New writers! Yay!

So when I first started this blog a year ago, I had this vision in mind of multiple opinions being shared and voiced here and there. Its why I allow anonymous comments, and post on my other social networking sites.

However, until recently, this has basically been me yapping and venting to myself while others read or listen (if they so wish.) But alas, I have finally incorporated other writers to this blog! Yay for bucketlist.

You will be seeing posts from Riley (G-Man), Lukas (Why Bother), and another fellow named Nathan (softerpostcards) here fairly shortly. Lukas is going to focus mostly on video game reviews and opinions, since he is such an avid gamer himself. Riley will be all about film and video games here and there and as for the other Nathan, he's just gonna FSU and write with terrible grammar.

I'm really excited for things to be a group effort, for more then one viewpoint to be shown, and for more forms of art to be focused on. Video Games and Film are both, in my opinion, equally valid and crucial artforms that need to be acknowledged. Plus, Zelda rules.

Oh and as for myself, I'm gonna do a bit of it all with some Theatre and visual art thrown in. And I will still regularly post album downloads for those pirates of you out there because, well, music is best when it is free!

One more thing, from this point I will sign each post as "Nathan I" to avoid confusion.

Cheers,

- Nathan I

Last URL change. again. seriously.

I realize this is getting ridiculous, but I swear this is it.

the blog is now called http://dontgotobusiness-school.blogspot.com

I figured, thats the title that the blog itself has, so changing the URL to it is just less confusing. I'm also a pretty indecicive person by nature, but I swear to stick to this one.

As for the nature of the title itself, I have a friend who decided to go to business school instead of what he loved (theatre) and now he just hates his life. Its a bummer. Plus, its a lyric from a pretty cool Grown Ups song.

Also, I'm gonna be incorporating some other writers into this blog. Keep an eye out for that!

Cheers!

- Nate

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "This Years Model"

I can't believe I have never posted this one before!
I have ALOT of respect for Elvis Costello, even if I don't like all of his music. He's my favorite lyricist ever, I love how he experiments with so many different styles, and is willing to work with such a diverse range of people. I actually sang a b-side of his from "My Aim Is True" to get into theatre school!
Most of the stuff I like by him is his early work with the Attractions, and this his second album is hands down my favorite record by him (and possibly, ever!)

He would start as a mid tempo country twang rocker and end up a new wave icon, but this album perfectly captures the time in between. Deftly blending organs and synths with classic rock and roll riffs, herky jerk punk grooves, and some seriously snarling lyrics. This was pissed off, cynical Elvis at his best, criticizing everything from the Radio to miniskirt wearing punkettes hanging out at McClarens SEX shop.
I wish I had discovered this album when I was a bombastic, self proclaimed punk rocker who sneered and hated on vague concepts like "government" and hate" and rocked out to my simple 1-2-3-4 chords. Dont get me wrong, that stuff still rules, but Elvis took all those ethos and actually added some intelligence to the mix. His tunes on this record were just as fast and catchy as anything the Damned did, but it also had a brain and a far more unique shine to it. I feel like it is ageless, as a result. Pump It Up, Radio Radio, (I Dont Want TO Go To) Chelsea..... There are SO many classic songs on here, I cant even handle it. Whats even better, he was an INCREDIBLE live performer at this point in his career; go youtube Costello in the 70's to see what I mean.
Bottom line, when people say that Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll, I think Costello.

1. No Action
2. This Year's Girl
3. The Beat
4. Pump It Up
5. Little Triggers
6. You Belong to Me
7. Hand in Hand
8. (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
9. Lip Service
10. Living in Paradise
11. Lipstick Vogue
12. Night Rally
Bonus Tracks:
13. Radio, Radio
14. Big Tears
15. Crawling to the USA
16. Running Out of Angels
17. Greenshirt
18. Big Boys

DL here! Enjoy!

URL change.... back

Hey!

So I've changed the URL once again to its original name from about a year and a half ago. Its alot easier to refer to and search for, from what I hear. Plus, it sounds less like a freaky barbershop now!

Thanks guys!

blink 182 - "Neighborhoods" stream/review

Okay, first off, that album art rules. Just had to say it.

My relationship with blink 182 is like most music lovers, I find, except in the fact that I don't deny it. For many folks, blink was the intro drug that got them into louder, faster, and better music. For alot of other people, they're a nostalgia band who wrote insanely catchy and fun music which was surprisingly musically adept at times. For almost everyone who takes themselves to seriously (*cough people who call themselves punks or hipsters cough*) they are a guilty pleasure to NEVER be acknowledged.

But, I'm lucky enough to live in a city where blink 182 gets a modicum of respect! The Grown Ups, fantastic local band, does alot of covers of older blink tunes (particularly from dude ranch.) Most of my friends flock to blink shows, whenever they end up in town. Everyone loves blink 182! They sound like junior high and high school rolled into one, with a ton of dick
jokes to compliment it.

So now, they've gotten back together and wrote a new album called "Neighborhoods." And I just listened to a stream of it online, it gets officially released in two weeks. What do I think of it?

It just doesnt sound like blink 182 to me anymore. I could really break it down and construct a well developed analysis of why (and trust me, I will), but the teenager in me who loves blink just says "its not fun, its not immature, its not blink."

It's natural for bands to change and evolve and there are tons of them that turned out fantastically. When The Thermals did "Personal lives," gone was (most of) the lo-fi riff heavy punk stuff, replaced by personally written non political songs with a serious Modest Mouse/Death Cab indie vibe to it. It ruled. And it still sounded like The Thermals. The Undertones experimented with slower, more progressive songs after writing three buzzsaw pop punk albums. Against Me, despite what everyone says, still sounds like Against Me despite not writing simplistic acoustic anarcho songs anymore.
Even blink themselves wrote that self titled album years ago which experimented with synthesizers, intricate song patterns, and more mature lyrics. But it still sounded like Blink 182.

"Neighborhoods" is full of breakdown drum solos, spacy guitar effects, heavy riffs, heavy handed lyrics, plenty of heart-on-the-shoulder type sentiments. On paper this sounds awesome and its actually pretty good in practise. Listening to the album, I bobbed my head once in awhile, even found myself humming along with choruses.
But it is to apparant to me that each member of blink spent so much time doing side projects and as such, I dont hear a cohesive "blink 182" sound anymore. Tom DeLonge bends his voice into the pseudo whiney howl he uses with "Angels and Airwaves," while playing his guitar like it is a rocketship/synth/thing. Travis Barker spends most of his time showing us, the listener, how great a fucking drummer he thinks he is by dicking about with his high hats and throwing in a drum breakdown every 30 seconds, a habit born from making all his solo remixes of famous songs with drum beats. Mark Hoppus is the only guy who seems to know what blink is and what it should sound like, stretching his voice into really cool dimensions and playing solidly catchy bass lines while probably scissor kicking.
Mind you, its not up to a listener such as myself to tell blink 182 what they should and should not sound like. Thats for the band members themselves to decide. But I think they are trying to unify to many sounds at once, and as such, are forgetting what made them such a great band to begin with. Yea they have grown as musicians, and maybe that in itself is the problem. Tons of people listen to Dude Ranch or untitled not because it was particularly unique or different, but because they were instantly recognizable and fun. "Neighborhoods," while not exactly bad, sounds like any number of other bands or typical Warped Tour generic crap that passes for "Pop Punk" today. (I'm looking at you, All Time Low.)

So pick it up when it comes out if your curious, you might just enjoy it and think its another step forward for them as a band. I am indeed glad they are back and doing shows! But while I realize this is probably the direction they want to take as a band, I am always gonna be weirded out by this new sound they have cultivated for themselves. It just doesn't sound like what blink 182 should sound like to me, personally. I just pop in a copy of Dude Ranch and party down instead!

- Nathan

Back, again.

Hey guys. No, this blog isn't dead... just waiting.

Waiting for me to not be busy with school and job hunting.

My last post was a few months ago, but as I plan to try and write for my school newspaper, I'm going to keep this one going so I can showcase my writing/share the music I love/all that good stuff

I might also do video game and movie reviews here and there!

Anyways, stay tuned because I'm about to listen to a stream of the new blink 182 album. I'm not sure if I'm gonna like it though, because it doesnt seem to contain any songs about fucking your friends mom or girls at rock shows.

Stay free!

- N

The Coachwhips - Bangers vs Fuckers

These has instantly become a new favorite of mine, the kind of band you hear for the first time and have no idea why you've never heard them before. Major shout out to my friend (and future band mate) Chris for showing them to me.
The Coachwhips were an exciting three piece garage punk rock and roll band from San Francisco, consisting of a guitarist/vocalist, a drummer and an organ player. "Exciting" may be something of an understatement. This music is loud, fast, simple, and sounds like its falling apart at the seams... and yet its so brilliantly tight and musically sound, your jaw is left somewhere on the floor as each song attacks you for a minute and a half each. The vocals are so distorted, you only manage to catch a word or two, a "yea" here and a "baby" there. Luckily, The Coachwwhips aren't trying to tell you anything; they just wanna get your ass shaking in all sorts of weird ways. Think the White Stripes (if the White Stripes actually COULDNT play there instruments) on speed, being molested by the organ player from The Attractions. As you can see, I haven't lost my touch for nasty metaphors.
I seriously love these guys. They aren't a band anymore, but the singer/guitarist has a fantastic new band called Thee Oh Sees. Catch them at Sled Island if you can!
Enjoy!

1. You Gonna Get It
2. Extinguish Me
3. I Knew Her, She New Me
4. Purse Peekin
5. Dancefloor, Bathroom
6. I Drank What?
7. Evil Son
8. Thee Alarm
9. Recline, Recline
10. (Harlow's) Muscle Of Love
11. Goodnite, Goodbuy


Download it here!