Shameless Plug

This year’s holiday breakfast was mix of happiness and gastrointestinal discomfort.  Fortunately, the oportunity to play “Daydream Believer” with my friend Karla fell in the first category.

The food could only be described as the latter though.  Here’s a good tip for any culinary business; when you heat eggs to the point that they turn green and become swiss in texture, don’t serve them.  Furthermore, if you make new eggs, don’t place them on top of the old, green ones.

This post is not about the breakfast though.  It turns out that one of our fellow librarians broke out a video camera during K’s and my performance and posted it on Youtube.

Incidentally, several people came up to me afterwards and said “I didn’t know you had talent!”

And that folks, is the key to sucessful performances… lower their expectations to the point that anything will be a nice suprise.

Guitar Hero III- A Review

When I originally heard that the third installation of the wildly successful game Guitar Hero was coming out, there really wasn’t a question of whether or not I was going to buy the game.  The question was for which system I would buy it. 

Yes, I did originally buy Guitar Hero for the PS2 and sure, it would be nice to have only one controller but my recent displeasure over  their cheaper-yet-no-backwards-compatability PS3  scheme has really put me off Sony for the moment.

I decided to purchase the Wii version.  Although I was initially a little tiffed about having to buy another controller that quickly dissipated once I started playing.

Guitar Hero III-Wii has raised the bar for the music-gaming genre and really made something special.  The songlist is simply awesome, from Poison to Aerosmith to, believe it or not, Metallica… I guess they saw there is money to be made in this venture. 

The Wii’s controller (shown above) is unique when compared to the Xbox and PS versions and not just in appearance (a white Les Paul model).  A lot of thought went in to how to best use the features of the Wiimote along with the guitar design and hence, the Wii controller is actually placed into the guitar.  What this combination of guitar/controller does is add an extra element of sound and feel.  Missing a note will cause the speaker in the Wiimote to sound off.  The rumble pack will also react when you release the guitar’s Star Power.

Although a friend of mine did mention he felt he had to pull the guitar back further on the Wii guitar than the PS2 (for star power), I’ve found that a simple shake will register as well.  But I have found that backpicking is a little trickier as it doesn’t seem to be as responsive.

Overall, the game play is pretty solid.  There have been a couple times when I’ve reached a sequence of notes that felt unnatural or the rhythm did not really fit the song but not everything can be a masterpiece.  They also stepped up the difficulty.  Assuming that most of their buyers are already loyal fans means that learning curve has been scaled back a bit, so newbies may find songs to be a little trickier than the seasoned player.

There is even a storyline, albeit a simple one.  Basic animation sequences show your band starting out in a backyard shindig, eventually getting signed and ending with your evolution into Rock God status.

All in all, Guitar Hero III-Legends of Rock, is a solid purchase for fans of the music-gaming genre.  Playing this newest version of this franchise doesn’t just feel like new songs, it feels like a new experience.

I am Napster’s B*tch

I feel like such a chump.  I feel like I just went back into an unhealthy relationship and, despite my hopes that things will be better this time around, I know it will all be the same.

I went back to Napster.  I’m giving them a second chance…

I know, I know what you are going to say to me.  You left Napster eight months ago because of the way it treated you!  They’re going to treat me the same as before.  Napster is still going to put those programs into my computer and mp3 player.  It is still going to pseudo-forbid me from using players b/c it likes to be controlling.  It’s still going to make me link to it once a week, because Napster always wants to know what I am doing (it is jealous of me using other programs).

But, can’t you see that Napster was good to me price-wise?!

And I’ve tried to break the habit.  I’ve used other music programs and, although friendly at first, all they really wanted to do was get deeper into my pockets.  I even tried buying individual albums, but that only made me realize how much money I was spending and how much I was still missing out.

I’m sorry, but I had to go back for something that was going to offer me better financial stability.  If not for me, for the children… Christmas and Birthdays are coming up for crying out loud.  Do you want me to get them nothing!?

So, okay Napster, you got me back.  I hope you are happy.  You will see me linking my mp3 player to you and letting watch who I’m listening to, but that doesn’t mean I love you!

Flight of the Conchords- Review

If you haven’t heard of this show… it’s probably because you don’t have HBO.  And that’s a shame because Flight of the Conchords is practically worth the extra couple bucks a month to view it.

Flight of the Conchords is about two New Zealand bandmates who come to New York City to try and make it big, which would be easier if their manager would let them play gigs at night (but the city is far to dangerous).  They are the victims of a mugging (but befriend the muggers), put on the receiving end of racist comments (mistaken for Australians) and, of course, challenged by relationships with women.  Each one of these situations wind up inspiring songs with catchy rhythms and absolutely bizarre lyrics.

If you want to hear some of them, you can view them for free at website.  I recommend going to episode 4 (Yoko) and listening to “if you’re into it.”  If you want to check them out, tune in to HBO on Sunday nights around 10PM.

What the RIAA can learn from They Might Be Giants

I just picked up They Might Be Giants new album, The Else, and got a neat surprise, a bonus CD.  The disc contained 23 songs they previously released on their podcast site, and almost all were never previously released on any of their other CDs.

And as excited as I was to receive more music than I anticipated from my favorite band, my initial reaction was “Finally, someone gets it!”

Suing fans is a bad incentive for buying the album, especially when the laws are somewhat contradictory, you can legally copy an analog tape but not on a digital CD.  It’s no wonder that many people who get their music from p2p networks don’t believe they are doing anything terribly wrong.  After all, how can copying be legal in one format and not another?

Y’know, I’ve always wondered how much money the actual artists get when the RIAA wins a lawsuit for pirating.  If anyone has information on this, I would love to know.

They Might Be Giants tried a different approach (as are other musicians)… give the fans something in exchange for their support.  A bonus CD of already recorded songs might have cost them a dollar a piece to manufacture but in doing so, they will start a buzz around the official CD and bonus tracks which will creates an interest for people to want to buy it.  And even jump their sales a bit.

On  a semi-tangent, some Nintendo products are trying the same approach.  When I bought Pokemon’s Battle Revolution for Wii (please don’t judge me) a card fell out asking me to register the game.  The reward for doing this was extra pictures, wallpapers and tips for the game.  Imagine what more powerful systems like Xbox or PS3 could do with registration; give the registrants extra levels more characters, unique weapons, etc.

Guitar Hero- Rock the 80s song list is posted

A couple days ago, Activision announced the final line up of songs for the upcoming Guitar Hero game, Rock the 80s.  Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Twisted Sister… isn’t this sounding strangely similar to my requirements for GHIII… but at half the price!

  Thanks to Destructoid for posting:

·    Caught in a Mosh  (as made famous by Anthrax)
·    Balls to the Wall (as made famous by Accept)
·    Electric Eye (by Judas Priest)
·    Los Angeles (as made famous by X)
·    Police Truck (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
·    We Got the Beat (as made famous by The Go Go’s)
·    (I Think I’m) Turning Japanese (as made famous by Vapors)
·    Seventeen (as made famous by Winger)
·    Because, it’s Midnite (by Limozeen)
·    Hold On Loosely (as made famous by .38 Special)
·    No One Like You (as made famous by Scorpions)
·    Only a Lad (as made famous by Oingo Boingo)
·    Ballroom Blitz (as made famous by Krokus)
·    The Warrior (by Scandal)
·    What I Like About You (as made famous by The Romantics)
·    Wrath Child (as made famous by Iron Maiden)
·    I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister)
·    I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls)
·    Round and Round (as made famous by Ratt)
·    Metal Health (as made famous by Quiet Riot)
·    Holy Diver (as made famous by Dio)
·    Heat Of The Moment (as made famous by Asia)
·    Radar Love (as made famous by White Lion)
·    18 and Life (as made famous by Skid Row)
·    Bathroom Wall (as made famous by Faster Pussycat)
·    Lonely is the Night (as made famous by Billy Squier)
·    Nothing But a Good Time (as made famous by Poison)
·    Play With Me (as made famous by Extreme)
·    Shaken (as made famous by Eddie Money)
·    Synchronicity II (as made famous by The Police)

The day the music went silent

Yesterday, June 26th, many of the webcast music sites are going silent in protest of a recently passed bill by the Copyright Royalty Board.  The purpose was to raise awareness about the aforementioned bill, which will double to triple the royalty costs for webcast radio stations, essentially bankrupting the small to medium players in the industry.

But likely forcing free sites to have to start charging.

But there would be more profits for music companies (don’t forget, most musicians make their money in ticket sales and merchandise).

The bill also contains a retroactive clause that makes webcasts have to pay for any music played in the last six months.  In other words, those who want to get out before they go bankrupt will likely go bankrupt anyway.

This silent protest was observed by webcasts of all sizes and even included sites like YahooLaunch and Pandora.

Guitar Hero- Rock the 80s Game!

Just when you thought it was safe to put away the hairspray.

Red Octane has announced the third installment of their wildly popular game series,Guitar Hero, with the genre based game Rock the 80s.  This version will include such songs as:

Balls to the Walls by Accept

Holy Diver by Dio

18 and Life by Skid Row

Nothin’ but a good time by Poison

      To name a few…

Personally, I have always been a fan of 80s rock, it is the decade that my passion for music exploded.  Having the chance to reach rock-god status in the comfort of my own home is quite appealing. 

And if you pre-order from Red-Octane you will get a free guitar hero t-shirt as well.

Frank Portman’s Upcoming Book

So, so, so psyched.

Frank Portman, author of King Dork, is putting the finishing touches on his next book Andromeda Klein.  This time, the story is about a “bookish girl” whose tarot cards start predicting her life with incredible accuracy.  Maybe she would be able to deal with the bizarreness of this if her friend didn’t keep harassing her… especially since she is dead.

When an author has such an incredibly successful first book, fans are often left wondering how he/she will be able to follow up with their next one.  From the plot given at Random House, it seems Portman has stuck within his comfort zone.

The toughest part about this book for me is going to be the wait, it is not due for release until January 8, 2008!

But, as Tom Petty sings (and what better time to quote lyrics than when you are pushing a musician/author), “The waaaiiiting is the hardest part!”

Road Trip Mix Tape

There are songs which help keep highway hypnosis at bay. The energy, the fun, the sing-along potential make them great for those long hours in the car, particularly if you are stuck in the chaos of Friday vacation traffic. Sometimes, in order to keep your sanity, it is important to have a collection of songs that will make the time fun, or at the very least, tolerable.

Here is my top 10 selection, go ahead and add your own.

On the Road Again by Willie Nelson- Mandatory, probably for any mix tape but especially this one.

The Way by Fastball- You wouldn’t think a song about packing your bags, leaving the kids behind and all responsibility behind could be so fun.

Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues by Eels- It’s not the best lyrics that you’ll ever hear but it’s nearly impossible not to chime in when they sing “God damn right it’s a beautiful day!”

Crash by The Primitives- “Here you go, way too fast. Don’t look out you’re gonna craaaash.” Quite possibly the most energetic song to have sha-na-na in the lyrics.

Scar Tissue by the Red Hot Chilipeppers- You need a downtime song on the mix tape… and I gotta go with this one.

Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty- Is there are song about bigger possibilities!?

I Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll All Night by Kiss- This is the last resort song. If this one can’t wake you up, pull over and get some sleep.

Song 2 by Blur- Whoohoo! ‘Nuff said

Basket Case by Green Day- “Do you have the time to listen to me whine…” Hey, I’ve got as long as this trip is gonna take.

Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana- I haven’t a clue what Cobain was saying but it doesn’t stop me from screaming “Hey… wait!”