars?"
Complain about Green Day's three-chord songs all you want, and while you're at it, don't forget to trash on the Ramones' simple guitar riffs and lack of solos. The way I see it, Green Day has been making quality mainstream rock music for sixteen years. They deserve their success, and if they want to release their own video game, more power to them. Besides, you don't have to listen to the band or play their video game. But still, people whine whine whine.
And here's a newsflash: Rock Band is a video game. It's not an art form (at least, playing it isn't). Playing video games is usually an easy kind of enjoyment you can share with friends, family, or even strangers. Video games let you pretend you're fighting a war, racing a car at 200MPH or rocking the world with bandmates at your sides. Some people don't want to devote time and effort to playing real guitar. They don't want to become the next Hendrix or Slash. They want to have fun. What's wrong with that? I've never heard anyone say, "Why are you wasting your time with Modern Warfare? Why don't you go fight in a real war?" Sounds pretty moronic, doesn't it?
On a related note, I found this quote amusing and a nice change of pace:
"not a green day fan... but more people should play these games instead of playing real instruments and starting really shitty bands."
I know everyone and half of Brazil have seen this video by now, but it's so good I need to archive it in my blog. This is AbsolutePunk.net history right here, soak it up.
When I set up our league's fantasy football homepage last year, this is the video I used to welcome my friends back to the tournament:
That dog mistook a frustrated "get away" as an invitation for some afternoon delight - it happens to the best of us. The internet is such a fun waste of time.
About a year ago Stefan turned my attention to Benjamin "Yahtzee" Croshaw, a video game personality you should know and love. He writes, creates games, runs a blog, and even put together a TV pilot with some buddies. But perhaps he's most popular as the Englishman behind Zero Punctuation, a video review series hosted by The Escapist magazine.
Yahtzee's goal with the animated video series is to pick apart games so you don't have to. Most reviews are overwhelmingly negative, much to the despair of video game creators and publishers. Yahtzee is a cynic who expects the worst from each new game experience, though he usually concedes that not every part of a game is rubbish (only 99% of it). Staples of the series are fast talking, cover art characterization, offensive graphs, juvenile doodling, wit, and hilarity. Even if you're only a casual video game fan, check out these videos.
I've been revisiting Say Anything this week. ...Is a Real Boy is even better than I remember it, and In Defense of the Genre isn't a very strong defense, sadly. On a related note, I remember listening to Razia's Shadow and thinking, "Now this is a superb use of guest vocalists in the 'scene'."
I wonder what the band's next album will sound like.
Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
Record Label: Capitol Records
Release Date: October 17, 1955
Every kiss, every hug
Seems to act just like a drug.
You're getting to be a habit with me.
Let me stay in your arms,
I'm addicted to your charms.
You're getting to be a habit with me.
I used to think your love was something I could take or leave alone,
But now I couldn't do without my supply.
I need you for my own.
Oh, I can't break away,
I must have you everyday,
As regularly as coffee or tea.
You've got me in your clutches and I can't break free.
You're getting to be a habit with me.
I want you to remember
A love so full it could send us all ways.
And I want you to surrender
All my feelings rose today.
And I want you to remain.
The power of children can amaze.
I'll try not to complain.
I know that's a pisser baby.
The chemicals between us,
The walls that lie between us,
Lying in this bed.
The chemicals displaced,
There is no lonelier state
Than lying in this bed.
Bush - "Warm Machine" live Woodstock '99
Bush - "The Chemicals Between Us" live Woodstock '99
Hey, I've actually reached 100 updates on Twitter. Like I mentioned before, most of my "tweets" have been entertainment related, so mundane details about my personal life are infrequent at best. If you're interested in reading my abbreviated thoughts on such topics as The Office and Kevin Bacon, follow along:
Tweet #100: if ever i helm a movie adaptation of fahrenheit 451 i'll play 'a rush of blood to the head' by @coldplay over the closing credits. perfect.
Said I'm gonna buy this place and see it go.
Stand here beside me Baby, watch the orange glow.
Some'll laugh, some just sit and cry,
But you just sit down there and you wonder why.
So I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war,
If you can tell me something worth fighting for.
And I'm gonna buy this place is what I said,
Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head.
Coldplay - "The Scientist" live
Coldplay - "Green Eyes"
Coldplay - "A Rush of Blood to the Head" live 2003
Do you recognize when the world wont stop for you?
Or when your days don't care what you got to do?
Or when the weight's too tough to lift up,
What do you do?
Don't let em choose for you;
That's on you.
"Great Expectations" was my favorite song last year, and after finding the music video on Jason's blog, I had to steal it for myself. So, enjoy.
The Gaslight Anthem - "Great Expectations"
A band can't really can't go wrong with a performance video, but with this song I'd like to see a companion story being told. A story that fits really well with the classic sound and the bitter words. It's okay though, because I do like this video.
On New Years Eve and New Years Day I found myself laying in bed watching a Spider-Man marathon on a network dedicated to kids' programming. I know, what an exciting life I lead. In one episode Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane from a villain (the Green Goblin, I believe) while she's performing a play live in an open auditorium. The villain flees before Spider-Man, so the hero, being a gentleman, retrieves a headband costume piece Mary Jane had dropped during the attack. When he turns to return the headband, Spider-Man is crestfallen to see Mary Jane, the object of his affection, fawning over her new boyfriend Harry Osborn. Spider-Man drops the headband down to Mary Jane from above and hurriedly swings away. Upset that his great responsibility has once again affected his personal life in a negative way, Spider-Man scoffs, "Save the world, lose the girl."
A week later Jason is just rock 'n' rollin' with a thread titled "Weekly Nostalgia: Midtown." Everyone reminisces about how great Midtown was, and Anton weeps because the word is "was."
It's the start of 2009, so it's time for me to catch up on some music I've been meaning to listen to for days/months/years. I'll start with this album, and I'll hope Anton doesn't shun me from his life because I'm this late to the party.
Disclaimer: I did rock out to Midtown songs in high school and beyond (I remember leaving my computer on all night to download the music video for "Like a Movie" over a dial-up connection), and I did listen to some songs off of Save the World, Lose the Girl, I just never owned the album. Now just rock 'n' roll. Yeaaah!
TJ gave me a heads up in the entertainment forum about a DVD sale going on at amazon.com, so I decided to take care of most of my Christmas shopping today. Mom, bro, roommates - done, done, and done. Now all I have to worry about is wrapping the items up. I'm also kind of worrying about my bank account, but by this point I'm used to living without many expenses (outside of eating whatever I want). I did order The Eventually Home and Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind for myself as well, but I think it's okay to spend money on albums every once in a while. I also picked up Good News for People Who Love Bad News on ebay recently, and I'm looking forward to diving into that. I should really get to sleep soon - I've got a long paper due in my Senior Seminar King Arthur class on Thursday (my last, and most important paper), and I want to make sure it's pretty great. It's a short story on Sir Gawain, so I hope it turns out somewhat enjoyable.
To end on a weird note, here's Rivers Cuomo in the video for "My Brain is Working Overtime." I know the feeling.
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