Blood and Vampires

I haven't featured any new bands or new albums in this blog for sometime now. Since today's Sunday -and a Super Bowl Sunday, might I add- I feel really lazy compiling a long playlist. Instead, I'll just double feature two bands that I'm currently listening to: Surfer Blood and Vampire Weekend. Coincidentally enough, both bands' music are riddled with Afro beats.

Surfer Blood

"Swim"

I discovered this Florida band when I read a review and heard their debut single,"Swim", over at Pitchfork. I was intrigued so I bought their debut album, Astro Coast, during its release a couple weeks ago and ended up liking it a lot. Their sound is so chunky and fun, using a lot of sounds from genres like Afro pop, Brit pop and surf.

Vampire Weekend

"Horchata"

I wasn't a big fan of Vampire Weekend's debut album. Don't get me wrong though, I didn't hate it. But as a guy who grew up listening to metal, that album was just too clean and too "feel good" for me. Their sophomore album, Contra, is no different. But this time, however, their afro beat influences is much more pronounced, giving more texture to their music.

Well that's it for my double feature this month. I hope you guys will enjoy this.

I also found out that my other double feature posts have broken music streams. I was using imeem before I started hosting my own stuff. But now imeem is gone, they got bought my MySpace. So all my uploaded music are no longer available. I'm going to fix it when I get the chance.

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Comics Review: Demo vol.2 #1

Demo Vol.2 #1
8.0 of 10
Writer: Brian Wood
Penciler: Becky Cloonan








I've never really read a lot of books written by Brian Wood. Except for DMZ, of course, which has a unique setting and a great war/political theme, making it one of my favorite comic books. I've also read the first issue of Demo vol.1, which is free for download at Vertigo's website. It's a cool book with a different take on super humans. Since it made an impression on me, I decided to give volume 2 a shot.

Demo is about people with powers but not about superheroes. No, there's no villain in the book or any "save the world" plot. The characters in the comics are just regular Johns and Janes that are trying to live a normal life, keeping their powers a secret from the public. Vol.2 #1 tells the story of Joan. She hasn't slept in weeks due to recurring nightmare, a woman falling over and dying inside a cathedral in London, which she believes to be a precognition. At a whim, she drops everything in her life -her boyfriend, her job- and books a flight to London to prove if it's true or not.

The story is great. It's not really about superpowers. It's about personal conflict, about dealing with what's to come. Kinda like me, sometimes, being a pessimist, thinking that I failed in my Chemistry class. In the end, I have to go online and check my grades to put an end to it.

But great might this book be. I think I'm still going to skip it. I've got enough comics on my pull list already and I don't see any titles worth dropping over Demo.

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Return to Dragon Age

I just finished playing Mass Effect 2 today. I have to say that it's the best damn game I've played since Deus Ex. But before my FTL drives can cool off for another playthrough, I found out that the Dragon Age: Origins expansion, Awakening, is already coming out next month. I thought this game wasn't due until this Summer. Oh well.

Since my hero on my last game died, I went back in time, to the age of dragons, and create another hero in preparation for this expansion. Now I feel like BioWare just demoted me from a space faring marine to a mute rogue who doesn't even own a horse. She's cute, at least, and not so full of herself, unlike Sheperd.

In order to spice things up in this Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, I also bought the latest DLC, Return to Ostagar. The DLC costs $5 and it's available over at the EA online store. I haven't played it yet so I don't know if it's good or not. All I know is that your party will -well- return to Ostagar and retrieve Cailan's armor. But since I got a fraud alert call from my bank, 30 minutes after I purchased the DLC, I think Return to Ostagar might suck. Hmmm, even my bank thinks buying from EA is a fraud.

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Charge!!!

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I was a bit disappointed with some of the changes in Mass Effect 2. One of those changes was the removal of the Barrier skill from my beloved Vanguard's skill set. Barrier and shotgun were my bread and butter in the first Mass Effect. I'd just activate Barrier and wipe everything that moves in the room with my shotgun.

But after 20 hours of playing Mass Effect 2. I'd say you can keep your Barrier, I'll take the Charge skill instead. It's a lot more fun to use. To prove my point, here's a video of me charging and wiping a room full of mercs and mechs with my fists and shotgun.

It's just so awesome coming out from the charge animation. You can see your enemy flying in the air, and everything is in slow motion so you can have cheap shot on them with your fists or shotgun. I have to say that Mass Effect 2 got the best and most satisfying combat there is in gaming right now.

Anyways, that's enough blogging for now. I'm on hiatus until I finish this game...twice.

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