It’s hard..

It’s hard to maintain a blog like this, when it seems so hard to stay relevant sometimes. I know this is the major plight of the millenials: to have lots of ideas, but to not always have an outlet on which to place them. We are overqualified for most jobs, yet most places won’t hire non-experienced, but nobody has the experience either. And apparently life experience means nothing. Always try to learn, try to apply your skills to new things, keep going, it will pay off. So they said through all your years of schooling, or all those people who you interview well with that still turn around and say, “Well we don’t need you right now, but good luck in your search.” So you have all of this passion, this energy, this panache as it were, but nowhere to apply it. They tell you if you have a degree, a sound mind, and a willingness to adapt and learn and try new things that doors will open for you, but where are they, what are they? Tell us one thing and then other people are like, when are you gonna just settle? I’m not until i find just what I want. and you shouldn’t either. And also, if the door you want isn’t open to you, don’t stop trying to open it.

I’m buying more music

It’s sort of a problem with me, music junkie that I be, to see something really cheap and buy it up, no matter what I said about saving my money, or catching up on other things I have first, but really I can’t stop, and is it really a problem? Music is life, my life, and I’m spending way less money than everyone else on stupid shit right? right? Well now I can truly impose some new playlists upon y’all. Woot! Also buy the new Imagine Dragons album, it’s lovely, just lovely.

Chappie Lives

I have to say that I didn’t know what to think when I went into the theatre to see this movie, other than a veritable feast for the eyes. Neill Blomkamp is a perfect director when it comes to viaual wow factor, but most people have mixed feelings beyond that. I’m not here to tell you that you should love his films the way I love his films, that’s for you to decide. But I am here to say that Chappie almost tops District 9 as his crowning achievement. I saw many critical reactions to weak story, poor acting, or ideas that never reach their full potential. But all of them agreed on a visual level, or at least most did. But the thing about film is that, if it has you leaving the theatre thinking, still asking questions, or with a general sense of wonder the filmmaker has certainly done their job. Practical effects are one of Blomkamp’s specialties in an age where digital effects reign supreme. He loves using different camera styles throughout the film, and seamlessly mixes genre mainstays into a great mishmash of awesomeness. The story is a bit bare bones, but that is actually what makes the movie shine, because at the core this is a film about what it means to be alive, and as we see the world through Chappie’s eyes, as he learns, we learn, we feel, we question what he questions, we are sad when he is sad, and angry when he is angry. And as far as acting goes, you can’t help but like his creator, and surprisingly find Yolandi (of Die Antwoord) a compelling female lead. And Hugh Jackman portrays the perfect villain because he is so convinced that he is on the side of right, while the big heroes of our story are actually on the “wrong” side of the law. Certainly, if you aren’t a thinking person, most of the themes in this movie won’t appeal. But trying to unlock the secrets of consciousness, this film is as bold as it is fun, as heartwrenching as it is funny, and is disturbing in the exploration of just how far some people will go to get what they want in life. Chappie says it best several times in this film, “Why do you humans act like this?”

First anticipated album of 2015 is…

Fall Out Boy? The four tracks I have heard from American Beauty/American Psycho are better than anything I ever expected to come from this band. So I’m as confused by this pronouncement as the rest of you. Beyond that i am highly excited by new Modest Mouse, new Imagine Dragons, and the release of Meghan Trainor’s first full length album. 2015, I love you.

Merry and Bright Part Two: Holiday Tunes

What better way to ring in the holidays, and what better way to accompany a major wrap session then with some amazing Christmas music. I find a good mix of traditional pieces, and more modern Christmas offerings really delivers the balance you need. So don’t make yourself pick between a Rock N Roll Christmas or carol singers, use both, and throw in all the jazzy standards while you’re at it. I discovered a surprising gem in regard to the jazzy standards in Seth McFarlane’s new Christmas album, Holiday for Swing. Yes, that Seth McFarlane. No funny business here, just plain old normal Christmas songs accompanied by an awesome orchestra. Check it out y’all.

Making Spirits Bright

Look no further than making a copy of Bastille’s brand new mixtape, or download it yourself off of Itunes right now. Vs, features some amazing collaborators, and grandiose instrumentations that are trademark Bastille through and through. Dan Smith and co. have been on a high since their band exploded on the charts, and ever since I managed to see them live twice this year, I can’t stop talking about them or listening to them for that matter. What a year it must be for them. This mixtape seamlessly blends Hip Hop beats, orchestra sounds, stripped down raw acoustic sounds, computerized blips and clicks like most artists could only dream of. But of course Bastille has had help making this, I mean why else is it referred to as a mixtape as opposed to an album. I absolutely loved early leaked tracks, Torn Apart and Weapon, as well as the hauntingly mellow, The Driver, but now that all nine tracks are available to me, I think mixtape isn’t even a fair description of this. It is definitely a general theme as mournful as Oblivion and as uplifting as Pompeii, and all nine tracks added up together seem like one whole unit. Certainly no Rock Opera, but certainly something unlike any other.

Thoughts, feelings, emotions, prayers, etc.

I think about Ferguson, I feel for Ferguson. I think about Michael Brown, I think about his family, I think about his friends, I feel for them, I understand their grief even if I don’t experience it on a personal level. But maybe that isn’t true, I do feel it on a personal level, because I’m a person, and personhood really causes us to think and feel and we can’t always pick and choose what we think or feel can we? When the actual facts present in a court case tell us that an officer of the law, whose duty is to serve and respect, discharged his weapon into another human being, who was unarmed, with fatal effects, how can a grand jury tell us that, he acted with “reasonable force.” Reasonable they say? It isn’t reasonable for this boy to be dead. It isn’t reasonable that only one person is tried for something here. It isn’t reasonable there isn’t at least one indictment of some kind, or an officer stripped of his badge for ending the life of an innocent knowing full well he was unarmed, and unable to defend himself. Look at an entire town trembling under terrible police brutality on a grand scale. It isn’t reasonable that any force was used, and especially not force with fatal consequences. The president gave an amazing speech the other day on how we must move on from this together, trying to seek a solution to this fear, to this hate, together, how we must protest without lashing out, without bringing more harm, more pain, more violence. He stressed that both sides of the big issues at hand have good people on them. And the outraged, the grief-stricken, the protesting were out en masse the following morning, standing up for injustice, standing up against hate and fear, standing up against terror, and not because of some obscure or self-serving agenda, but because goodness must win the day. Remember Michael Brown, and let us hope his death will not be in vain, and let us also be respectful of his family and his loved ones whatever we feel on this issue. Peace and love to you all, dear readers.

Revenge of The Maddeningly Awesome Mixtape!

Pt. II

1. What Would You Do?- Bastille
2. Rather Be- Pentatonix
3. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon- Urge Overkill
4. Do You Want To Know A Secret?- The Beatles
5. Don’t Gotta Work it Out- Fitz and The Tantrums
6. Well Thought Out Twinkles- Silversun Pickups
7. Mahna Mahna- CAKE
8. Blame It On The Girls- MIKA
9. Straw Hat And Old Dirty Hank- Barenaked Ladies
10. Say It Ain’t So- Weezer
11. Everlasting Light- Black Keys
12. Shut Your Mouth- Garbage
13. Savoy Truffle- The Beatles
14. Barton Hollow- The Civil Wars
15. Shameless- Lissie
16. Rain King- The Counting Crows
17. Take It Off- Ke$ha
18. Durban Skies- Bastille
19. 11:59- Michael Franti and Spearhead
20. Perfect World- Broken Bells
21. Hysteria- Muse

My take on U2’s new free album

“Songs of Innocence,” is by no means their best album, and in the 20 plus years since the amazingness that is Achtung Baby, they have had their shortcomings album-wise, but have always had a few gems here and there. I had hoped their previous album would be even more a return to form, for these four Irish lads, now middle aged men than many of the tracks on “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb,” were. It wasn’t as good as it could have been, but it did have a few really good songs, like Magnificent. But this album, the songs stay with me, I like most of them a lot, and it feels way less gimmicky than songs like Vertigo, or Elevation. Back is some of the simplicity found in their first album, the maturity of The “Joshua Tree” and the fuzzed out instrumentals of Achtung Baby. The band is as tight as ever on their 30 plus year run. Don’t complain to get an actual decent album for free. Best tracks: The Miracle(of Joey Ramone), Iris(Hold Me Close), the raga tinged songs of Volcano, Raised By Wolves, Cedarwood Road, Sleep Like A Baby Tonight.

Lessons..

Are you tired, stressed, overwhelmed, underwhelmed, just some kind of “whelmed,” happy, sad, angry, insecure, nervous, anxious, or any other variety of emotions? Congratulations! You have just realized what it means to be alive and possess a consciousness. People that don’t feel pain are probably lying to you. People who can’t feel two or more contradictory emotions at the exact same time must be robots programmed to only feel one thing. You can’t just feel one thing, it doesn’t work that way. You can however feel one thing so much more strongly than others, whether it’s faith, love, or connected to your spiritual path, etc. And isn’t that sometimes the best and worst feeling? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. See what I did there? But basically, if you feel so strongly about this thing, if it’s this important to you, try not to lose sight of it, try not to be discouraged, and just let certain things fall as they may. You’ll be glad you did.