Buzz McFlamethrower

Top 10 Movies of 2012

2013-01-03T22:40:00.000-06:00

So it's been awhile since I made a new post. Lots of stuff has been going on but that's a story for another time, today we look back at the films of 2012. This was an interesting year, lots of good new media in all forms, stuff in my life has been pretty good, just not a lot to really complain about. So lets get into it.

I would like to briefly remind you that this is just a simple opinion piece that I'm quickly throwing together. I promise you you won't agree with my list, and that's ok. Enough blabbing, let's do this thing!

10. The Secret World of Arrietty

If you're not familiar with this particular movie let me get you up to speed. Arrietty is a re imagining of the classic Borrowers story written by Mary Norton. This rendition is brought to us by the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away) and was distributed by Disney. The story is heart warming and the animation is breath taking. I kinda have a thing for animation, as you will notice from this list. If you haven't seen Arrietty I would highly recommend checking it out.

9. The Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man has always been my favorite super hero but to be honest, I was pretty worried about this movie when the trailers came out. Luckily, I was worrying for nothing. Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot of the Spidey series going back to Parker's highschool days. The film features one of my all time favorite Spidey villains, the Lizard who I always felt sympathy for. The movie also features Emma Stone and that is always a good thing. This movie really showcased what Peter Parker is all about, a relate-able kid who is a smart ass with a heart of gold.

8. Prometheus

This is one I may get some arguments from but I don't care, this film blew me away. Prometheus is an Alien prequel that answers some questions and raises some as well. The sets were incredibly detailed and the acting from Fassbender was top notch. I may be a little biased since I love the Alien films but I found the whole movie to be as fascinating as it was thrilling. The final scene in the movie also shows the origin of the Xenomorphs which was probably the best part of the film for me.

7. Looper

Time travel hasn't been invented yet but in about 31 years it will be. Looper revolves around special assassins that deal in eliminating targets sent back to the past from the future. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of these special assassins known as a Looper, he is tasked one day with "closing his loop", meaning he has to kill his future self (Bruce Willis). This sci-fi action movie feels kinda noir inspired and keeps you glued for the entire film. If you missed this one when it was in theaters it just came out on DVD this week, you should make sure you don't miss it again.

6. Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise is the latest film from one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson. The story focuses on a kid with an old soul and a girl of a similar mind frame. The two children run away together and do their best to avoid their parents and camp counselors. It's a love story unlike anything you've seen before. All star cast, fantastic soundtrack, and gorgeous cinematography. The film may not be for everyone though, Wes Anderson has his own unique style, that's for sure.

5. Dark Knight Rises

BATMAN. CATWOMAN. CATWOMAN'S BUTT. This movie has it all! I will say though that I really preferred the Dark Knight but this was still a fantastic conclusion to the Nolan Batman trilogy. Bane is the star of the show in this one, it's been nearly half a year since the movie came out and I'm still hearing (bad) Bane impressions. If you like Batman, see this. If you don't like Batman, see this.

4. Cabin In The Woods

Here is another one people are gonna gripe about, and I really don't understand why. This movie was pure brilliance! It took the horror genre and flipped it upside down on it's face and kicked it square in the dick. If you haven't seen Cabin yet then you probably think it's something that it isn't. It's really hard to explain why I love this movie so much without giving away sooooo much. The film parodies the horror genre and reinvents it all at the same time. I also really appreciated the way it ended, it's such a unique movie. Go watch this 16 times, right now.

3. The Avengers

Do I really need to say that much about this? It's Joss Whedon putting together some of the world's favorite super heroes. Also, I'm sure you've already seen it multiple times and love it just as much as I do. Here's hoping Avengers 2 is just as good!

2. Django Unchained

This one just came out so it may be so high on my list due to being fresh in my mind, or it could be because it's Quentin Tarentino being a brilliant crazy bastard. Django focuses on a bounty hunter rescuing a slave named Django to help him find a bounty in return he promises to help Django find his wife. What follows is what can only be described as uniquely Tarentino. A gritty, bloody, dialogue driven revenge and rescue film. Acting is brilliant, scenery and cinematography is gorgeous, soundtrack is fitting and adds to the scenes better than I've seen in years. I really can't recommend this movie enough, in fact there's only one other movie from this year that I would recommend more....

1. ParaNorman

Typically my favorite animated film of the year is put out through either Pixar or Studio Ghibli, this year was different. ParaNorman tells the story of a kid that doesn't fit in too well and is at odds with his family all because he can see and speak with the dead. The film is a stop motion and some of the best I've ever seen. The character design is unparalleled, the score is emotional and fitting, the dialogue is witty and well ... the whole movie makes me want to curl up in a ball and happy cry. Norman is the main character, his crazy uncle (voiced by John Goodman) passes away and tasks Norman with protecting the entire town from a curse, but Norman isn't sure he knows how to. This movie does a lot that I've never seen a children's movie do before, and in the best possible way. I think ParaNorman made it to the top spot on my list mostly because I felt like I related to Norman a lot. ParaNorman in many ways is a movie about an introverted kid for introverts. Even if you're more extroverted, this movie is one you shouldn't pass up.

Honorable Mentions
The Raid: Redemption: Foreign action movie that drop kicks your brain. I loved this movie so hard.

Brave: Pixar's latest. Very beautiful film that seemed Princess Mononoke influenced to me.

Wreck-It Ralph: This just barely missed making my list. This is a heart warming animated movie about being yourself and also video games.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Back to Middle-Earth! Action packed and gorgeous but I still don't think they should have made it into a trilogy. Even with the Silmarillion they are making things up, should have just been two movies.

A Digital Wasteland

2011-03-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

War. War never changes. Its 0100 hours and I can see my teammates on the ground below the building I'm holding out in. I have a claymore set up next to the only entrance to this room so no one can sneak up on me. I still can't shake the feeling that someone is close.

Just then I hear my claymore explode. I turn to face my enemy. He is wearing a flack jacket which explains how he made it into the room in the first place. He appears to be barely over 4 feet tall. It's then that I realize he's only seven years old. He points his FAMAS at me. Pulls the trigger. And calls me a “fa*%&t”.

Yes, I'm talking about the digital warfare that is Call of Duty on Xbox Live. I recently jumped on the bandwagon and got online with Black Ops. If you have ever played any Call of Duty or Halo game online you're well aware that they are infested with young children hurling frags and curse words.

Now for those of you that aren't already aware of this, both of the above mentioned games are rated “M”. Rated “M” for “Mature”. These games aren't recommended for any one above the age of 17. So why are parents letting their kids on these games, especially online?

I think most parents either don't care or are unaware just what goes on in these games. Children are not the only ones playing these games online, many teenagers, young adults and even older adults are online. So not only are these young kids annoying everyone else playing the games, they are also hearing a lot of words they probably shouldn't.

I'm not a fan of censorship, I think it's horrible but I'm also not a fan of just letting your kids watch/listen/play whatever they want. Children are very impressionable and should be protected from things not meant for them, not sheltered, protected.

Of course this isn't really that important of an issue when you consider whats going on in the worlds. This is just my opinion on things. Honestly, I'm just tired of getting my ass handed to me by little kids.

20 Love Songs For Valentines Day

2011-02-14T01:56:00.004-06:00

A great man once said, “The power of love is a curious thing, make a one man weep, make another man sing”. This statement is as true as the day it was first uttered. Love has treated some of us better than others. When you think of love you may have happy thoughts but some people will have the exact opposite thoughts, it's an incredibly strong emotion, perhaps the strongest.

Seeing as Valentines Day is rapidly approaching I thought I would share some of my favorite love related songs with you. It seemed more productive than moaning about how much I absolutely loath this “holiday”. So below you will find 20 of my favorite love songs, some of them are about the happy times involved with love, some are more so about the not happy times that come with love. One last thing these are not necessarily my all time favorite songs about love, or the best, just ones I feel a special connection to. Trust me, it was pretty difficult getting the list down to just 20. Here we go …

I shuffled the play list with my choices to assure these would not be in any specific order

Bob Dylan – Don't Think Twice It's All Right

This is one of my all time favorite Bob Dylan songs. The song is about the narrator breaking up with his girl and how hard it is for him, but he has to leave her because the relationship just isn't going to work. The song is telling her that even though he wants to stay, she can't do anything to get him to, even though she apparently hasn't shown that much affection to him in the past. One of my favorite lines in the song is “goodbye is too good a word gal, so I'll just say fare thee well”. I also really like Emily Haines cover of the song, for those of you that don't know Emily Haines is the lead singer of the indie rock band, Metric.

The Pixies – La La Love You

La La Love You is such a great song because it's just so simple. It also helps that the drums are so fun and poppy. This song is off of one of my favorite Pixies albums, Doolittle and was also one of my favorite tracks from said album. The lyrics (other than the intro) are just “all I'm saying pretty baby, la la love you don't mean maybe” and the members taking turns saying “I love you”. It's just a simple message. A message of love.

Noah and the Whale – 5 Years Time

Noah and the Whale are a great group but man, some of their songs really get me down in the dumps. But not this one. 5 Years Time tells the tale of a young man and a young woman and how they have fallen in love and everything in the world is just dandy. They go to the zoo and all the animals are smiling, they don't feel like they have to impress each other anymore, they pretty much are living a cheesy romantic comedy. The young man goes on to say though that this is all only in his head, none of it is real. All of these happy moments haven't actually happened … yet. In 5 years time he might not know her, they might not speak, they might not get a long, but he then says, “you might just prove me wrong”.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Think I Wanna Die

Here is a song that is perhaps a little melodramatic, but hey, thats how love is sometimes. As you may have guessed, the song is about how he would rather die than not be with this girl he cares so much for. “Think I wanna die, if you don't stay, drop dead in place you can forget it” little dramatic right? Well thats how you can get when you feel so attached to someone. First few times I heard this song I thought to myself “wow … thats a little much, sounds kind of cheesy” but now I think that this man is just incredibly passionate about this woman.

Wilco – True Love Will Find You In The End

As some of you may already know, this is in fact a cover song. It's a cover of a song by Daniel Johnston. If you don't know of Daniel Johnston then thats a whole 'nother story, I suggest you do some digging. This song just puts a smile on my face and when I feel unlucky in love, it really reassures me. As the title suggests the song talks about how, as long as your looking and doing your part, true love will eventually make it's way to you. My favorite line of the song is “don't be sad I know you will, don't give up until, true love will find you in the end”.

Regina Spektor – Us

If you were to ever ask me what songs I would want played at my wedding, this would easily top that list. This is my favorite Spektor song and also one of the most beautiful songs I think I've ever heard. The song details the relationship between a couple, seemingly a kind of romeo and juliet type of couple. One that others do not approve of and do not wish to happen, or at least thats how I view it and translate it. This couple must have done some amazing things though, seeing as they had a statue built of them and a city named after them.

Cee-Lo Green – Fu&% You

If you haven't heard this song yet, congratulations you probably went deaf around the beginning of last year. So as you can probably tell or already know, this isn't a lovey dovey song, this is an angry song with a great upbeat uhhh … beat. Cee-Lo tells about how he loved this girl so much but she pays him no mind because he's too poor, in other words, this woman is a gold digger. Shes now with another man who is apparently an xbox but Cee-Lo is an atari. Cee-Lo has apparently gotten to the point where he sees this girl for what she really is, and needless to say, he's kind of pissed.

Sam Cooke – You Send Me

An oldie but a goodie, as they say. Cooke, like Cee-Lo just has such a soulful voice, a voice that you don't hear very often. This song doesn't really try to disguise itself with analogies and metaphors, it's just about how this girl he's in love with makes him feel. There isn't a whole lot going on in the song really, at least not compared to todays music, but Cooke's voice and the emotion of the song make it a classic.

Death Cab For Cutie – You Can Do Better Than Me

This is a lovely and honest song. It's also the shortest song on this play list and barely over a minuet and a half, but sometimes thats all the time you need to say how you feel. Gibbard talks about how this relationship has had some hard times but it's obvious that they still love each other. All you have to hear is the line “theres times I think of leaving, but it's something I'll never do, because you can do better than men, but I can't do better than you”. That might not sound so sweet, but I think he means it to.

Stars – Personal

Stars are a great band for love songs, especially the ones that aren't so uplifting. Personal tells the story of two singles that meet on a dating site. They start sending each other messages and pictures and are seemingly hitting it off. But hey, this song wouldn't be so slow and sad sounding if everything was gonna work out in the end, would it? The two singles plan to meet up for a drink. She gets there, she waits, and waits, and waits a little more. He doesn't show up. She tells him in her last message to him that she saw him there, and she knows he saw her too. “I guess we'll never meet now, it wasn't meant to be”.

Wilco – I'm the Man Who Loves You

Wilco is just a great band to look to for love songs and this is one of my personal favorites. This song is just so sweet in my mind because it's a genuine confession of love. The song is so upbeat and happy and it fits the lyrics perfectly, Tweedy talks about how if he could just hold her hand then she would understand that he is the man that loves her, it's simple but sweet. Plus, it's Wilco and they're pretty much amazing!

Jason Lytle – Ghost Of My Old Dog

Jason Lytle is the lead singer of Grandaddy, I realize that probably didn't help you recognize him but maybe it did for someone. This is one of the only songs that actually made me cry the first time I heard it, yeah thats right, guys can cry from a song too. The song is about how Lytle's wife/fiancée/girl friend is accusing him of being in love with someone else “Don't yell at me, 'cus you can't see, who I am thinking of”. However you soon learn who he is thinking of, “I'm only talking, I'm only laughing, with the ghost of my old dog”. Then the part that gets me every time, “but they're all gone now, to earthen bed”.

They Might Be Giants – New York City (Sorry I could only find lie versions)

Ah, one of my all time favorite cover songs and one of my all time favorite love songs. NYC is originally a song by the all girl punk group, Cub. TMBG being from NYC decided it would be a perfect song to cover. This song is a love song in more than one way, in one way it's a love letter to TMBG's home and then it's also a traditional boy meets girl love song. I can't really pick a favorite line from the song because it's all so great but the opening sets up the song pleasantly, “You called me last night on the telephone, and I was glad to hear from you 'cause I was all alone, you said, 'it's snowing, it's snowing! God, I hate this weather', now I walk through blizzards just to get us back together”. If you like this song I recommend you also check out another TMBG love song called “Another First Kiss”.

Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead

Yep, another Stars song. This one is about two ex lovers being introduced at a party. “yes, I believe we've met before”. The song gives off the feeling that this meeting is kind of awkward and tension filled. They chat for a while and both take the same cab and as he sits there silently he says in the song that he wasn't sad, he was just trying to remember her name. Which makes me think he's a jerk. I don't believe that he actually doesn't remember her name, he's just putting on a show that their relationship didn't mean that much to him, when in fact it really did.

Radiohead – All I Need

Of course I couldn't let this list not have any Radiohead on it. All I Need is from their latest album, In Rainbows, and is another great simple love song. I seem to have a thing for simplicity, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Thom appears to be telling a woman how much he loves this woman but she simply ignores him, or does not share the same feelings. “I am all the days, that you choose to ignore”. Even though she continues to ignore his feelings he keeps saying “you are all I want, you all I need”. I feel Thom's pain when he says “I'm an animal, trapped in your hot car”. I think everyone can probably relate to this song, which is one of many reasons this is such a great song.

Weird Al – You Don't Love Me Anymore

You gotta keep a good sense of humor about love or else you'll go insane, also, I don't care what anyone says Weird Al is a very talented musician AND lyricist. You Don't Love Me Anymore is the humorous account of a man who is slowly beginning to pick up the HUGE hints his wife/girl friend is leaving that she doesn't love him anymore. The song is a sad ballad and you feel bad for the narrator even though your also laughing a whole lot. “Why did you disconnect the brakes from my car, that kind of thing is hard to ignore, got a funny feeling, you don't love me anymore”.

The Mountain Goats – No Children

The Mountain Goats have a lot of great songs about love, this one is about love, but the utmost darkest part of love. The feelings you have for someone after you have split and you both have NOT made nice, you both loath each other. No Children is about these feeling, it seems to be after a rather bitter divorce. It's a beautiful song in the most depressing way possible. “I hope that our few remaining friends give up on trying to save us, I hope we come up with a fail safe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us.” Pretty depressing right? It only gets worse.

Bettye Swann – (My Heart Is) Closed For The Season

Swann was a great soul singer that not a lot of people are aware of. She didn't put out too many albums but this is one of my favorite songs by her. It has the same feeling of I Will Survive, where she is talking about how she won't go back to this man even though he wants her back. He is a apparently someone that gets around though. The song is written as a letter to him telling him that her heart is indeed, closed for the season and it's because of how he treated her. Just that analogy of her heart having a season was enough to get me loving this song.

Art Brut – Emily Kane

Art Brut is an artist that won't be for everybody. His vocal style is one of those were the singer half sings, half speaks. Emily Kane is about one of his first real girl friends and how innocent their relationship was. He's still in love with her and wants to be with her, every girl he's been with since her have just reminded him of her. He has no idea how to contact her or where she lives but he does know the exact time it's been since he last saw her, down to the last second. “I hope this song finds you fame, I want kids on school bus's singing your name”

The Blues Brothers – Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

I couldn't think of a more perfect song to end this list with. Blues Brothers is one of my all time favorite movies and it had a lot of amazing songs, this was one of the last performed in the movie, at the big gig towards the end before the last big police chase. The song has a pretty basic message, we are all human and because of that simple fact we all desire and require love. Whether it be a person that you and all of your friends hate or the person that everyone gets a long with, we all NEED love. Also if you listen to this song and you don't feel like dancing, you might want to check your pulse.

Even though I hate Valentines Day, I hope you have an excellent one.

Review: Sleigh Bells - Treats

2011-02-07T18:04:00.003-06:00

I want you to think of the most bad ass music you can think of. Need some more time? Thats fine. ......... Ok, you got it? So what is it? Slayer? Metallica? Black Flag? Well here is your new go to for bad ass music and it is not metal at all. As it turns out the most bad ass album to come out in years is Treats by Sleigh Bells. Yeah you heard right ... this totally bad ass band is called Sleigh Bells.

Sleigh Bells are what is commonly conisdered as "noise pop" which in my brain typically translates as they make a bunch of noise for the sake of making a bunch of noise. This is not the case with this band. While they do create quite a bit of noise, what they're doing dosen't sound messy or unplanned. They are very bass driven with lots of raw guitar licks thrown in. This is just a super fun band guys, I'm super cereal!

One thing that makes these guys so fun is that their songs seemingly aren't really about much at all. For instance one of my favorite songs on the album, Kids, is just about a group of friends spending the day at the beach. Now I usually am one of the first to criticize a song for being shallow and not really about anything of worth. Even though that is my usual stance I do believe that on occasion you just gotta have a meaningless, fun album to just throw on and feel good about. Something you don't really have to think about or pay that much attention to. This is that kind of album.

This is Sleigh Bells first album and I really can't reccomend it enough! I absolutley adored this album and cannot wait to see what this group does next. I see great things in their future. So please, please, please do your ears a favor today and listen to these guys!

A Short Peter, Bjorn and John Review: Gimme Some

2011-01-31T14:51:00.002-06:00

You ever hear that song that had those bongos in the background and the chorus went like, "and we don't care about the young folks, talkin' 'bout the young style"? Yeah it was kind of good at first and then got way over played to the point that you hate that song. Well that song is by Peter Bjorn and John and they're actually a really great band, no really!

Gimme Some is the followup to PB&J's 2009 album Living Thing, which was a fantastic album by the way, while Living Thing had a more electronic style Gimme Some is more traditional rock/pop it's also seems to be rather 60's pop influenced. I enjoy the sound of this album but honestly, I feel like the style they went with is begenning to get a little over used in the music industry.

I think PB&J's greatest strength is that they have a gift for wrting extremley catch songs. They have proven it once again with this album, with songs like Tomorrow Has To Wait and Dig A Little Deeper. There are other great catchy songs on the album but I think those two are the catchiest. Overall its a really good album, but it could have been better if you ask me. Living Thing was just so good! I wanted something that would be a great succesor to it, this album however, does not quite make the grade.

Review: Cake - Showroom of Compassion

2011-01-17T02:39:00.005-06:00

It's been a long time since we've heard from our good friends Cake. Seven long years, its been seven long years since the last time we had a new Cake album in our hands, but the wait is over and we now have Showroom of Compassion in our dirty little mitts. And you know what? The wait was worth it, because their new album is pretty great, as are most Cake albums. So lets get down to the details on this solar powered record. Oh, by the way, they recorded the whole album using solar power 'cause they're hippies.

This album opens pretty strong with the first two tracks being some of the best on the album, we start things off with the song Federal Funding and right from the beginning of the track you know you're in for a good album. Right after Federal Funding is my favorite track on the entire album, Long Time. The song isn't about how its been a long time since they were relevant but I like to pretend it is when I listen to it, I always have been a bit of a sucker for great returns to greatness.

The rest of the album is just as strong in my opinion. From start to finish I really enjoyed every track on this album, of course I liked some more than others but thats to be expected. One thing I truly appreciated about this album was the return of the Cake instrumental sections (previously seen in Italian Leather Sofa) this time we get an amazing instrumental song entitled, Teenage Pregnancy. Then you have fun almost anthem like songs such as Sick of You. Meaningful but hilarious songs like Italian Guy. The pseudo ballads Cake is famous for, Got To Move. This album really has everything a Cake fan could really want.

John McCrea had said in interviews that this album would be a lot different than previous Cake albums which worried a lot of people. John was half right, this album is different but I would hardly call it “very different”. They did use reverb for the first time along with using an acoustic piano for the first time on a Cake album. Those things along with other minor evolutions does create a bit different sounding album than Cake fans may be used to but this is still a Cake album at it's core, which means that its a great piece of music that will entertain you throughout the rest of the year.

Baths - Cerulean

2010-12-24T16:51:00.002-06:00

Cerulean:

Baths:

June 22, 2010:

Electronic:

Have you ever came across an album that you just simply adored? An album that brang forth incredible emotion and just made you feel warm and happy and safe? I recently was introduced to just such an album on the way home from a Pavement concert. The album is Cerulean by Baths. Baths is the alias for the musician behind the creation of this glorious album, his name is Will Wiesenfeld.

Baths is similar to Flying Lotus in the way that they both make some truly incredible beats. Thats at the root of Will's music but he also does a lot of sampling in his songs and also sings on many of them, which you don't usually find in a Flying Lotus song. As I said earlier this album really invokes a lot of emotion in me, that's why I feel the name “Baths” is appropriate. When you listen to this album you kind of feel like you're laying in a nice warm bath. You just feel like you're safe and nothing bad is going to happen, as if during the duration of the album you're in a protective warm bubble and you're floating through a dream. Hmm …. that may have sounded a tiny bit cheesy and cliché but its how I honestly feel when listening to this album. All that being said you may have a different experience with this album. Some may interpret the album as a sad one, a lonely one, but I did not.

The songs found here are obviously love songs which is why I say this album can easily be seen in different lights. I suppose it depends where your love life is at the time, or maybe your outlook on your love life. I believe the album is meant to be seen as a happy album and thats how I obviously see it. I'm just not really sure how anyone could listen to the song “Aminals and not feel absolutely joyous and have an ear to ear smile. Then again … I have met some pretty horrible people this week.

I honestly don't understand how it is that I love this album yet can not find more words to say about it. What it comes down to basically is, if you like electronic music of the chill variety then I highly recommend you check out Baths. I had a really hard time choosing which tracks to post but I think the ones I chose below really speak for the album. So check it out and see if it's for you!

Personal favorite tracks:Aminals, Lovely Bloodflow, Rain Smell

10 Video Game Studs I would Go Gay for: Part 2

2010-12-07T18:17:00.004-06:00

10 Video Game Studs I would Go Gay for: Part 2

Here it is.

The moment all 2 of you have been waiting for! Me talking about being gay some more!

5: Marcus Fenix from Gears of War. Power. Raw Power. Marcus Fenix is the personification of the term “ramming someone.” If you want a true sexing, go no further Marcus Fenix is the man for the Job. Try not to get too attached or he’ll leave you behind at Wendy’s crying and begging for more. Sometimes a man has to put duty over pleasure.

-True Love-

4: Sam Fischer: Sam Fischer is a mixed bag. His work has taken over his life. You can definitely see this in his sexual tactics. He’s tough, quick and ruthless. He’ll be done with you before you even knew he was there. If you’re into that sort of stuff, it can be the most gratifying sexual experience you’ve had. If not, you better remember your safe word.

-He forgot his-

3: Gordon Freeman from Half-Life. Mr. Freeman, the king of relatively meaningful FPS experiences and possibly the bedroom. Just like his creators paid attention to detail so will he. You’ve got an Itch? He’ll scratch it. You’ve got pipes that need cleaning, Internet that needs fixing, Anal Sex to be had? He’ll take care of all of it. AT ONCE. Watching him make love is almost more entertaining that actually making love to him. Truly this man is incredible. Maybe one day he’ll actually talk to me.

-He’ll even teach your kids how to dance like a true man-

2: The Entire Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Cast from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty is a gay man’s wet dream. The only women in the entire game are slaughtered at the very beginning. With no women interfering we can only imagine what happens outside of the battlefield. Orgy upon orgy, gallons and gallons of semen…it’s a wonderful world.

He’ll give you the (Anal) mustache ride of your life.-

1: DØg from Half Life 2. By god. Look at it. …It’s perfect.

-All it takes is one swing and she’s out of the way-

Top 50 Albums of 2010

2010-12-06T22:06:00.001-06:00

Top 50 Albums of 2010

As odd as it may seem to some we have indeed came to the end of the first year of this decade. The end of 2010 is imminent. And what a year it was! 2010 was an incredible year for music! I have seen some incredible concerts this year and some incredible albums have come out in 2010. So here we go, this is my top 50 albums of 2010.
50. Reggie Watts - Why $#!+ So Crazy?
Starting off this huge list is the always hilarious Reggie Watts. Typically I would not include a comedy album on the list but Reggie is also a very talented musician and works his music skills into most of the tracks on this album. He does a lot of layering of tracks and samples his own voice and beatboxing to make those layers. This album is pretty great and I would highly recommend checking it out. Here is one of my favorite tracks, F_c_ $#!+ Stack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJQU22Ttpwc
49. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Now I know what some of you are thinking, "My Chemical Romance?! seriously?!". Well guess what!? I like their newer stuff alright!? Whenever The Black Parade came out MCR began to evolve and change up their sound. This album as well as their last album are very Queen influenced and at times I can also hear a hint of David Bowie. MCR has dropped the whole goth/emo thing and actually have a pretty great message behind most of the tracks here. While I still think I liked The Black Parade better, this is still a great album and you should give it a fair shot. Here is one of my favorite tracks off the album, Vampire Money http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMUdfJoks30
48. Ray LaMontagne - God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise
Ray is back with his fourth studio album and it is much better than his last album, Gossip in the Grain. Now this is Ray LaMontagne so of course everything sounds very southern and soulful, the song writing is also back in shape and much better this time around. All that being said this is still not his best album whatsoever, but it is still a great album. Check out my favorite track from the album, The Devil in the Jukebox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugIOaJvgHY
47. Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring
Horse Feathers is a very chill indie soft rock band along the same lines of Iron and Wine. You will find lots of soft sung vocals and acoustic guitar here. Horse Feathers is from Oregon and is a four piece and has a lot of stings, much more than your standard Iron and Wine song. The cellist is actually the sister of the founder of the band ... so that's neat. Check out my favorite song off of this album entitled, This Bed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMvCt8NJanQ
46. Klaxons - Surfing the Void
The Klaxons are a very unique band. They have a sound that I can only really describe as psychedelic punk rock from space. A lot of their songs are incredibly dancy and fun while some are umm ... a bit strange. This would be their second album, I prefer their first album but this is still a great effort with a lot of fun tracks and interesting songs to be heard. I would highly recommend checking out this track called, Echoes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJgOLu5iAFs
45. Tokyo Police Club - Champ
Next up is a band hailing from Canada, Tokyo Police Club. This is TPC's second album, and like a lot of bands they suffer from the infamous sophomore slump on this album, however it isn't a bad sophomore slump. This album is still pretty darn good, it's just not as good as Elephant Shell. For those not in the know TPC is an indie garage rock band, they are a lot of fun and have some great song writing with lines like "Dire times call for dire faces". Check out my personal favorite song off of the new album called, Wait Up (Boots of Danger) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxRozTgoXM
44. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Brick
Ted Leo is from Washington D.C., Leo and his Pharmacists create some truly awe inspiring punk rock music. Some of the songs are occasionally political influenced which is usually a turn off for me but this guy knows how to make some great, catchy songs that just shove themselves into you're brain and stay there. The songs on this particular album are incredibly fun and are perfect to sing a long to. If you're looking for some great guitar licks and something fun to drive around to look no further than this album. Here is the song that will be stuck in you're head for the next year, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w248uwpAX14
43. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo
Brandon Flowers is, for those of you that don't already know, the lead singer of the popular rock band The Killers. This is Mr. Flowers first solo album, and ya know what? It's not half bad! Brandon Flowers is from Las Vegas, Nevada and it comes through in this album, I mean just look at that album cover. What I liked the most about this album is that it sounded more like a Killers album than the last Killers album did. If you already know what the Killers sound like, and who doesn't by now, then you already know what to expect from this album. Check out my favorite song from Flamingo titled, Crossfire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhU12zC8fc
42. M.I.A. - MAYA
M.I.A. was pretty big there for a little while whenever Paper Planes got super popular from being on the Pineapple Express trailer. While Paper Planes is a great song, M.I.A. is so much more than just that song, she experiments with so many different sounds and samples. Her music may not be for everyone but I really enjoy it and think shes pretty darn talented. All that being said this is not M.I.A.'s best album, like I've said about previous albums, it's a great album but no where near as good as Kala. This one is much more club oriented and even has a touch of industrial. Check out the song Lovalot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMkI2jvGFE
41. Rafter - Animal Feelings
There’s a few artists on this list that I wasn't aware of till this year, Rafter is one of them. I actually have no idea how I found these guys now that I think of it. Rafter is an indie pop rock band that likes to use a lot of vocal effects, and a lot of the other things that make for a good pop song. Things like hand claps or drum parts with a lot of toms. Also just look at that cover! That cover is hilarious and thought provoking at the same time. Another reason this is such a good album is that fact that these songs are pretty darn catchy, or at least they were for me. Here is one of those songs that got caught in my head, Fruit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxGYEQE_n4M
40. Daft Punk - Tron Legacy Soundtrack
So here's the thing, a lot of people have been waiting for a long time for Daft Punk to release another album. Daft Punk revealed not too long ago that they would be doing the entire soundtrack for Tron Legacy. I was excited, you were excited, my cat was excited. It's finally here and I gotta say, I am disappointed. I am disappointed but that doesn't mean this is a bad piece of art, it just wasn't what I was expecting or what I was wanting it to be. It's still pretty great and has some intense pieces but I was hoping for something more along the lines of Homework. Yes I was disappointed but this soundtrack was still good enough for me to place it on my top 50 albums. Check out what is easily the best piece from the album, Derezzed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAG7jLKer40
39. Matt & Kim - Sidewalks
Matt & Kim are a band composed of two people (surprising I know) you've got Matt on keyboards and Kim on drums. I would call their sound synth heavy post-punk. If you missed Matt & Kim's album Grand from last year then you missed one catchy album! They have returned rather quickly with a followup to Grand and it's as you may have guessed at this point, not better than Grand, but hey its still really good! (Are you getting sick of hearing that yet?) Sidewalks has some songs on it that are just as catchy if not even catchier than the songs on Grand. Songs like Camera and Block After Block will crawl in through you're ear canals and build a little cabin on you're brain and live there for the next three months. That's how catchy some of these songs are. Those songs are brilliant but some of the other songs just fall flat and don't really go anywhere. A prime example of this would be Northeast. Whenever that song comes up I just have to hit next, I'm not even sure what it is about that song, I just really do not like it at all. Here is the opening track of the album, and one of the catchiest songs this year, Block After Block http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbn3_pV8slk
38. Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Pantha Du Prince is a very electronic and ambient group. Ambient music like this band is easily one of my favorite genres of music, there’s just something about it. Ambient music just makes me happy and it brings back some really great memories. I feel like the best way to describe the sound of this album is to just look at the album cover, the album cover looks like what the album sounds like. This album is great to drive to, sleep to, do homework to, cook to, move heavy furniture to, kill zombies to and just about anything you can think of. I wish music like this was a bit more popular and easier to find, but that's what I'm here for, to find this and tell you to listen to it. Now go and do as I say and listen to, A Nomads Retreat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHq0-ujgoaY
37. Broken Social Scene - Forgivness Rock Record
Broken Social Scene is a pretty big indie super group with members from Stars and Feist and other big name indie acts. This is their first album in quite a while and it's been far too long. This album was really great and all the tracks have their own kind of sound to them really. While all the songs do have their own unique sound they all do sound BIG and like they could fill a stadium. This band has a lot of members so I guess that would only make sense. This band is honestly kind of hard for me to describe so lets just get to the song I picked out. Here is one of the best songs from this great album, Texico Bitches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQr4E2NEWz0
36. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
Ok first off, WHY AM I JUST NOW DISCOVERING THIS BAND!? I mean seriously, they have been around for forever and a half and then they release a new album after not recording for a long time and I absolutely fall in love. For those of you not in the know, Superchunk is a garage rock band that got somewhat big in the 90's and then somewhat faded away. This band is just loud and fun, lots of guitar and awesome drum parts that leave you're hands feeling tired. Even after all these years this band still has it. I wish more bands today sounded like these guys. Check out the first single from the album, Crossed Wires http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yM5kohAwNs
35. The Thermals - Personal Life
The Thermals are a great punk rock group (with a really cute bass player) that doesn't have anything technically amazing in their playing but because it has so much energy it just comes out sounding great! What really makes these songs so great are the vocals and the simple guitar riffs. Sometimes just the minimum works better than getting complicated. This album is quite a bit slower than previous albums, at first I was pretty upset about this but it grew on me. I still would say The Blood, The Body, The Machine was a better album but this is a great one too. If you like old Green Day or bands similar to them you should check out this album. Here is my personal favorite track, Power Lies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54bJru1hFVg
34. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
Sharon Jones deserves to be much more well known than she already is. She has one of the most sultry and soulful voices of any woman alive today. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a soul group that has been around for a little while but this seems to be their big breakout album. Typically I am not a fan of singers who do not write their own songs, I do however make a lot of exceptions and Sharon Jones easily gets one of my exceptions. If you like powerful voices backed by some great horn sections and powerful lyrics look no further than this album. Get a taste for what Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are all about from this track entitled, Money http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN9qAK1t8_U
33. Husky Rescue - Ship of Light
Whenever I meet another music enthusiast we some times enter into this battle of band name dropping, basically we just see how many bands we can each name that the other is not aware of. I know, I know its incredibly pretentious and ridiculous but it happens sometimes. Anyways sometimes when I am challenged in that game I pull out Husky Rescue because hardly anyone seems to be aware of them. Husky Rescue is from Sweden and create what they call ambient pop. I couldn't describe it better myself, that is exactly what they sound like, ambient pop. This is Husky Rescue's third album and in case you were wondering, yes, it is much better than their last album. Here is the first song from the album, Sound of Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPX9G3GwlwQ
32. Girl Talk - All Night
Girl Talk is another band I heard for the first time this year that I wish I had heard much earlier. What Girl Talk does, for those of you that do not already know, is mash up songs together and sample lots of songs to create new original songs. For example, the album opens with a Black Sabbath song and a Ludacris song being mashed together. Its really a lot of fun to listen to and try and spot how many different songs you can recognize throughout the album. I think I heard it best described the other day as, "music for music lovers" and I think that is absolutely the best description I could possibly muster. If you aren't still quite understanding what Girl Talk is all about then feel free to check out one of my favorite songs from the album, Jump On Stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3GznTXur8
31. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Yes, yes I'm afraid you did just read that right. I do in fact consider myself a Kanye fan now. I'd like to take this moment to clarify something though, I do still think Kanye West is a huge douche and a gay fish, that being said I have found I actually like his music ... I like it a lot. This is the first Kanye album I actually listened to the whole way through and its pretty darn fantastic. You've got a lot of different collaborators on this album, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Rhianna, The RZA, Chris Rock and even that horrible god awful Niki Minaj (I have no idea what he was thinking on that one). I shouldn't really have to explain what Kanye sounds like at this point, if you have no idea then why are you even reading this? Here is the opening track from the album, Dark Fantasy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lzp61UNvA
30. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
This is the second album from The Tallest Man on Earth, who in reality is actually quite short, and he hasn't lost one bit of what made his first album so great. The Tallest Man on Earth is a powerful song writer who plays a lot of acoustic guitar and banjo. When listening to his songs you may notice that he is very Bob Dylan influenced, I feel this especially shines through in his song writing. This album has a lot of great lines throughout its entirety but I think my favorite is on the very first song, The Wild Hunt, when he says, "I plan to be forgotten when I'm gone". That line just really spoke to me and says a lot for how simple it is. I mean if I didn't know better I would've sworn that it was written by Dylan himself. Here is one of my favorite songs from the album, King of Spain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qdM8WdTfH4
29. Das Racist - Sit Down, Man
If you needed any further proof that I have in fact become somewhat of a rap fan this year look no further than number 29, Das Racist. Das Racist is my favorite kind of rappers, they don't rap about how gangster they are or about women or anything like that, they rap about important issues and other subjects that they like. They do all of this while not really taking themselves too seriously. In fact some of you may have heard their song Combination Taco Bell Pizza Hut, it got somewhat popular online a little while back. On their first song (All Tan Everything (feat. Jay-Z) ) they make jokes about how white people can't go out into the sun with out getting a skin disease. I think one of my favorite songs off of the album is hahahahaha jk?, the chorus is "were not joking, just kidding we are joking, just joking were not joking". If you are a rap fan at all you really owe it to yourself to check these guys out. Here is hahahahaha jk? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliTqJNKJrM
28. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
You know before this year if you had asked me what I thought about the soul scene I would have told you it was dead. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Janelle Monae is one amazingly talented young lady, she has the voice of a young Michael Jackson and the dance moves of a goddess! I seriously could not stop listening to this album for like 2 months earlier this year. There is also a track on the album featuring Of Montreal and I'm sure that excites some of you. This album is like a breath of fresh air for soul and R&B, it does not sound like anything else in that scene but its not quite just straight up pop. It wasn't too hard picking a song off of the album to recommend, you absolutely HAVE GOT to hear Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc
27. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Broken Bells is DangerMouse (the non-singing half of Gnarles Barkley and an amazing producer) and James Mercer of The Shins. I'm not gonna lie to you, I have a complicated history with this album. When I first got it I absolutely loved it. I listened to it a lot, like a lot alot. Then I started hearing it everywhere I went and it drove me crazy and I just didn't listen to them for a long time. I'm listening to them now as I type this and I'd say its safe to say that's all behind me and I love this album again. If you haven't heard them imagine The Shins but crazy space noises for music instead of guitars and drums. There are still guitars and rums but the album sounds much more psychedelic and spacey than a Shins album would usually sound. Here is, The Ghost Inside, plus ZOMGCHRISTINAHENDRICKSSOHOTT!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVxTsXRjNTw
26. The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Here's the thing .... you are not gonna like this band, you just aren't. I have tried numerous times to get people into this band and its rarely successful. The Hold Steady was created by frontman Craig Finn and he also writes all of the songs. He tends to write modern day folk rock songs and songs about just having a good time with friends. The reason most people don't like this band is because of the vocals, you see Craig does this kind of talk singing thing. They remind me of a mix of Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello ... but louder. I recently got to see them live and it was a lot of fun. If for some reason you discover you actually do like this band you have got to go back and listen to their album Boys and Girls in America, its marvelous. Anyways here is my favorite song from the album and probably the most accessible song, Hurricane J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG4ABgTuCqA
25. Born Ruffians - Say It
I gotta say Canada, you have certainly been on top of it lately. Born Ruffians have quickly became one of my favorite bands and yes, they are from Canada. Born Ruffians have a lot of very bass driven songs and a rather unique vocal styling. This is another band that I got to see live for the first time this year and they put on a great show, I would highly recomend it if you ever get the chance. I think the best way for you to see what the band is all about though is to just check out a song from the album, so here is, What To Say http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFDF1rwUO8
24. The National - High Violet
The National have been around for a little while now but it wasn't really until their last album (The Boxer) that they seemed to be getting any mention. High Violet is their followup to that album and whattya know? It's pretty darn good! The National sound like big orchestral rock music that isn't too boisterous with vocals alike to Joy Division. That is to say the vocals are done in an almost droning fashion. This album is not gonna be incredibly accessible but if its your thing then you're really going to enjoy this album. Here is one of my favorite tracks off of High Violet, Bloodbuzz Ohio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfySK7CLEEg
23. Minus the Bear - OMNI
Minus the Bear is another one of those bands that has actually been around for quite awhile now but is only just now getting some recognition. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Minus the Bear yet their sound is like a alternative math rock band with a lot of electronic parts thrown in. A lot of their songs are about women and relationships, big surprise right, a rock band singing about women. What makes this band truly special to me though is the electronic parts they throw into their music, it almost sounds like DangerMouse could have written them. Something about their songs just really relaxes me, I get the feeling that isn't what they were going for but I do find a lot of their songs to be very relaxing. I had the exciting experiences of seeing MTB live this year and I gotta say that they are one of the few bands that can sound just as good live as they do on the album. Enough jibber jabber, check out My Time and see for yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36XnnyWMI5w
22. Kate Nash - My Best Friend Is You
Kate Nash is on the fast track to becoming one of my favorite female singers ever, and this is only her second album! A lot of you have probably not heard this lovely Britt's voice yet but she is a great song writer and has a great voice and to top it all off, shes gorgeous. In the past when I have explained what Kate Nash sounds like to people I used the term "a sober Lilly Allen" and I still think that is the best description one can come up with for her. She just writes a lot of great pop songs but isn't afraid to stroll away from being "lady like" and throw around some words and terms ladies don't often use, but she wouldn't be her if she didn't do that. Here is one of my favorite songs from the album, Take Me To a Higher Plane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL9lo3ztlmQ (couldn't find a studio version :/)
21. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
LCD Soundsystem has released their first album in about three years and man oh man was the wait worth it. This is also reportedly LCD's last album which for all of our sakes I hope is not the case. LCD is a electronica pop band with some real vocals, by which I mean, the guy can't sing really well but it still works for this. These are just fun songs that make you wanna get up off of your butt and dance! The opening track is a great example of this, it's called 'Dance Yrself Clean' and it starts off kind of slow and quiet but then it really kicks in and gets louder and a lot more fun. The second song is called Drunk Girls and that song is just hilarious and a great song to get up and move to. While those are both excellent songs I have chosen a different song for your ears, here is I Can Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW8FKkVnqng
20. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Here is another album most of you have probably already heard this year. Mumford and Sons popped into my world I believe around April ... maybe March. My dear friend Ross reccomended them to me and I checked em out and it turns out they are pretty great. If you have yet to hear Mumford, they are a sort of bluegrass-esque folk band with a lot of different strings going on. I would highly recommend them to just about anyone, this debut album is truly a special album that I feel will stick around for quite a long time. Chances are if you're reading this you have already heard this song, but if not, here is The Cave. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y
19. The Books - The Way Out
The Books are a rather interesting band, definitely not a band for everyone so if you check them out and don't like them then I would totally understand. The Books do a lot of sound collage work, by which I mean they take found recordings and add things like string arrangements or maybe some electronic beats and make those recordings into a song. They also create songs with out found footage but I would say they are best known for their songs where they use the recordings they find. The song I picked from this album is a great example of their sound. The song is called Thirty Incoming and it was created with a bunch of answering machine messages they found on an answering machine they bought at a flea market or garage sale or something of the like. They weave the recordings together beautifully to tell a story, the story I think is up to the listener to decide. My favorite part of the song is how that empty line drone of the phone turns into the strings so smoothly. So here it is, here is Thirty Incoming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOqnBteaIzI
18. Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
I remember the moment I decided 2010 was an incredible year for music, it was when I read online that Belle and Sebastian were returning to the studio to record a brand new album. As it turns out, I was right to think that way because Write About Love is a great album, probably in my top 3 favorite B&S albums in fact. If this is your first time hearing about B&S they are a soft spoken Irish pub band that writes some very beautiful songs. You may have remembered hearing a song or two of theirs on the Juno soundtrack is you ever listened to that. Its been a little while since they have put out a new album but its easy to see that they haven't lost their touch. One of the reasons I enjoyed this album so much was due to the guest appearances from other musicians, such as Norah Jones. In fact Here is the song that Jones appears on, it's called, Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdnVyOe1Pvg
17. Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Cee-Lo is known for a lot of things now a days, he has done some soundtrack work on Kung-Fu Panda, he was a crucial member of Goodie Mob, half of Gnarles Barkley and of course there are his solo albums. Here we have Cee-Lo's latest solo record and I think I'd have to say its easily his best. Many of you I'm sure have heard the first single from this album entitled, Fu*& You (also known as Forget You). That song easily guaranteed this album to be one of my favorites this year regardless of the rest of the album, its just that good. However it turns out the rest of the album is also pretty darn great! I think most people would agree that the best thing about Cee-Lo is his fantastic soulful voice, he has a superbly wide range and he makes the best use of his voice on every single song. If you happen to also be a Band of Horses fan, like myself, then I'm sure you'll recognize this song from the album, it's called, No One's Gonna Love You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiTwalPvuQ
16. Spoon - Transference
Spoon is one of the few great rock bands out there that till gets some press and play on TV and radio stations. With Spoon's latest album comes a rush of emotions and well written songs that will keep you addicted to the album for months at a time. I'll be honest with you however, I have not listened to that many Spoon albums so I'm not sure how this really compares to their older albums but this is a great album to jump into if you're at all interested in the band. Transference came out rather early in the year so its had a lot of time to sink into my brain, there was a time a little while back where I thought maybe it wouldn't be too high up on my list, I went back and listened to the album before writing this and I can confirm that yes, it is still a great piece of music. If you haven't heard Spoon before then this will be a great track to decide on, its Written In Reverse and the first single from the album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWlg9iHHlY
15. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Have you ever been watching [adult swim] at night and they have those bumps with the black cards with white text. They always have some really cool relaxing music playing on those bumps. What does that have to do with my #15 album of the year? Oh, well you see, Flying Lotus does most of the music for those bumps. Flying Lotus is just one guy and he makes some incredibly deep electronica music that some find relaxing and some find invigorating and energetic. I personally just find Flying Lotus's music to be very relaxing, I could not tell you how many times I've fallen asleep to one of his albums. That's the great thing about Flying Lotus though, different listeners can get different things out of his music. So tell me, how does Zodiac Sh*! make you feel? (also a fun fact about this album, Thom Yorke of Radiohead is featured on one of the songs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkA1L6jcv78
14. Flaming Lips - Dark Side of the Moon
I know this album was technically released in '09 but it didn't have a physical release till this year and I didn't get to talk about it last year so here it is. The Flaming Lips along with some of their friends (Stardeath, White Dwarfs, Henry Rollins and Peaches) used their musical talents to recreate all of Pink Floyd's classic album, Dark Side of the Moon. As you're already aware of I'm sure, Pink Floyd is not exactly for everybody and that goes double for The Flaming Lips. This is the first time I've ever seen a band cover an entire album and I was somewhat skeptical about it and wasn't sure how well it would work but as it turns out it worked incredibly well. The song most people know from Dark Side of the Moon is probably Money, well here is The Flaming Lips cover, enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHS1pi-y3Kc
13. DangerMouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul
Yet another album that I don't think technically came out in '09 but whatever. This album features a bunch of different musicians none of whom are DangerMouse or Sparklehorse, they only produced and wrote the album. In fact the man known as Sparklehorse unfortunately committed suicide before this was ever released. Some of the artists included on the album are Frank Black of The Pixies, Juilan Casablancas of The Strokes, The Flaming Lips, James Mercer of The Shins and Iggy Pop. All the songs on the album are so full of emotion and very well written. I believe my favorite track though would have to be Jaykub featuring Jason Lytle of the band Grandaddy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyA88CF4YHM
12. Black Keys - Brothers
I actually really wanted to list this album higher than what I have it but there were just so many great albums out this year I could only manage to place it at #12. Please oh please don't let that keep you away from this album though, it is one of the most fun and energetic albums I've heard in a long time. I truly feel that it must be near impossible for the Black Keys to make a bad album. If for some horrible reason you aren't familiar with the Black Keys they have a sort of classic rock feel, its two guys, a guitar and a drum kit making some of the most incredible rocktastic songs you have ever heard. Their last album was produced by DangerMouse, who also produced a song on this album, so I thought it would be pretty hard to top that album but they blew it out of the water with this one. Here is easily the best track off the album, Tighten Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc
11. Scott Pilgrim Original Soundtrack
If you have talked to me at all this year chances are you already know how in love I am with Scott Pilgrim. The comic was amazing and the movie they made off of it was also ten gallons of fun. One thing that made the movie so great was the soundtrack. In the comic and the movie the main character, Scott Pilgrim (duh), plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-omb. For the movie they had to bring that band to life and actually make songs from the book. They did just that, and they did it perfectly. There were also a couple other fictional bands they had to bring to life that were done just as well, the band Soctt loathes for some pretty good reasons, Clash at Deomnhead and then there was the rapid song playing Crash and the Boys. Sex Bob-omb had all their songs written and created by the famous musician Beck and performed by the actual actors in the band. Crash and the Boys had their songs created by another band on this list, Broken Social Scene. Finally Clash at Deomonhead was brought to life by the always brilliant Metric headed up by the beautiful Emily Haines. There are also a bunch of songs on the album that were previously featured on the respected artits previous albums, such as, The Rolling Stones, Frank Black, Broken Social Scene, Beachwood Sparks and a bunch of others. I simply can not rave about this album enough. Here is one of Sex Bob-ombs best songs, Threshold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AirZDtIMTM
10. Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Jenny and Johnny are Jenny Lewis and her boyfriend (aka my arch nemesis) Johnathan Rice. This is Jenny and Johnny's first album and as you may have suspected most of the songs on the album are sort of lovey dovey. Not all the songs on the album are like that though, they have their fair share of not so nice things to say. The over all feel though is of course a positive one, I mean what else would you expect from an album called I'm Having Fun Now. I absolutely love the duets in this song, both Jenny and Johnny have some incredibly powerful voices and they just mesh so well together. I dare you to listen to this album without a smile on your face, it's just darn near impossible. Here is the first track off the album, Scissor Runner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVnVBkAdXw
9. Baths - Cerulean
Hey, did you click on that Flying Lotus song? Did you like it? If yes keep reading, if no ... well Baths might not be the band for you. Baths as you may have guessed is very similar to Flying Lotus and also all done by one guy. My friend Mat played them for me on the way back from a Pavement show and I just melted. I don't really know what it is about this kind of music, I honestly have no idea. This type of thing just makes me feel so good, so warm, so comfortable, so protected, like when I'm listening to it nothing bad can happen. When I listen to baths, I feel like I'm taking a warm bath on a winter evening, completely relaxed, comfortable with myself. I don't really know how much of that made sense to anyone else, if any. Listen to Lovely Bloodflow and see if you feel it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtTpszuKXqA
8. Jonsi - Go
Jonsi is the lead singer of the beautiful band Sigur Ros. This is Jonsi's first solo album and I certainly hope it is not his last. This album also has Jonsi singing in english rather than his usual icelandic. The music you'll find on this album is happy and colorful I feel like I'm gonna get a cavity listening to it. Hmm .. perhaps that was not the best metaphor. Jonsi's music is very melodic and features a lot of high pitched singing. Fun fact, you may have heard a Jonsi song not too long ago. Jonsi had an original song at the end of the movie How To Train Your Dragon. Jonsi has the voice of an angel and I can't wait to see what he does next. Here is the first track off of Go, it's appropriately called, Go Do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5VgLOs0LwQ
7. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is a band from not too far away from our dear home of Joplin. They reign from the land of Springfield, MO and they make some great pop rock. As much as I love SSLYBY I have to be honest with you, I was incredibly surprised by this album. Let It Sway was produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie and it's some of the finest work SSLYBY has produced thus far. SSLYBY's sound kind of reminds me of early Weezer mixed with a touch of Death Cab For Cutie and a hint of something completley original. Since the band is from Springfield they play there a lot, I have seen them five times and I have had a great time all five times. If you get the chance, go see this band! Here is my personal favorite track from Let It Sway, All Hail Dracula! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZ5G9Qyhb4&feature=related
6. Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
The Dead Weather is a supergroup of sorts, the band has Jack White (of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs), Alison Mosshart (of The Kills), Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (of The Raconteurs). This is the Dead Weather's second album, their first album in my opinion was not so good. With this new release they have totally redeemed themselves and made an album that has gotten a lot of play in my life this year. This album is so raw and has such a great sound, it really just gets you pumped. For example, I absolutley adore the sound of the drums on Hustle and Cuss, the ride cymbal just sounds sooooo good! You just gotta get this album, it's full of musical genius. It was stupid hard trying to pick just one song from this album but I think you just gotta hear I Can't Hear You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj7jTtyCmOU
5. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in. It's been far too long since we had a proper Sufjan Stevens album come out. Not only did Sufjan give us a brand new album but we also got a brand new hour long EP. Before some of you get too excited you need to know that this album is very different than Sufjan's previous albums. Sufjan does a lot of expiermenting here and throws around some hip-hop beats and even makes use of the infamous auto-tune. I think the most amazing thing Sufjan did with this album was put in a 28 minuet long song. Yeah, that’s right, a 28 minuet long song. It's called Impossible Soul and he totally played it live when I saw him in Kansas City a month or two ago. Sufjan is a brilliant song writer and it's so good to have him back. I look forward to his next move. Here is Impossible Soul for your listening pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6sJCkcKiSI (pt. 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYFshXrcp1I&playnext=1&list=PLDA2AE6CABA6D535B&index=31 (pt. 2)
4. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Hot Chip is one of the most fun bands you will find on the scene today. Hot Chip is a electronica band that is headed up by the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of the electronica scene. This album is a bit more serious than some of their previous works and feels much warmer. The album is very soulful and as the title suggests its more about love than it is dancing or just having a fun time. Despite all of that the album still has its fun moments, it's just that this album is a bit different than some of their previous albums, and that, is not a bad thing at all. Hot Chip is here to stay and will continue putting out amazing album after amazing album and manage to still find time to release some remixs here and there. Here is the somewhat disturbing video for I Feel Better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GOZjlwIwfk
3. Bob Dylan - The Witmark Demos
I may get some flack for this since most of these songs were already available and it's just a collection of old recordings and some bootlegs. However, this is a list of MY favorite albums from this year so it stays on the list, and not only does it stay on the list, it stays on the list at number 3! Bob Dylan is easily one of the most brilliant musicians of our time. He writes some of the most touching and heartfelt songs out there. He is also responsible for the best protest songs ever made and other political songs. The Witmark Demos is a collection of Dylan songs from the 60's, with this you're getting Dylan, his acoustic guitar, and his harmonica, that's it. You've probably heard a lot of the songs featured here but you may have not heard the version found on here. There are also some Dylan songs that just never ended up on an album for whatever reason. I just keep coming back and back to this set of songs this year. May Bob Dylan live forever! How can you pick just one song from this? It's darn near impossible but I did it, here's I'd Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day. (well I can't find a youtube link, but check it out somehow someway, you'll be glad you did)
2. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
I'm happy, I'm feeling glad, all because the Gorillaz are back! 2010 saw the release of the brand new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Hobbs are back to rock your house! They also brought a lot more friends to the party than thy usually do. This album has guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Mos Def, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Lou Reed along with a few others. In case you just awakened from your coma the Gorillaz are what are known as alternative hip-hop, they aren't quite an alt. rock band and they aren't really rap. One thing I love about the Gorillaz is they are one of those bands that almost everyone seems to like, it's nice when a band like that comes a long. If you haven't seen it I would suggest you look up the Stylo music video as it has Bruce Willis in it and its a great song. While Stylo is a great song I like Superfast Jellyfish much better. So here it is, Superfast Jellyfish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UtbrbsrjY
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So here it is, the number one album of 2010. What is it? Well chances are you have probably already guessed.

That's right

its

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1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Yeah big surprise right? Actually I wasn't all that impressed with this album the first few times I listened to it, but like a lot of my favorite albums it took a little bit of time to grow on me. Now that this album has grown on me I really think its a brilliant piece of music that you'll be hard pressed to top with anything else that came out in 2010. Arcade Fire are from Canada and have quickly rose to the ranks to become one of the most adored indie rock bands in the business today. They have a large sound and tend to use a lot of strings and some horns on occasion. They write about how the world today is, and how they view it. Understandably a lot of those songs are not the most bright uplifting songs out there. Even though a lot of their songs are kind of depressing when you break em down they are still absolutely beautiful. The Suburbs marks another evolution in the bands career and another step on the ladder to world domination. If you are a recent convert to the Arcade Fire way of life then I only have one piece of advice for you, GO LISTEN TO FUNERAL RIGHT NOW! LIKE RIGHT FREAKING NOW!!! I really do love every single song on this album but I think the song that spoke the most to me was Modern Man. Please listen to this song and meditate on the words and just think about them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjm8WDG-Gy8

There it is everyone, the top 50 albums of 2010. Thank you so much for reading this, it really means a lot to me. This year was easily one of my favorite years in music to date. I think it's gonna be pretty hard for 2011 to beat 2010 but I really hope it does. When there's more great music, we all win. So what albums were your favorite this year? What are you looking forward to next year? What was your favorite show you saw this year? I'm gonna go ahead and predict that the new Radiohead album will be my favorite album next year. 2011 should also see releases from Cake, Deerhoof, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Coldplay, R.E.M., and lots of others.

2010-11-30T21:06:00.015-06:00

10 Video Game Studs I would Go Gay for:

Part 1

Few men are fine enough to make me want to penetrate them. Will Smith and the Late Bea Arthur being the top two. However, in the fictional world there are a horde of men that I would make passionate anal love to in a matter of seconds.

10: Master Chief

Alright let’s get the obvious out of the way. Master Chief; the Lord of frat guys and tween boys all over the world. Too many a time have I woken to a sticky grenade in my pants due to this godlike man. Alright, he probably can’t cook and he wouldn’t be gentle, but a sex tape with him would land me millions and that’s all I need. Maybe If I’m lucky he won’t “Shoot his way out” when he’s done.

“Like a fire hose that hits you in the face...then your face is gone”

9: Mario:

He’s Italian. This man would definitely show me a good time. He would take me out to a nice dinner, show me around Rome, and even let me drive his moped! We would then go back to his place for pizza and coffee. After many hours of delightful conversation we would proceed to clean each other’s pipes for hours on end. Sure he probably wouldn’t have much money, but he would love me for who I am.

"The princess is in another castle...but I'm here for you...always"

8: Solid Snake:

This man is most likely the best love maker mankind has ever seen. He’s a real man’s man. He’s a pretty blunt man though and I assume we would skip all the formalities and go straight to the fucking. Let’s just hope he doesn't get a call midway through.

"True Beauty"

7: Toon Link from Super Smash Brothers. Because I’m a pervert ...And look at that ass.

"What's your final smash?"

6: Ezio Auditore da Firenze: Yet another Italian (see Mario). This man is an expert at giving it from behind, something that would definitely benefit gay sexing. He’d also be pretty great at getting rid of evil X boyfriends. To be honest the main factor for him …he’s hot. I WOULD DO INSANE THINGS TO HIM.

…He’s really hot….

So…I have to go….do something…. part 2 will come soon.

"Animus? More like ANALmus."

(I'm sorry for that)

Bonus: Xerxes.

Because I wanted to use this picture.

Sincerely,

-Val-

How to Discover New Music

2010-11-25T16:09:00.001-06:00

So if you know me very well at all you know that one thing I'm very passionate about is music. I'm even the music manager at the Hastings here in town. When people hear some of the bands I like or I'm showing them something I think they might like I'm often asked "How do you find all this music?". Well This little blog post here is going to answer that question once and for all. I hope it is helpful to you and that you will soon reach my level of music snobbery.

will list for you the four main ways I discover music, these are in no particular order.

1. Last.FM

Last.FM is a social media website that helps you keep track of the music you listen to and connect you to other users with similar tastes. The site also uses this data to refer you to music you might like based on your listening. It collects this data but installing a plug in in your iTunes or Windows Media Player or whatever you use and it keeps track of what you listen to and how much and other things like that. You can also have it upload your data from your iPod when you connect it to your computer. It is a really nifty site and you should join and send me a friend request. Here is my last.fm page My Last.FM

2. Friends

Friends is a great way to find new music! This is honestly one of the main ways I find new music. All you gotta do is ask what they've been listening to. Thats all there really is to it .... yep

3. Pandora

Pandora is a website most of you probably already know. For those of you new to the internet Pandora is a website that lets you create your own radio station. It's rather simple, you simply enter a band name or song title that you enjoy and would like to hear something else of the same sorts. Pandora then plays a song by that band and then plays songs by similar bands based on the formula they use. You can help Pandora learn about your tastes by letting it know if you like or dislike the song.

4. KEXP

KEXP is an awesome radio station out of Seattle. You can listen to the station on your computer or from your iphone, I'm sure they have apps for other phones as well. KEXP plays all sorts of music, things you have probably heard before and others I don't think anyone has ever. They also have bands to their studios to put on a performance from time to time.

5. NPR

NPR, also known as National Public Radio, plays some pretty rad music if you know when and how to listen. My favorite NPR music show has to be All Songs Considered, its pretty much like having a music nerd just throw awesome new music at your ears for about an hour. You can listen to NPR's music shows in quite a few different ways, you can either go to the website or you could download the podcasts from the iTunes store or if your super fancy (like myself) you can download the NPR Music iPhone app (The NPR News app also has some great shows but not that many related to music)

I help this post has been useful to at least someone out there. Let me know how YOU find new music, maybe you have some great methods I had never thought of.

R.I.P. Frank The Goomba

2010-11-25T16:03:00.001-06:00

Friends, Family, Loved Ones, I wish that I was coming before you today in better circumstances but alas I am not. We gather here today to mourn the loss of a great friend and a great father. Frank was one of the good ones, he never complained about the mundane nature of his work or the fact that the scenery didn’t change much but every single morning you’d find him progressively moving towards the left side of the screen. In fact, Frank might have just been the best goomba in the entire mushroom kingdom! Today is truly a dark dark day for all of goomba kind. So here I am with the unfortunate task of delivering Franks eulogy and telling you his entire great legacy.

For those of you still not in the know Frank went to work last Thursday like any other day and took his position and then slowly but surely began to move towards the left side of the screen. That’s when everything went wrong. All of a sudden that menace of our great kingdom Mario showed up and started walking towards Frank and as the two were about to make contact and Frank would have had the upper hand that dirty plumber pulled a sucker punch and jumped! That’s right he jumped right into the air and landed on poor Franks head and ended Franks life and Bonnie and Frank Jr.’s hopes of ever seeing their father again.

Frank grew up the child of a single mother and in a very poor household. His mother was a goomba of class who had been through some hard times. Frank helped out his mother as much as he could but she was a strong goomba and very supportive of Frank so he was off to school.

At Bowser University he majored in moving to the left as many of us did, he struggled with his classes but kept at it. It was only later that he found out he had a learning condition and that’s why he always wanted to move to the right in his classes. He overcame his struggles and graduated at the top of his class and his mother was there in the front row and was the proudest goomba in the whole kingdom.

After college Frank searched all over the mushroom kingdom for a job, however the kingdom had fallen on rough times and it was hard to come across a good job. As we all know the coin at that time just wasn’t worth as many points as it once was. So Frank kept at it and kept at it and was determined and he finally got a job and stage 1-2. I remember asking Frank what the toughest part of his job was and I’ll never forget what he told me, he said “The hardest part? It’s the same part that we all find so difficult, looking so pissed off all the time” And it was on that very stage that Frank me the love of his life, a beautiful goomba names Gwyneth. Frank and Gwyneth fell in love and went on to get married and form their very own family. Frank was a lucky goomba to say the least.

Frank was cut down in the prime of his life but he wouldn’t want us to all be moping around here. Frank had a passion for life and a passion for serving our great leader Bowser. Frank was the best at what he did and died doing what he loved to do. So brothers and sisters let us not be sad and depressed let us remember the good times and celebrate the life of what was truly one of the mushroom kingdoms greatest goombas ever. Like Frank once said “Life is short, you just gotta take it one step to the left at a time and live it to the fullest.”

My All Time Favorite Cover Songs

2010-11-25T15:35:00.001-06:00

Theres something really great about a good cover song. I've always had a soft spot for cover songs, I truly love them ... a lot. It's something familiar but very different at the same time. I think its also really neat how something so familiar to you can seem so brand new at the same time as well. Then theres the cover songs that sneak up on you, you'll just be sitting there listening to music and something will catch your ear, you start paying a little bit more attention, then ... "HEY I KNOW THIS SONG!!" I think we have all had a moment kind of like that. Anyways here are my top ten favorite cover songs of all time, in no particular order. I have provided links for both the cover of the song and the original song.

10. Regina Spektor - No Surprises (Originally by Radiohead)
This shouldn't really surprise anyone. I mean Regian Spektor is amazing, Radiohead is amazing, how was this going to turn out even remotely bad?

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXKDL6WD9CQ Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUgMbKJu9ws&feature=related )

9. Karen O and The Kids - Worried Shoes (Originally by Daniel Johnston)

This song is simply amazing. The lyrics are really clever and emotion filled. The original song is pretty good but then you get Karen O's angelic voice involved and then you really go something going!

(cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBKQqu1DTKE Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urjJ06T_Dms )

8. Muse - Feeling Good (Originally by Michael Buble)

So I'm not exactly a Michael Buble fan but I certainly am a fan of Muse! This song is really uplifting and totally sounds like a James Bond theme song.

(cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmwRQqJsegw&ob=av2e Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edwsf-8F3sI&ob=av2n )

7. Flaming Lips Do Dark Side Of The Moon (Originally by Pink Floyd)

Ok so this one is actually an entire album being covered, and it features Henry Rollins, peaches, and Stardeath and The White Dwarves. This album is pretty brilliant and a total trip. For your consideration I have included their cover of Money as well as the original version by Pink Floyd.

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHS1pi-y3Kc Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhX5W7JoWI )

6. Cake - I Will Survive (Originally By Gloria Gaynor)

Cake is awesome, this song is awesome. If your having a bad day you can just listen to this song and feel waaaayyyy better! If you don't like this song your an emotionless boring dull shell of a person.

(cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=596qaxm-u4o Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I )

5. Taken By Trees - My Boys (Originally by Animal Collective)

I love the lyrics in this song, it's so simple. The song is just about desiring the necessities for his daughters, its so pure and honest. By the way this song was originally titled "My Girls" but in the cover its a girl singing so she changed it to boys.

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9wX3jg1p7Y Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE&ob=av2e )

4. Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide (Originally by Fleetwood Mac)

Its a classic, come on.

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U4opbXoMss Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM7-PYtXtJM&ob=av2e )

3. Glen Hansard amd Marketa Irglova - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Originally by Bob Dylan)

Not exactly the most famous Dylan song, but its a really great song and deserves your time. Also Hansard has an incredible voice. This song is taken from the I'm Not There Soundtrack which, by the way, is incredible!!

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrn77geQJU Original - http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/you-aint-goin-nowhere )

2. Cat Power - Naked (If I Want To) (Originally by Moby Grape)

I've never really listened to the original song but I love me some Cat Power. Shes incredible and has a lot of great covers but this one is my favorite, easily. I like the lyrics a lot too. P.S. I'd let Cat Power walk down my street naked.

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfGw1tOd1FI Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b8utHBk3aQ )

1. They Might Be Giants - New York City (Originally by Cub)

Most of you won't like this song, but that's ok, because I do. It's stupid and romantic and I love it. The original version is also a great song but I have and will always prefer the TMBG version.

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttdfnd9EAH0 Original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKThNh5Vqk )

So there you go! I hope you enjoyed my list! What are your favorite cover songs?

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oh yeah I almost forgot, I have one more for you

The Shins - Wipe My Butt (Originally by Tim & Eric)

This is simply .... amazing

(Cover - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-sXW-C1PH0 Original - (this has some other tim and eric songs too but I couldn't find just Wipe My Butt) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdQplInAX3A )