High on Blackjazz

As if The Dillinger Escape Plan's new album, Option Paralysis, isn't enough to blast beat the hell out of me, I found more metal releases that will give my eardrum a good pounding this month. First is High On Fire's new album, Snakes For The Divine. Then I also discovered an excellent band that calls themselves Shining.

High On Fire

"Frost Hammer"

High On Fire is a metal band from Oakland, California. I was enamored by their album Death Is This Communion back in 2007. Their new album, Snakes For The Divine, is a worthy follow up to that. The album got me right off the start. It just grabbed my head and flailed me around my room, from first track to the last. The music is just fast, loud and sludgy the way I like it to be. Definitely a great doom-metal album.

Shining

"Fisheye"

I didn't know who Shining were. I only got curious about them when I heard that: a) they're a metal band who have a saxophonist, b) they covered a King Crimson song and c) the title of their album is Blackjazz. When you put all those three together it just adds up that this band is dabbling with jazz and metal, kinda like Cynic. Except that Shining don't sound like Cynic. They're more messed up: louder, crazier and more experimental. I fucking love it! So far, Blackjazz is the best metal album I've heard this year.

March madness is indeed metal madness. I mean, I got three great metal albums to listen to this month. I'd definitely hurt my neck from banging my head so hard with all this.

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Her & Me (Zooey and I), In The Sun

The duo She & Him, composed of the multi-talented Zooey Deschanel (She, who also played Summer Finn in the film (500) Days of Summer) and singer/songwriter M. Ward (Him), just released their latest album, Volume Two. I just saw the video for their first single "In The Sun" over at YouTube, and I'm sharing it here. Watch.


It's adorable and sunny, no? The video is like "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and "Grease" rolled into one. If this was released two months earlier, it would've been enough to dispel the winter gloom here in Chicagoland.

Although, while the music is fun, it's not really my cup of tea. What I do like, however, are dark-haired and bright eyed chicks (which I have established in this post here and here) like Zooey Deschanel. She was the only reason I bought their first album, and she will be the reason why I'll buy their sophomore album as well.

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Paralyzed

I put in a double shift yesterday. 16 hours of work, non-stop. But even though I was pretty beat when I got home, I still made time to buy and download The Dillinger Escape Plan's new album. So now I'm paralyzed.


But I'm not paralyzed because I was out working 2/3 of the day yesterday. Listening to DEP's new album, Option Paralysis, did me in. It had rendered me immobile with its awesomeness and odd time signatures. I just can't stop listening to it. I love its NIN-ish and Faith No More-ish sound. But the band, creativity wise, they didn't really make that big leap in their music. Unlike in their past albums. Still, this album did not disappoint me in any way.

"Farewell, Mona Lisa" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

Don't you ever try to be more than what you're destined for
Or anything worth fighting for

Anyways, you can still download this song for free over at Amazon Mp3.

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Music Review: Eyelid Movies

Eyelid Movies by Phantogram
Grade: B+
Buy album from Amazon
Download album from Amazon





Electronica was at its height during my high school years. But I tried to ignore the genre back then. After all, I was a metalhead and a guitarist. Songs without palm-muted guitar riffs didn't mean a thing to me at that time. If not for the influence of my band's vocalist, who has a wide range of musical interests, I wouldn't have gained any appreciation for electronica at all. That would've been unfortunate because I'd miss out on many great artists.

Nowadays, I listen to some electronica and even enjoy it. Time has corroded the metalhead in me, I guess. But it's not my forte. I'm not a technohead convert and I'm still deeply rooted into rock music. So I only have a few of the genre's artists in my collection. I mostly have the old, familiar acts like Massive Attack and Portishead (which I started listening to -when they released their album Three- about two years ago). I do try hard on expanding my collection though, and I recently found an excellent band to add to it. That band is called Phantogram.

Phantogram is a duo from upstate New York. A friend who saw them open a Yeasayer concert couldn't stop raving about their music. So I decided to check them out and sample their song on iTunes. I instantaneously fell in love with them after I heard their single "When I'm Small". The song is just cool to listen to, upbeat yet shoegazy. It's a perfect song to listen to when you're driving in a cold night, with your windows down and nobody but you on the road.

The rest of their debut album, Eyelid Movies, is no bore either. The album's music, drenched in hypnotic drum loops and shimmering guitars, feels like a noir film: dark, creepy and full of static. But combine those rhythms with the sensuous voice of singer-keyboardist Sarah Barthel and it becomes dreamlike. "Mouthful of Diamonds", my favorite song in the album, is perhaps the perfect example of the creepy yet dreamy music of Phantogram. It is a buzzy and messy track. But once Barthel adds her alluring vocals, you'll find yourself relaxing in sonic heaven and nodding your head to its beats.

Eyelid Movies is one of the best of electronica albums that I've heard (which isn't a lot), and probably my favorite of them all. Its weird mix of Barthel's sultry vocals and trip hop beats makes it a very good listen. It's not perfect, however, because the beats can become repetitive and Barthel isn't the only one singing in this band. But if you're into trip hop like Massive Attack and Portishead, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy Eyelid Movies as much as I did.

"Mouthful of Diamonds" by Phantogram


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The Playlist #12

My week was no different from the last. Except, instead of playing games or reading, I bought the complete season 2 and some season 3 episodes of Chuck from iTunes, and I've been watching it non-stop, trying to catch up on Monday's episode.

Anyways, here's this week's playlist.

"Tom Sawyer" by Rush

"Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" is definitely my favorite episode of Chuck. Why? Well, in the episode, there's Missile Command, which is one of the most popular video games ever. Then there's Rush, which is one of my favorite bands. Lastly, we get to see Yvonne in her sexy Nerd Herd outfit.

"And The Hazy Sea" by Cymbals Eat Guitars

I bought this band's debut album, Why There Are Mountains, last year. But I didn't listen to it that much. Today, however, I managed to listen to the entire album while cleaning my room. Now I understand why a lot of my favorite critics listed this band in their "Top of 2009" lists. The album is really good.

"Pull Me Under" by Dream Theater

I heard one of our patient listening to this song a couple days ago. I couldn't get it off my mind ever since. So I bought Dream Theater's greatest hits. I'm not really a big fan of the band -even though, back in high school, I was surronded by DT fanboys. But I respect the skill of each member. They really are a bunch of talented musicians.

"Phantom Limb" by The Shins

I thought that I ripped all of my CDs into my iPod already. But when I searched a song by The Shins, I found out that I didn't have any of their albums on my player. I started looking for my CDs but couldn't find them anywhere in the house. I don't know where I kept them or did with them. So I was forced to buy the mp3s from Amazon, which is a bit of a bummer.

"Escape" by Brazil

Brazil came out during the early 00's and, I think, they tried to spearhead the return of 80's arena rock. Unfortunately, not a lot of people miss arena rock. So the band fell into obscurity and finally disbanded in 2007. Too bad they're gone now. Because I kinda liked them.

"Bug Eyes" by Dredg

Some of the people I know are raving over Dredg's new album, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion. It's good, I agree. But it can't hold a candle against their 2005 album, Catch Without Arms. The album has just a lot of great heavy, melodic tracks, like "Bug Eyes", that I really dig.

"Creature Fear" by Bon Iver

Well, this isn't my favorite Bon Iver song. But this song was playing during Chuck and Sarah's intimate motel room scene, on the "Chuck Versus the Colonel" episode. That scene made me smile, and also a bit envious, as I kept saying: "Well done, Chuck." I wish I have my own Sarah Walker to protect me.

Well, that's it for this week.

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The Playlist #11

It was a painful week due to migraines. But, at least, I was able to use my sick time, which has already accumulated to 20 days! Anyways, my playlist for this week.

"5" by Ultraspank

I was playing an X-Games video game for the PSone when this song came up, being part of the game's soundtrack. That was 10 years ago and I almost forgot about it. But when I saw Shaun White executed his "Double McTwist 1260" moves at the Winter Olympics, I swear that this song was playing at the back of my head. It was glorious.

"No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses

I own Cease to Begin, Band of Horses' sophomore album, for more than two years now. But I never bothered to digitize it, even for my first mp3 player. I don't like it that much. But when I heard this song on Chuck, specifically in the "Chuck versus. the Nemesis" episode, where Sarah was torn choosing between Bryce and Chuck (fucking cliffhanger), I turned my basement upside down looking for this CD, and ripped in to my iPod right after I found it.

'Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio

I saw the movie Rachel Getting Married last Tuesday. I've seen this movie before but I didn't realize that the guy who played Sidney, Rachel's fiancee, is actually Tunde Adebimpe, who's also the vocalist of this excellent band TV on the Radio.

"My Grain" by Corrosion of Conformity

I had a really bad migraine attack last Wednesday night, and it actually spanned for three days. If I rate all my migraines, that last one would be on the top 5. Anyways, this song isn't about migraines, I think. I just chose it because its title sound pretty close. Plus, any song by Corrosion of Conformity kicks ass.

"Promises" by Fugazi

I was in a record store earlier (yes, I know, I got out from my den and went to a place with a lot of people called the mall) and I heard two guys, probably around my age, trashing emo. One of them said that emo "is a shitty new music". I know a lot of people think it's a new music. But emo has been around since the mid-80's. It started with a band called Rites of Spring. Their album was produced by Ian McKaye of Fugazi, which is a really kick-ass post-hardcore band.

"Siberian Kiss" by Glassjaw

Since we're on the topic of emo, I have to admit that I also listen to this music. Albeit it was the earlier inception of the genre, the precursor, the pre-mainstream emo. It was emo as emo can be, like crying about break-ups and killing girlfriends, except they were more heavier and aggressive. They were also labeled as Screamo (due to excessive screaming). Glassjaw is one of those bands that I really love. I still do, and I want them to release their 3rd album already.

"Understanding in a Car Crash" by Thursday

This is also one of my favorite screamo bands back then. They're still around, however, but I don't know anything about their music after their sophomore album.

That's it for this week. Enjoy.

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The I in iPod Touch

It's been months since I bought my iPod Touch. But I haven't posted anything to show if off in this blog. The reason being is that I haven't tinkered with it, save for loading it with music and listening to it. It wasn't until the last month that I realized the gadget's capabilities, that it is more than just a music player, that it caters to all my entertainment needs, whether as a music lover, a gamer, or a comic book aficionado.

iRock

My iPod Touch, sitting triumphantly on top of my ZEN Vision and Nintendo DS.

The main reason I bought the iPod Touch was because it plays music. Sure, I could've gone with another brand. In fact, I was gunning for an Archos 5, which is $100 cheaper than the Touch and has an HD space that is 4 times bigger. But it is too cumbersome to carry around. The Touch, however has a sleek and thin design. I can just shove it inside my pocket without bulging. The HD capacity of my Touch is only 64 GB though. But it's sufficient enough to hold all of my mp3s. Right now, I have 4500 songs, in bit rates of 256-320 kbps, on my device and it's taking up 40 GB of my hard drive. Combine that with its 30 hour battery life, I could take and listen to all my music anywhere for long periods of time.

iGame

Plants vs. Zombies, invading the iPhone/iPod Touch.

Another reason that I bought the iPod Touch was because of its apps, mainly the games. I didn't really expect to find good games, however. I just thought it would be nice to be able to play some games, even casual ones, and listen to music without having to take both my Nintendo DS and mp3 player with me. But I did find some really good gaming apps for my Touch, and I could see that gaming has a future in this platform. Zenonia, for example, is a fun RPG that reminds me a lot of SNES games. Then there's the iPhone/iPod Touch version of my favorite defense game, Plants vs. Zombies. But the best thing about these games is that they don't cost a lot at all.

iComics

Spider-Woman, the motion comics.

Even though I went fully digital with my games and music last year, I still plan on staying the hard copy route with my comics and books. However, there are some comics that I really want to read but are just too expensive for me to buy. That's where digital comics come in. They're cheap and don't need any maintenance. Apps such as comiXology has provided me with titles from publishers like Devil's Due and Image for only $1. Then there's also the motion comics, a cross between a comic book and animation. I just recently purchased the Spider-Woman motion comics, and I'm very pleased with it. The voice acting is great and it's only $9 for 5 episodes, which is $6 cheaper than the paper version.

I know a lot of people think I'm an Apple hater. I'm not (but I do have something against nosy Apple fanboys). I just don't feel their products are that special. But the 64 GB iPod Touch is different. It has the capacity to store all my music, it has games that I want to play and it even provides me with cheap comic books. I just feel that this device was made for me. Now, if only Jobs and his crew could focus more on gaming and then release a 64 GB iPhone. That would be great.

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The Playlist #10

It's been a while since I posted playlist in here. I kinda broke my promise there, of making a playlist every Sunday. But, anyways, since I have nothing better to do, here's what I'm listening to in the past couple of days. I apologize for the short comments but my fingers hurt for playing too much Dragon Age.

"New Noise" by Refused

One of the best punk bands ever. Their album The Shape of Punk to Come is a personal favorite of mine, and I just dug it up from my boxes of CDs yesterday.

"No Epiphany" by Fucked Up

Speaking of Refused, here's another awesome punk band. Fucked Up blew me away with their 2008 album, The Chemistry of Common Life, which was probably influenced by The Shape of Punk to Come.

"All I Know" by Karnivool

I found out about this band a couple weeks ago. They're a nice prog-rock band with a nice Tool-ish sound and some nu-metal influence.

"H." by Tool

Speaking of Tool, here's a song from them. I don't think I can live in a world without their music. Hopefully, the rumors that they're working on a new album are true.

"When I'm Small" by Phantogram

A friend told me about this electronica dance rock band, of how good they are, when she saw them open for Yeasayer. I didn't know what she was talking about back then. But I agree with her now after I listened to their debut album, Eyelid Movies.

"ONE" by Yeasayer

Speaking of Yeasayer, here's a song from them too. Their new album, Odd Blood, is excellent.

"Don't Make Me Your Target" by Spoon

I've also been enjoying Spoon's latest album, Transference. But the reason I chose to feature one of their old song is because it's the theme song of Chuck. I just finished watching the entire season 1 this weekend and I'm in love with Yvonne Strahovski.

Well, that's my playlist for this week. You guys enjoy it.

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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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No Rain

I finally got paid after a week of delay. The first thing I did was rush to Amazon MP3 and iTunes and spend a tiny fraction of that well-earned money on some new music. But then Amazon got crafty and strategically placed a "$5 mp3 albums" ad on their homepage. That, of course, compelled me to browse the page and found Blind Melon's 1992 debut album.


It's a great album, and one that I actually don't have. So I bought it because, even though it's not on my budget, it's only $5. I just can't pass that up. Now I'm enjoying myself listening to "No Rain", which is one of my favorite songs in high school. It's still a great song and I still like it. It speaks a lot about my life now. About loneliness, escapism, and the hopes of finding love.

I especially love this line:

And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape

"No Rain" by Blind Melon


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Free

The best things in life are free. Or some of them, at least. Like Joe the Barbarian #1 and Vampire Weekend's new album, Contra.

You can download the first issue of Joe the Barbarian over at Vertigo Comic's website. Head down here.

Vampire Weekend is generous enough to make their entire album, Contra, available for streaming. Go ahead and listen to it here. It' really good.

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The Playlist #9

I feel really lazy today. But I'm obliged to share what music I know in this blog, at least every Sunday. So here's another round of my playlist for you guys to listen to. Most of the songs featured here are from artists who have new material coming out this year, and I'm looking forward to hear them.

Anyways, enjoy.

"Fast Blood" by Frightened Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight is a great album, full of songs about relationships, and failed relationships, that will make you laugh and cry. It's heartwarming and real. It didn't make it on my top list though. So I hope that their new album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, will make it this year.

"Keep the Car Running" by Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire will be releasing a new album this year. But I doubt it will top Neon Bible, which is a great thematic album. It just touches all the topic I'm concerned about. Like government crackdown on innocent civilians, people using religion to gain money or power, and wage slavery. Although, I'm still excited to her their new stuff.

"Don't You Evah" by Spoon

Spoon, which is a fun indie band to listen to, just released a new album last Tuesday. I want to buy it, since I really liked Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga a lot, but I can't because I'm still waiting for my paycheck.

"A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend released their sophomore album, Contra, earlier this month. I didn't like them at first but, after listening to their debut album a hundred times (because of a lady friend), their intelligent, afro-pop sound kinda grew on me. Like Spoon's album, however, I'm still waiting to be paid before I can buy and enjoy their new album.

"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him

I just found out today that She & Him will release Volume Two, their sophomore album, this year. I'm not really a big fan of their music, however. It's not bad, objectively speaking. I just can't dig it. But I have this insatiable urge to hear, see, procure everything that features She, the vocalist of the duo. She being Zooey Deschanel, that bright-eyed girl who played Summer in (500) Days of Summer or Jovi in Elf.

"Change (In the House of Flies)" by Deftones

One of my favorite bands, Deftones. It's been four years since they released their last album. Plus, they also canceled the release of Eros -supposedly their sixth studio album- last year due to their bassist, Chi Cheng, being on coma. So I'm really anxious to hear some new material from them, to see whether they still have a creative spark or they lamed out. Either way, it's gonna be good because it's from Deftones.

"Black Bubblegum" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

These guys always blow me every time they release an album. They always have something new and different, kinda like Radiohead. That's probably why they're already dubbed as the "Radiohead of Metalcore" by some critics. So I'm excited to see what they're going to bring this time. Espeically now that they've gone indie and they have a new drummer.

And that's that. Until next time.

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The Playlist #8

I heard a lot of good instrumental music back in 2009 -mostly post-"something". While many of them are not that good enough to make it into my "Best Music of 2009" list, they're still good enough to merit some attention.

So, in this issue of The Playlist, I'll feature 7 songs from 7 of my favorite instrumental music in 2009.

"Thirty-Six Silos" by If These Trees Could Talk

This post-rock band debut in 2006. But I only became familiar with their work last year, when they released Above the Earth, Below the Sky, which is an amazing album. Although the music is pretty much recycled from post-rock godfathers, the shoegaze of Explosions in the Sky and the gloom of Mogwai. Still, it's a great listen. Songs like "Thirty-Six Silos", which opens up with an atmospheric sad sound and launches into a cacophonous explosion a minute before it ends, will tickle your ears and set your souls in turmoil.

"Strung Up From the Sky" by Pelican

Pelican's 2005 album, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, started my addiction to post-metal and post-rock. But when they released City of Echoes, two years later, Pelican curbed my appetite for the genre. The album was just atrocious. It's a good thing they have redeemed themselves with their current album, What We All Come To Need. While it's not as good as The Fire...or Australasia, it's definitely way much better -and also heavier- than City of Echoes.

"Prepare Your Coffin" by Tortoise

If not for bands affiliated to them, like The Sea and Cake or Slint, I surely would've missed out on Tortoise and their latest work, Beacons of Ancestorship. It's a hidden gem of an album, a sonic nirvana of music experimentation. But unlike most experimental bands these days, which mostly uses rock or electronica as a basis, Tortoise displays their musicianship through songs laden with jazz chops. "Prepare Your Coffin" is perhaps the best example. While the song is repetitive, you can only drool at the quick fusion jazz solo and the meticulous drumworks.

"The Great Plains" by Scale The Summit

Now here's a progressive metal band who, instead of indulging themselves with the technicalities that comes with the genre: off-beat time signatures and Dream Theater-like guitar and drum solos, opted a post-rock mentality by creating a sweeping atmospheric sound with metal riffs. Their music, like on the song "The Great Plains", which dips in and out of mellow and heavy rhythms, is a very refreshing kind of metal.

"Melee" by Russian Circles

Out of all artists from Chicago's music scene, Russian Circles is probably my favorite. They enthralled me with their first album, Enter, and have continued to do so ever since then. Geneva, their latest album, is no exception. In this album, their music as beautiful and vicious as ever. But, this time, they also made their music more lush by adding a cellist and a violinist into the fray. Now their songs, like "Melee", is even more dense with drama.

"You Can't Shake Hands with a Clenched Fist" by Maybeshewill

Most post-rock bands are bent on making gloomy and atmospheric ambiance inspired by chaos or elemental forces. But Maybeshewill, in their album Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony, created a different apocalyptic soundscape that is inspired by our current social and political climate -one that is riddled with wars, lies and greed. Their songs, like the explosive opener, "You Can't Shake Hands with a Clenched Fist", are filled with depressing, haunting and angry rhythms, reminding me that our world is going downward spiral.

"Buster Voodoo" by Rodrigo y Gabriela

If there's an album I missed jotting down on my "Best Music of 2009" list, it's 11:11 by Rodrigo y Gabriela. Due to the financial strain inflicted on me by the holidays, I wasn't able to procure this album until earlier this month. But better late than never. Because this album is a gem full of amazing guitar works. Each track offers variety too, often contemporary Latin guitar married with another genre. "Buster Voodoo", for example, a tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Buster, his nickname. Voodoo, for his song Voodoo Chile), clearly sports metal licks hiding behind a Latin guitar.

Well that's it for this week's The Playlist. I hope you guys liked all the instrumental music I've prepared for your listening pleasure.

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I've been actively blog hopping for almost two years now, leaving my ink and opinion on other blogs. For all these years, I found a few personal blogs that are a kin to mine, even though they're just a few. Most of them are about books, and a couple of them have geeky touches and talk about gaming or comics from time to time. But, for some reason, I haven't stumbled upon a blog that shares my love for metal, or even hard rock.

So I think I'm going to coax all metalheads and "rakistang bloggers" out of the woodwork by making a metal playlist.

"Blood and Thunder" by Mastodon

They're one of the best metal bands that came out in the last decade, hands down. Their 2005 album, Leviathan, is also one of my favorite albums of all time.

"Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold

I'm not really a big fan of Avenged Sevenfold. But I did love their 2005 album, City of Evil. Too bad that their awesome drummer, The Rev, died at an early age, last year, on December 28.

"Iron Man" by Black Sabbath

I saw the trailer of Iron Man 2 earlier this week. It was kick-ass. But I'm pretty sure that this Black Sabbath song was a contributing factor to the trailer's kick-assery.

"Black Bubblegum" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

In order to fill the void in me, which was caused by the discovery of a new DEP album coming out this year, I started to listen to all of DEP's older material. Waiting sucks.

"Cemetary Gates" by Pantera

This is one of the many songs that actually inspired me to pick up a guitar and learn to play it. But I never learned to play this song. Dimebag's solo was too much for me.

"So Did We" by Isis

One of the first songs I heard from Isis. However, I didn't like it back then. I wasn't that much into post-metal yet. It wasn't until 2004 that I came to appreciate post-metal/post-rock.

"Bleed" by Meshuggah

I love this song. It's just so heavy. The guitar riffs here has the power and relentlessness of a jackhammer. I bet if I put my speakers on full, this song will break all my walls.

I do hope this playlist is loud enough to attract metalhead bloggers out from the darkest corners of the internet.

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2010, Please Entertain Me

Usually, I try to make a list of "my [insert number here] most anticipated [insert form of media entertainment here] in [insert current year here]". But since it's 2010, that means I'll have to find 10 games, 10 books, 10 music and 10 films to post in here. That's a lot of things to look forward to, I think. It'll cost me a lot, too, if I happen to play, read, listen to and watch all of them. So, since I'm saving money this year, I decided to throw 10 various entertainment that I'm anxiously waiting for this 2010. (list is not in order of importance)

1. Mass Effect 2
Just when I thought I would get a brief respite from holiday spending, BioWare decided they're going to release Mass Effect 2 this January, even though Dragon Age: Origins is still warm on the shelves. I guess they're pumped to open this decade with another epic RPG. So be it, then. I guess I'll have to shell out some cash this month and drown myself in this space opera, killing Geths and making alien love -or hate, if I decide to give Shepherd a xenophobia.

Mass Effect 2

2. Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising
The first expansion of Dawn of War II, one of my favorite RTS games. So what is it that I'm excited about this game? Well, there are Chaos Marines in this game, for one. They're like the Sith version of the Space Marines, which makes them even more bad ass. Secondly, all the characters you control in the original campaign (Cyrus, Avitus) can be corrupted, depending on the choices you make. That means, the campaign, its even more of a RPG/RTS hybrid with the good and evil choices.

3. BioShock 2
The spiritual successor of System Shock and sequel to one of the best shooter game returns, and is scheduled to be released this February. Like its predecessor, BioShock 2 promises a great storyline, art direction, and it will also include a multiplayer feature that will increase the game's replay value. But what I'm really excited about this game is that you'll be playing as a hulking Big Daddy, the superstars of the first game. Kick ass, no?

BioShock 2

4. Toy Story 3
Honestly, the plot in Toy Story 3 is a little bit similar to The Brave Little Toaster. But who cares, right? This is the next Pixar film, which every decent mom and 9 out of 10 people with a reading comprehension of a 3 year old look forward to see each summer (this, by the way, is just my guesstimate). In addition, it's also the next Toy Story film. So that's a double whammy right there.

5. Iron Man 2
Next to Nolan's revision of Batman, the Iron Man film franchise is the best comics-to-film. So I have plenty of reasons to be excited about this sequel. Let me enumerate them: (1) Robert Downey Jr., I have a man crush on him. (2) War Machine, because he's metal. (3) Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, sporting a bad Russian accent and her 34 C's in a latex overalls. (4) More Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, paving the way to the Avengers movie.

Iron Man 2

6. Kick-Ass
This movie is about a teenage boy decided to become a real-time hero, after being inspired by comic book super heroes. The film is based on the comic book of the same title, written by Mark Millar, who also wrote Wanted (you know, that movie where they can curve bullets). Unlike Wanted, however, Kick-Ass seems to be royally faithful to the books, which is a good thing.

7. Alice in Wonderland
I'm a Tim Burton fan. Although his most recent films (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride), I wasn't a very big fan of. So when I found out that he's working on an Alice in Wonderland movie, I couldn't help but be excited about it. The setting is just perfect for Burton's "technicolor gothic" style. Then there's also the cast. I'm especially looking forward to Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter. This is going to be fun and crazy film.

Alice in Wonderland

8. The Victors (rumored title of the third The Hunger Games book)
Honestly, with all the books I got the last Holiday, I haven't had the time to read Catching Fire (2nd book of the trilogy). But, I know, once I finish reading this dystopian novel for the young adult, I'm pretty sure I'm going to crave for book 3 right away.

9. Option Paralysis (Dillinger Escape Plan's new album)
Honestly, I thought DEP was no more when I found out that their drummer left, when they left their label, and when their singer got sick. But here they are now with a new drummer, their own new label, healthy band members and a new album to follow up Ire Works, their 2007 "heavier than metal" album. I just couldn't wait to hear their new material. I'm pretty sure though that it's going to give me neck injuries.

The Dillinger Escape Plan

10. Deftones' untitled album
I'm a big fan of Deftones. But for almost 4 years now, I've been straining my neck and waiting for them to drop their new album. It's understandable though, why they have to cancel the 2009 release of Eros, their latest completed work, in respect -I guess- for their bassist, Chi Cheng, who's under comatose. But now they're back with a new bassist, Sergio Vega (from Quicksand, also a favorite band), and a new album. I'm extremely looking forward to hear it.

That's my list. I hope this year will entertain me even better than the last.

Similar Posts:
My 9 Most Anticipated Games for 2009
Games for 2008
Games for 2007
6 Games for 2006

Just Another Resolution Post

At this point, the blogosphere must be suffocating with all the New Year's resolutions that have been posted this week. Unfortunately, as much as I want to deny that this isn't one of those posts, I must let you suffer through another round of "resolutions". I promise, though, that it will be quick.

Here are my resolutions for 2010

1. Only buy games that are on sale or if their prices have dropped (Mass Effect 2 and Guild Wars 2 are an exception).
2. Replay some of my older games and, if available, unlock all their achievements.
   
3. Reach renown rank 60 and don a full Invader set in Warhammer Online.
4. Reach level 40 in Champions Online.
5. Only buy used hardcover books.
6. Read all of my back log books and graphic novels before getting new books to read.
7. Read all novels by Philip K. Dick.
8. Read all novels by Ernest Hemingway.
9. Maintain comic book spending at $40/month, and become a trade waiter instead.
   
10. Brush up my blues guitar skills.

That's that. Short and effortless to do. Not like losing weight or getting a wife.

Similar Posts:
Springing Forward
Re-Organization
Twitching Eye

Top 9 Music of 2009

2009 was a good year for music. I discovered a lot of cool new bands, and most of which are metal bands too. Then, of course, old grunge rockers like Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains got out from the woodwork and gave us some pretty decent albums. I also bought a 64 GB iPod touch, whom I named "thedoohickeythatplaysallmymusic". Like with gaming, I went fully digital this year and stopped buying CDs.

Anyways, here's my top albums for this year.

1. Wavering Radiant 10 [Review]
Artist: Isis
Wavering Radiant is Isis' magnum opus to date, and my favorite album of 2009. While it is not as heavy as Oceanic this album is dense with majestic sound textures that will give you multiple eargasms.

"Ghost Key" by Isis


2. Blue Album 9.5
Artist: Baroness
I only found out about this band a couple months ago. But their Blue Album impressed me right away with its Southern sludge and prog-metal sounds. Definitely one of the heaviest albums in 2009.

"A Horse Called Golgotha" by Baroness


3. Bitte Orca 9.3 [Review]
Artist: Dirty Projectors
I heard this band while listening to Dark Was The Night. I fell in love with them and bought Bitte Orca, which is a fun and creative album, filled with a variety of music and oddly structured songs.

"Stillness is the Move" by Dirty Projectors


4. Two Suns 9.0 [Review]
Artist: Bat For Lashes
I liked Khan's first album, Fur and Gold. Regrettably, it was forgettable. Two Suns, however, is not. It's a beautiful album filled with synths and 80's electropop beats. Khan's voice also shines in here.

"Daniel" by Bat For Lashes


5. Travels With Myself and Another 9.0 [Review]
Artist: Future of the Left
Travels... is the first album I've heard that is both hardcore and comical. The wisecracking lyrics, the often times angry, often times melodious vocals, and in-your-face guitar riffs is just awesome.

"The Hope That House Built" by Future of the Left


6. Meriweather Post Pavilion 8.9 [Review]
Artist: Animal Collective
A lof of critics have named Meriweather Post Pavilion as their album of the year, and I can definitely see why. Because this album's unique sound -a digitized tribal and folk music- is a joy to listen to.

"Brother Sport" by Animal Collective


7. No More Stories... 8.9 [Review]
Artist: Mew
Not a lot can get into prog rock. But Mew's No More Stories, with dance rock tunes and pop elements throw into the mix of prog rock eccentricities, might be able to charm non prog rockers.

"Introducing Palace Players" by Mew


8. Sainthood 8.8 [Review]
Artist: Tegan and Sara
It may not be as good as the twins previous work, The Con. But Sainthood's 80's influence, from the pop of Madonna to the new wave of The Cure, is bursting with energy.

"Alligator" by Tegan and Sara


9. Crack The Sky 8.7 [Review]
Artist: Mastodon
Crack The Skye is more streamlined and toned down than Mastodon's previous works. A lot of fans hated it. But, with the inclusion of stoner rock elements in this album, I loved it a lot.

"Oblivion" by Mastodon


Well that's my list. While I did miss a few notable music that were released last year-like Phoenix and Sunn O))), for example- I'm still pretty happy with all I've heard and listened to in 2009. I hope you guys had a good year filled with music too.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Games of 2009
Top 9 Films of 2009
Top 9 Books of 2009

Similar Posts:
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006