star wars: the clone wars - a review

sigh.

sit down my children, and i will tell you a tale. the year was 1985(or was it '86?), and a young detroit and his best friend, we will call him chicago (a scant 1 day older than detroit), caught wind of a movie. a movie called "Star Wars." these young cities had no idea the role this space tale would take in their futures, but they were excited and curious about the mystery and adventure that were contained within. they wouldn't stop talking about it, they wouldn't stop playing "star wars," even though to date they hadn't seen the film. on one fateful night, detroit and chicago's parents rented what was called a VCR, and a single video tape, "the empire strikes back." and the young lads hunkered down in front of the television for what(unbeknownst to them) would be a pivotal moment in their life. over the next 13 years, the boys lived by one credo, "george lucas is god, and star wars is the bible." toys, models, costumes, stuffed animals, trading cards, models, records, games, videos, and books all followed. collections grew, and grew, and grew. rumors of further story, prequels and further sequels, eventually surfaced. "there's supposed to be 3 more movies before AND after the ones we already love?!" the boys exclaimed. retooled versions of the originals soon appeared, the boys couldn't get enough. george lucas was god, and star wars was the bible. then... in late 1998, as 1999 quickly approached, there was a blink on the horizon. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace would be released in theaters the next year. speculation as to the story, the characters involved, the cast, it was all up for grabs, what was Episode 1 going to be like?? What did the title mean? was anakin going to be in it? were luke and leia going to be in it as children? we NEEDED to know! tickets were bought for opening night. midnight, 3am, 6am, 9am... yes! we would stay up all night and see the NEW star wars movie! 4 times! A NEW star wars movie, we still couldn't believe it. it was like george lucas had heard our prayers, and answered them. the young lads were engrossed in episode 1, blindly unable to see the horrid pile that it truly was. but, eventually, we all know how it turned out. fast forward 9 years. countless dvd releases, horrible cg, spin offs, video games and plenty of reflection time later, we catch up with our hero. detroit, now a seasoned 27 year old, disillusioned by the constant raping and exploitation of his childhood passion by it's creator hears of another star wars movie, to take place in the midst of the prequel story line.

"is this really necessary?" he wondered. "hasn't george lucas done enough to tarnish my childhood memories?" he pondered. "when is this gonna stop?!" he proclaimed.

as time went on, things surrounding this nightmare got progressively worse. this new movie was to be computer animated. many of the voices were NOT going to be done by previous cast members. and then trailers surfaced... the animation looked choppy, the voice over work lackluster, and of course... no hints as to the actual storyline. detroit found it near impossible to get excited about the upcoming film. as much as he desperately wanted to, he just couldn't. "it might be good," "it looks kinda cool," some friends chimed. he would always reply with, "look, i want to agree with you, but we all know... this isn't going to end well for any of us." the reviews started coming in, unsurprisingly the world responded with a resounding "MEH." but detroit knew, deep down in his heart, that the 10 year old contained within him would never let a star wars movie pass without being seen.

and this brings us to today. i stand before you, in the wake of seeing the clone wars. i am happy to report that seeing this "movie" was not a TOTAL loss. the art style was very cool, and a lot of interesting choices were made in regards to character design, texture and lighting approach, and environments. i give the art direction department an A+ on a job well done. unfortunately, the praise ends there. the bordering on beautiful art style was utterly torn to pieces by amateur animation and voice over "acting". it's almost as if they started with the character design, said "yes! this rules!" and then immediately stood up on top of their drawing tables and took a giant shit. character movements were so choppy and jarring and lifeless, it was as if they were watching marionette footage for inspiration. animation can be exciting, and voiceover work can be engaging and heartfelt and convincing. however, this movie does not hit any of those points. the storyline was pointless and annoying, it was so obtuse and thrown together, i was actually rolling my eyes at some points. the pacing was all over the map. i literally felt like i was watching a movie that was a product of a room full of 12 year olds sitting around saying "wouldn't it be cool if they did this?!!" and then another chimes in and says "yeah, and this too?" and another chimes in and says "and then this too..." and not a single idea got turned down. the most satisfying part of the movie was when i got up in the middle to take a crap. this movie is totally unnecessary, totally superfluous, totally annoying, and should have either immediately been canned as an idea entirely, or gone straight to dvd, or maybe just make it a game and leave our beloved childhood memories alone for now.

however, there was a trailer for the new harry potter movie, so ya know... that was cool.

love, an predictably saddened detroit.

p.s. don't even get me started on the upcoming star wars tv show.

I feel the worst things in my soul.

So wow. Randy, Tyrone and I got bored today and in the midsts of sitting around and listening to records, I accidentally played Trapped Under Ice's hot new joint, "Stay Cold," out now on Reaper Records, on 33 RMPs rather than 45... Well, it turns out that their riffs are even more punishing at a slower speed. So of course we had to share this with all of you...

So on behalf of the boys and I, here is Trapped Under Ice's - Stay Cold... SCREWED.
...You're moshin'.



Trapped Under Ice - Stay Cold (Screwed)
Buy the original version of "Stay Cold"

We're idiots.
Also, this amazing "Screwed" style re-do artwork is by Tyrone.
And DJ Chocolate Cake is a bad, bad Caleb Crump joke that isn't even worth explaining.

Swedish (fucking) Death Metal

Alright it's my first post, not exactly the one I imagined. I was originally going to post something about Etae or how jacked the greyhound bus system is, (if a bus is overbooked you could end up waiting days.) Fuck it, we'll go with something simple:


-Zach

TV on the fuckin' Radio.

I just read a bulletin on good ole MySpace posted from the band's profile that said something about two new TV on the Radio songs being available on the band's website. I just listened to said songs and am excited to hear what the rest of the album sounds like as it is one of the very few releases I've actually looked forward to this year. Hell, I'm even seriously considering pre-ordering the LP.

Return to Cookie Mountain was probably one of the records I listened to most in 2006 (alongside Parallax's Mediums & Messages) and still manages to find its way into rotation quite often these days. I remember having to take a final at 7:30 in the morning for my auditing class and listening to the album on the walk to get a muffin and then to the classroom to take the final. We also listened to it a shitload of times on tour that winter. Record is awesome.



Try it.
Buy it.


*This song isn't on Return to Cookie Mountain, but it's awesome.

- Tyrone

I've got a boner for the Smashing Pumpkins.

In the vein of stuff we're totally digging lately, I thought I would share as well. First, I want to totally second the Lanterns record and the United Nations shit. Good stuff. But really, I just want to talk about how much I love the Smashing Pumpkins right now.

The Smashing Pumpkins were a band that I always liked but never got into. I remember having their cassingles when I was a kid. My mom used to drive me down to Hastings so I could rifle through the cassette section and come back with whatever was on MTV at the time. I do remember the Pumpkins though, they would always put out shitloads of rare tracks, non-album stuff, whatever, you know. I guess I never knew how awesome they were until I recently downloaded their entire discography. And then I got really stoned and watched their DVD Vieuphoria, and that ruled, too. Anyway, here's a video of the awesome, awesome song Soma live.



BTOWN.

PS. Joaq, did we ever do anything with that song "Billy Corgan Gets a Girlfriend"?

Lanterns, GZA, United Nations

This is my first post on NGTH so I thought I would take the time to share the new music that has been exciting me recently...



LANTERNS-
APOCALYPSE YOUTH EP

I heard of this awesome band from San Diego from fellow poster Brian M a couple of years ago, right around the time this band formed & immediately fell in love with their loud, noisy pop songs. I just received their newest ep, "Apocalypse youth" in the mail a few days ago, & it has been in heavy rotation since. This is their third release (they've also released a split cd/10 inch & 2 song SXSW ep) & features their strongest song writing/production yet. If you like bands in the vein of Sonic youth, My bloody valentine etc etc I could see you possibly enjoying a band like this. All of their releases are pretty cheap & available for purchase via their myspace page (linked below) so check out their songs & pick something up if you like it!

Listen
Purchase
Lanterns blogspot



GZA-
PRO TOOLS

The GZA is 1/8 of the surviving Wu-tang clan, & a founding member. Wu-tang have been one of my favorite hip-hop groups for a long time & The GZA ties for my favorite Emcee out of the bunch, so as you can imagine, I was very excited when he quietly dropped his first album in several years this last week. The GZA to me is rarely matched when it comes to complex well written lyrics with multiple layers of meaning, delivered from his trademark smooth casual flow & he is in top form on this album. The last few albums of his (Minus the DJ Muggs vs GZA album/remix album) have suffered drom inconsistent & weak production, so thankfully I see Pro tools as a welcome change in this area. The beats are very simple & perfect for setting up The GZA's lyrics as the main attraction. For those of you who enjoy hip hop that isn't overtly aggressive, I highly recommend this album, just click the links below:

Listen
Purchase



& finally, I want to talk about the new self titled album from UNITED NATIONS, The band featuring the vocalists of Thursday & Glassjaw, & the drummer of converge playing awesome 90's screamo punk like Orchid, Joshua fit for battle, Saetia etc. They uploaded their lp here & you can stream it until it comes out in 2 weeks. I'm already addicted to this lp & can't wait for my copy to come in the mail! I read an interesting article about them here, so if you have 5-10 minutes, check it out, it's a good read. Hopefully these guys will play a couple of shows in the near future.

So, hope you guys can find something you like amongst this stuff I listed, I'll be posting something later this week on movies, enjoy my 1st post!

-Brian G

Yeah you speak so soft, and I'm tryin' to understand you.

Teenage Cool Kids are another awesome band from Denton, TX. I bought their first release, a cassette, entitled "Things That I Can't Say" from them and immediately fell in love with their sound. This is what DIY sounds like. They record everything analog at home and have friends release their stuff. Not unlike most awesome DIY bands, their releases are rare and mostly on much sweeter formats like cassette and vinyl. Anyways, here's their most recent release, "Remember Me As A Silhouette." It's fun, sloppy, raw, emotional, silly, it will make you want to dance and make you want to lay around on a rainy day. You're in for a treat. Oh yeah, and with comparisons to Dinosaur Jr. and Superchunk, how can you lose?



Try it.
Buy it.

- Joaquín

Alarm Self-Titled 7" pre-orders up!

Our band boyfriends in Alarm have a 7" coming out on Inkblot records. The pre-orders just went up, so go pick up a copy! It's gonna be awesome. I've heard the songs and they're gnarly as balls. Look out for the Alarm/Excr00sh split this winter. HOTNESS. Oh yeah, did I mention it's only $5 postage paid?! You can't beat that. Go buy a copy now!



The Inkblot Myspace
The Alarm Myspace

Also, HAHAHAHAHAHA. Goddamnit. I miss those dudes. So stoked to see them next weekend.



- Joaquín

I don't have the strength to face the world alone.

I've been dying to get my hands on some of The Potential Johns' material ever since I stumbled upon their Myspace page a couple of months ago. Everything they've done has only been released on vinyl and in very limited quantities. Finally, I found a copy of their split with The Chinese Telephones in No Idea's distro. After a long, fun-filled day, I ran upstairs and ripped it as soon as possible. Dear God, is this band incredible. At first, it's fun and upbeat, like it should be, then it ends with a poignant power pop ballad. Ugh. Why can't all songs be like this? So good. Anyways, check it out for yourself.



Try it.
Buy it.

If my spiel didn't sell you...

"The Potential Johns is the solo project of the Marked Men's Jeff Burke, so it sounds like, well, you know, the Marked Men... but a little less rock 'n' roll, and a little more Clorox Girls-esque. It's all very vocal-driven-maybe a little too much, to where you feel like you getting pummeled by catchy vocals-but why complain about that?" - MRR

- Joaquín

Scared Shitless.

I was just telling my friend the other day about how I've only been here in Seattle for about five months now. About how before I moved I made music a priority in my life, and that's how I landed here. Straggling demos together, I tried to start my own band after an effort to locate decent ones here. He Whose Ox is Gored was scrapped together with a few friends. Now, our drummer has recruited me for a five week tour with his friend Jacob in Uglyhead. Tour's coming soon, and in fact, I'll be back in the ABQ September 10th. Now, I've kind of been offered a spot on keys with another band, and I can't help but think this might get serious. I remember what Rob Moats told me last year on our way to Copper Lounge for a late night booze run. He said, "Man, I'm 23, I knew I always wanted to do this, and now it's time to get serious." Not get serious in a Set Your Goals way, most of us know Rob and how he got on the bus and went for it. It's working, he's out playing shows and touring, doing what he wants to do. I feel like I'm coming to that point, and it's kind of scaring the shit out of me. My friend from the new band told me jokingly, go tour until you run out of money, come back here, join our band, and we will tour until we run out of money. If it works out, I'm fucking going to be on the road for a while. Most of my shit will end up on craigslist, and I'll be nervous and freaked out in the backseat of someones van for awhile, but goddamnit, that would rule. Now, I'm going to catch up on my episodes of Dexter till I pass out.

BTOWN.

PS, Here's a picture of our bassist from He Whose Ox is Gored, Travis. Dude's got an ear for tone, you know.

Baby doll, I'm still afraid of it all.

If you've ever listened to Weezer's B-sides, you would know how eager those dudes are to throw out straight up gold. Rivers Cuomo had a batch of songs that he had written for a rock opera entitled "Songs From The Black Hole," most were scrapped, but some of them were reformed into what became "Pinkerton." It's actually quite interesting. If you're a Weezer fan, it's definitely worth looking into. Check out the Wikipedia article on it, here. Anyways, he released some of the songs, along with a bunch of other home recordings on a record called "Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo" late last year. Here is the video for "Blast Off!," a song about the characters in the story's mixed feelings about embarking on their space mission. The video, however, is just a bunch of footage of Rivers Cuomo doing what he does best... Being an awkward bastard. So good.



Anyways, this is a really great album. Check it out for yourself.



Try it.
Buy it.

Rivers also has a bunch of "songwriting tips" videos on YouTube. They're all pretty funny.

10 movies from the 70's you should see and why.

if you haven't seen these movies, you should.

in no particular order:
1. jaws
why: steven spielberg in his prime. roy scheider in his prime. dryfuss in his prime. QUINT. it's intense, it's scary, and sharks fucking rule.

2. texas chainsaw massacre
why: the scariest movie of all time. has some of the most disturbing things you'll ever see in your life. this movie invented the modern horror movie.

3. the jerk
why: have you seen "cheaper by the dozen 2"? no? me either. but i can say with confidence that if you took all the unfunny parts in that movie, and made them funny, you'd have the jerk. any movie that starts with a white guy saying "i was born a poor black child" is bound to be comedy gold.

4. star wars
why: well, it's probably mostly nostalgia. but let's be honest, flaws aside, this movie fucking rules. it's exciting, it's fun, it was groundbreaking, it IS legendary. it set the bar and influenced cinema forever.

5. slap shot
why: funniest sports movie of all time. second funniest movie of the 70's. newman in his prime. and i mean, the hanson brothers, come on. best trio of characters ever.

6. godfather 1 & 2
why: eh, what hasn't been said about these movies? everyone likes to talk about deniro in 2, but for me it's all about pacino. remember when he was good? yeah, this is when that was happening.

7. close encounters of the third kind
why: again, spielberg and dryfuss in their prime. this is a classic. if you don't feel all warm and fuzzy at the end of this movie, then you are fucking dead. or at least dead to me.

8. taxi driver
why: i catch shit for it, but i really don't like deniro. i think he's pretty low on the acting talent scale. however, this is one of the only movies where he actually IS acting, and he is AMAZING. patient, deliberate pacing make the internal boiling that much more intense. scorsese at his absolute best.

9. conquest of the planet of the apes
why: this is the 4th movie in the planet of the apes series (out of 5), and it fucking RULES. it's dark, it's politically charged, it's actually well acted. it's the dark knight of the planet of the apes series. after a strong start and 2 mediocre follow ups, this movie took the series by the balls and said "fuck you, i'm taking over", too bad movie 5 dropped the ball so hard.

10. dawn of the dead
why: seriously? you have to ask? the best zombie movie of all time. duh. more than anything, this movie has brains. pun intended.

love, detroit

New Adobe Homes songs!

Adobe Homes just put up their new demo.
Shit is fly. Go check it out at their Myspace, here.



"...and it's true, all us kids are really confused."

Adios, pendejo.

Fuego's official release date is today. It's not on Netflix yet, so we'll have to wait a little while for Fuego night. Although it's only $14.99 at Best Buy according to their website. Anyways, for now, enjoy the official Fuego trailer. I know I have.



Also, peep the official Fuego website.
http://www.fuegothemovie.com
LOL at the ad for Pichardo's Limousine Services, Inc. at the bottom.

There is a light that shines special for you and me.

I know it's 4:17 in the morning and I probably sound like a douche for saying this, but Bobby Caldwell has a really beautiful voice. You might recognize this song from when it was sampled it Common's "The Light," also a beautiful song. Anyways, check it out.



"There are times, when you'll need someone.
I will be by your side.
I'll take my chances before they pass, pass me by.
Oh darlin, there is a light that shines, special for you and me.
You need to look at the other side.
You'll agree."

- Joaquín

A Gift for My Mother.

So my mother's birthday was Sunday. What did I do for my mother on her birthday, just this past Sunday? Well, let me tell you. I got classy. See the shit, believe the shit, love the shit. Purchase proofs for your home or office. And go for the nice frame, too. Show some respect.

Pure Class.

BTOWN.

---

The best shit ever:


I miss you (n/h). <3


- Tyrone

This blog rules.

Howdy readers,
The blog seems to be popping off at an alarming rate. And I hope everyone else is digging it at much as I am. But to the point I shall get!

I've got a few good stories and a sweet recipe for you all.
First the story:
The other day, my friend and I drove down to Mitsuwa Market in Clairemont[for those of you unaware it is a Japanese grocery chain.] We parked, went inside and look at the crazy foods and drinks that no one would ever be cool enough to make here. She got her items and we paid and walked out. Stumbling around for keys i noticed in the spot next to our car, was a huge, smelly gray, turd on wheels. This huge turd was parked in two compact spots with no regard for anyone else. So we snapped a picture to share with the world. And now I will share it with you!
I thought it was both ridiculously funny, and amazingly American.

And now for the best meal I've had since lat "Thanksgiving". This is more then worth the effort and if you follow the recipe well, it should come out as well as mine did.

VEGAN MEATLOAF
Some what of a oxymoron?

Ingredients:
2 14oz Gimmie Lean Beef Style

1 Small onion, chopped.

1 red pepper, chopped.
3 cloves garlic, minced.
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground mustard

Directions:

Preheat over to 325
Start sauteing 5 minutes before mixing.
Saute onions, garlic, and pepper in wide pan with olive oil until brown.
While cooling, combine gimme lean, oatmeal, 3Tbsp ketchup, garlic salt and pepper.
Then add sauteed veggies. Mix well, with your hands, other wise its not meatloaf, fool!
Coat a cookie sheet with olive oil. After form a "loaf" shape on the pan.
Once loaf shaped is achieved combine 1/4 c ketchup, nutmeg,
and ground mustard and spread on the loaf.
Cook on 325 for 45 minutes!

Goes great with gravy and mashed potatoes, probably some green beans too.
If you liked this, let me know! So until next time,

Love your life and ride your bike

-Forrest

for the record

here are a few things that i believe:
1.) carrot juice is delicious. it is also the perfect color of orange.
2.) david byrne is a genius.
3.) everyone should make at least one mix tape in their life.
4.) vinyl is better than cds.
5.) real mail is worth the effort. everyone smiles when they get a letter.
6.) good things take time.
7.) reading is good for you.
7a.) reading things with pictures is also good for you.
8.) keanu reeves ruins movies.
9.) the dark knight is the best comic book movie of all time.
10.) you should never eat tofurkey jerky. trust me.

to be continued...

love, detroit

Now you're gone and I'm alone.

My "little" cousin just left to go move into his dorm at NMSU. I thought I would put up this record in his honor being that it's one of his and my favorites. Here's to you, Vince. Good luck with your first semester.



Try it.
Buy it.

- Joaquín

ICU81MI? Hilarious!

If you have a 22 minutes to kill and want to rofl hit up the NBC website. The entire second season of 30 Rock is available to stream. This is one of the only good shows on television right now. Season 3 is gonna be straight heat. Peep this clip. Alec Baldwin is amazing.



- Joaquín

New City Is The Tower hotness

They just posted a demo track that one of our contributors, the lovely Mr. Dave Jordan, recorded in a garage. How DIY. Go check it out on their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/thecityisthetower
http://www.myspace.com/thecityisthetower
http://www.myspace.com/thecityisthetower

"What's this place? A home in which I'm foreign. (An uncanny) insinuation of memories, but none of which I can remember so I fake a smile and just fade out. This was my life, but this isn't who I am anymore. I'm alright. Things can change."

If you weren't at their show last week, you missed out. They played an incredible set. Most fun I've had at an Albuquerque show in a good while.

- Joaquín

Yeah. We doin' this one for the ladies. Ha...

This is the most incredible video ever.
Just check out the lyrics to the spoken intermission part.

"Aww yeah. Right about now we on da intermission tip.
So all you ladies go get your towels. You know what I'm sayin'?
'Cause it's laid out like dat, you know?
But wait a minute, we ain't through. Kick up the amp."

All the suggestive actions in this video are weird as fuck.
God, I don't know what my life would be like if I had never seen this video.

- Joaquín

why everyone should like menomena

1.) all 3 members are insanely talented. clearly.

2.) craig thompson created the most amazing album artwork of all time for them.

3.) they love ghostbusters:


4.) i'm too lazy to both post their album "Friend and Foe" for download, or even find a link to download it. but you should just buy it, b/c buying music is rad anyway.

5.) their guitar player looks like me.

love,
detroit

-----

Just to amend Dave's post, here's their 2007 album, Friend AND Foe.



Try it.
Buy it.

- Da management.

The new MXR Carbon Copy looks dope as shit on my pedalboard!

Seriously, man. I just got the shit and it's awesome. I've been putting off the whole getting-a-delay-pedal-to-make-your-band-sound-more-atmospheric-and/or-emotional thing for a while, but goddamn. Just look at the shit. All classy with that green sparkle finish and elegant blue LED to let me know when my shit is in modulation mode or being truly bypassed. MXR, you make a sexy pedal. And you sound awesome, too. Cooing at me just like an MN3005 chip should. Baby, I think we were meant for each other.

Love you, baby.

BTOWN.

Barroom Hero

So i'm a complete douche now because i went to the bar with my co-workers last night and it was dope. Listening to people get hammered and explain beer pong to one another in spanglish sounds hilarious! I have a new found respect for illegal immigrants too, that shit is difficult man! I'm starting to like people way too much now, it's freaking me out! oh growing up and losing all your angst is silly.

Potential edge break soon?? Take your bets!

-White Mike

Photo journal updated!

Tons of hilarious pictures, much like this one:



Check them out here.

- Joaquín

Great night!

So after I came home tonight, I was hanging out with Jen Alex, when I went looking for food in my house. What did I find? A box of 72 bagel bites. HOLY SHIT. Nothing better in the world could have happened.  72 little bagels with pizza on em, fuuuuuck me right? I would say I ate around 20 before I called it quits. Best surprise ever. Best night. Bagel bites, FTW. 

- Jake

P.S.  PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

FTW

Pleasure Unparallel.

We Can Create Momentum

Yo, Tyrone here. Rather than put together a stupid cover letter, I decided I'd contribute a little number to this here blog deal. It'll probably be a regular thing because I get bored and feel there are some rad albums that some people needs to hear. Anyways, here goes nothing.

My love for the band, Parallax, began in the winter of 2004 when I had received their demo (two tracks from which appear on "Mediums & Messages" in re-recorded form) after e-mailing the band for a copy and was blown away by how good their music, as well as their message, was. I listened to it almost religiously that year and was quite excited to get a hold of the full-length that they had recorded. I was saddened to hear from Kevin Counterintelligence that their lead singer, Blake Donner, had passed that summer, before he could hear the finished product, which sort of lead to the release of the full-length being delayed a few months.

Fast-forward to spring 2006 when I randomly heard from Kevin (Counterintelligence guy) that the CD was finally available and I immediately ordered it from him knowing that I needed to eat that week and I was low on funds. I received it three days later and for the next month or so it was all I listened to. I know that everyone says that but, really, this is all I listened to. Even during times when I shouldn't have been listening to music (like studying for finals and in class), I had this album playing.

Everytime I try to explain this band to anyone that hasn't heard them I can only really say, "awesome, emotional stuff, man." I say that because, well, it really is, and the fact that you know their singer passed before he could hear the finished product and that the remaining band members wrote the explanations (except for one) and liner notes makes the listen more intense.

If I could say anything, just get the record to hear the track that features Greg Bennick of Trial fame (just get the record because it's fucking amazing). I wish I had more to say about it, but it's amazing. I think this is where I'll stop and leave you with the explanation/introduction for "Surgery Without Sutures" written by Greg Bennick found in the CD booklet:

"To have limitless potential to feel and love yet to be bound by a slowly dying body is life's greatest irony. No matter how much we can imagine the universe, we are bound by the earth, eventually by the dirt itself. Given that set of circumstances, how are we to live? How is it possible to find inspiration and confidence in the midst of a future which is already pre-determined yet entirely uncertain at the same time? A year from now I could be making love, laughing, in awe, extraordinarily happy....or I could have worms crawling in the dirt through my eye sockets, unaware that the passageway through which they move ever housed a unique and caring individual life. In the midst of such opposites, it is easy to get lost, to give up, to get wrapped up in fear and pressure and rage. It is easy to look backwards wistfully dreaming of being in complete control of what we would have done to feel more alive in the past, rather than to risk defeat and live in the present, or hope for the future. This song is about what happens at the breaking point. It is about saying yes to the fear, to the regret, to all the people you never kissed, all the places you never got to see, all the friends you've lost, and all the ones you hope to find. Its about what you want to feel and experience, and how much you want to squeeze every last precious moment out of life before you are extinguished forever. Its about breathing deeply, feeling and living to extremes in the midst of a slow process of dying, a process which is as painful as it is beautiful...a process that will haunt us for the rest of our lives."



Try it.
Buy it.

Click here to view Greg Bennick's blog entry in which he discusses his track and his experiences with Blake Donner and Parallax.

Forrest's Never Get To Heaven Playlist #1 and Vegan Banana Bread!

Hey Everyone,
Your boy from the California coastline here. When Joaquín told me he was starting a communal blog and wanted me to post, my first idea was to post a playlist of music I played out this week and a nice vegan recipe that I enjoyed this week. SO, starting this off, the first playlist track listing! A little less then a hour of awesome tracks that can be downloaded here.

1. I Like Cats - Grabass Charlestons
2. Turning Up The Heat - Any Trouble
3. Three Girl Rhumba - The Wire
4. Shralp Snap - Kamikaze Attitude
5. All I Hear Is Static - The Lillingtons
6. One More Day - Descendents
7. Aint Nothing But A GE Thang - No Target Audience
8. I'm Not In Love - Screeching Weasel
9. Alison - Elvis Costello
10. Your Generation - Generation X
11. What Is Love - The Dead Boys
12. Chip On My Shoulder - Cock Sparrer
13. The Name Of The Song Is - TiltWheel
14. Color Me Impressed - The Replacements
15. In Case You're Unaware - Sonic Dolls
16. See Him Again - The Ergs
17. Straight To Hell - The Clash
18. Can't Stop - The Travoltas
19. Here Comes The Summer - The Undertones
20. No Rest For The Whiny - Bomb The Music Industry

You might have alot of these, but hopefully someone reading finds a new band they fall in love with!

And on the vegan recipe. When I first went vegan, the first thing i ever made was banana bread. Its easy, fun and amazingly delicious. Everyone I gave it to loved it and I never mention the fact that It was "lacking" any dairy.

Banana Bread


Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas (Takes 2-3 Bananas)
1/2 cup vegetable Oil
equivalent of 2 or 3 Eggs (check Vegweb.com for a few awesome egg replacement recipes if you don't have your own)
1/3 cup soy-buttermilk*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix flour, vegan sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Mix bananas, oil, and buttermilk* in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the banana mixture with the large bowl containing dry ingredients, and stir well. Add the Ener-G Egg Replacer in now, and stir well again. (Optional: add 1/2 cup pecans).
Pour into a greased 9x5 inch bread pan.
Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.
*To make buttermilk, combine 1 cup soymilk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. This can be used on a 1:1 ratio with buttermilk, so 1/3 cup of this = 1/3 cup buttermilk.
Feel free to get creative with this recipe too. Chocolate Chips, fruit chunks, the sky is the limit!
Serves: 10
Preparation time: 1.5 Hours

So, until next time, love your life and ride your bike
-Forrest

Unfun

It's 4:13 AM and I'm still awake. This isn't Livejournal, so I'll keep my thoughts to myself. However, I dug up this little gem by Mr. Schwarzenbach and friends for my friend Forrest earlier tonight. He thinks it's already his favorite Jawbreaker album. Bold statement. Check it out for yourself.



Try it.
Buy it.

"Unfun, Jawbreaker's first LP was recorded in Venice, California, and released in 1990. It is a combination of pop-influenced punk and DC-influenced hardcore. However, unlike contemporary 'pop-punk', Unfun has a dark quality and a maturity emblemized by its literary aspirations. While many bands at the time were willing to settle for pat social commentary, Jawbreaker pushed its lyrics, emphasizing depth and resonance."

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

One of my friends starts a new blog every week and never does anything with it, so I figured, fuck it, I should start a blog and never do anything with it. Better yet, I should make it an open blog and let other friends help it get nowhere. Anyways, this will be a place for us, and you, if you'd like, to post funny stories, sweet pictures, songs, records, videos, whatever. I think it would be sweet to wake up one morning, check my blog, and see something that someone else has posted. So yeah, if you'd like to contribute, e-mail me at nevergettoheaven@gmail.com

Let's party. - Joaquín

Oh yeah, you would figure I got the title of this blog from an Integrity song or some shit. Just so you know, it's from a Burt Bacharach song. Burt Bacharach fucking rules.

Peep it.

Seriously, listen to the way the transition after the chorus resolves itself into the phrase that comes after it.
(It's at like, 1:34)

"An example of his distinctive use of changing meter is found in 'Promises, Promises'. In this song, he incorporates a very complex time signature sequence of |3/8|÷|4/8|3/8|÷|4/8|" - Wikipedia

Fuck.