Adam Yauch

Today, music lost one of its greats. Not just one of the best emcees, not just one of the best rappers, but a person who truly helped shape the sound of so many different musical groups of both today, years past and the future as well. Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys lost his 2 year bout with cancer today.

I remember being a kid and bugging out every time “Fight For Your Right” came on. My little brother Peter and I would act like a couple of lunatics, bouncing all over the room and screaming along to the chorus at the tops of our lungs. There’s a video of us doing this in my parent’s home movie collection. It happens to have been the same day they brought home my baby sister, Libby, home from the hospital. There were all sorts of balloons that people had brought my mother during her stay. Peter and I were jumping around in them. I remember the feeling of the static electricity on my hair as we were dancing around frantically to the song. It’s one of those memories that I’ll never forget.

As the years went by, I became an avid fan and listener. Their music marked some very memorable events in my life. Not only the welcoming of my baby sister home, but also the first album I bought with a “Parental Advisory” warning, the first time I took mushrooms and a slew of other life events.

The Beastie Boys had such a universal appeal that their music transcended many boundaries. From their beginnings as a brash punk rock group to the definitive sound that they formed throughout the last three decades, the Beastie Boys constantly evolved and showed us something new. Even their last release, “Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2″ was a great listen full of kickass tracks. Thirty years in the music business and still making awesome music is a feat few accomplish.

MCA will truly be missed in not only hip-hop, but music as a whole. So, grab a forty of OE, slam some of it, put some orange juice in it and pour it out for one of the best ever to do this hip-hop shit. “My man MCA got a beard like a billy goat!”

Sock Monkey Sound

Shannon Stephens – Photo by Sherry Loeser

Shannon Stephens may hail from Seattle nowadays, but her roots are founded more in the middle of America. Back in the 90’s in Michigan, she formed an impressive folk partnership with Sufjan Stevens, among others, in Marzuki. Based on that impressive pedigree, one may expect a lengthy list of musical adventures took place. However, after the split of Marzuki, Sufjan went on to be well…Sufjan, and Shannon Stephens took a break. A long break. A span of eight years passed before she released The Breadwinner in 2009. Now in her mid-30s, Stephens is more polished and confident, if re-acclimating to the scene. While a younger artist putting out their third release may still be searching for that voice for sustainability, Stephens simply does not have “energy to give a shit what people (think) about me anymore”.

One can hear that attitude in her new record, to be released May 22nd, called Pull It Together on Asthmatic Kitty Records. Stephens applies a fairly direct approach to her music. While many female singer-songwriters and vocalists are searching for a kitschy or unique sound (usually squeaks?), Stephens relies on a very natural and glossy voice. A good example of these no-nonsense vocals can be heard on “Cold November”, this writer’s personal favorite on the record (although “Down the Drain and it’s Gone” gives it a helluva run).

Stephens said, in 2009 (altmusic.about.com Aug 4, Anthony Carew), she had felt a kind of jealousy that many of her peers had gone on to achieve some degree of musical success. She focused on other things; family and other priorities took the place of music. Pull It Together showcases, more or less, this jilted feeling. It is not a cute album, but it does not get too gritty either. There’s a tempered sensitivity that maybe only someone in Stephens’ position can understand. Some tracks could have benefited from maybe a little more dirt in the teeth.

But this boils down to simple preference, and one should make an independent conclusion.

It must be assumed that trying to find your niche, again, is a process. In the rain-drenched musical oasis of Seattle, there are easy-to-find barometers. If we place Damien Jurado as the luminous godfather, David Bazan as some sort of mystic stepson, Head & the Heart as the carefree cousins, Pickwick as the soulful black sheep, Death Cab as the rich uncle, and Carrie Brownstein as the quirky neighbor kid, we could place Shannon Stephens in this pantheon as a phoenix-esque prodigal.
She still has some work to do, some kinks to work out, some groove to get in that pocket to maximize her potential, but she is back on the radar. And that is a good thing for music.

Sock Monkey Sound

What? Joie De Vivre, Into it. Over it. The Please and Thank Yous, Droughts

When? April 6, 2012

Where? Subterranean in Chicago

Didn’t that band break up recently? Yes

Joie De Vivre were an emo band from Rockford, IL that existed from 2007 until 2011. The band meant a great deal to a small number of people and nothing to a great many more. I fell closer towards the positive end of that spectrum (as evidenced by the two hundred times I wrote about them). I liked listening to Joie De Vivre’s music a lot but I wasn’t so bummed out that I cried at their last show (Geoff Schott). I felt saddened by the break up because I wanted to listen to the group create more music (an incredibly basic portrayal of break up melancholy) and also because breaking up is stupid.  Johnny Ramone stole Joey Ramone’s girlfriend and they continued being a band for a good 15 years after that. My thinking at the time was, “Why would anyone stop making awesome music instead of doing the opposite?” I’m kind of an unreasonable person. Either way, that last show in May of 2011 was a great outpouring of affection for the group and the bands that it had made friends with over the years. It was like an Irish wake except not as fun (You can’t have booze at an all ages show). It allowed for closure. Breaking up is stupid but at least everyone had some catharsis about it.

Rockford, IL has a really shitty education system and it kind of shows because the members of Joie De Vivre apparently didn’t know what the phrase, “broken up,” meant. They kept working on a new album. Then, about 6 months later, some guy was like, “Hey would y’all like to go on tour in Europe?” and they said yes. That is a very conflicting set of events to hear about. I’m not sure if my reaction to the announcement was emblematic of anyone else’s but it went something like this, “I knew you dummies weren’t broken up.  Thanks a lot for making everyone sad, assholes.” Then my reasoning kicked in and I thought, “Who cares? How many times does a band you know get the chance to fly halfway across the world to play music?” The answer is zero. Zero times ever. It’s a fucking awesome opportunity.

Here’s the end game: Joie De Vivre are playing shows again and they have a new album coming out in the next 4-12 months. They’re going to spend most of June and July playing shows in several European countries and one of them will probably get the clap from some Dutch hooker. Sure they accidentally pulled a bait and switch on their fans, but people make mistakes. Would you prefer that they not play any shows or record new music? That would be stupid.

This is not a fair review of Droughts. I only saw one song by Droughts but it was fairly solid,  shouty post punk.  There are lots of bands that sound like Droughts (and vice versa) but it wasn’t bad. I’m really tired of reviewing shouty, Chicago post punk. Brandon Lutmer said they were fantastic. He has a well informed opinion of the matter.

The Please & Thank Yous are a punk rock band from Chicago. I’ve said some funny things about them in the past . They play pop punk like they’re on a mission to rewrite the past and take the minor success of Pennywise for themselves. Fresh off a 6 or 8 month break from playing shows, TPATY had a revamped lineup (new boys on guitar and bass to join the Sonic & Knuckles core of singer/guitarist Geoff Schott and drummer Marcus Nuccio) and it showed. Shit was tight and punchy. By, “shit,” I mean the musical performance. TPATY performed lots of new songs off of their (probably) upcoming 2nd album.  Shit was tight n quick.

Taking pictures in the dark is hard

Into it. Over it. is the music of a guy called Evan Weiss. He lives in Chicago and plays everywhere, and quite often. It’s the sort of music that I like to call, “Earnest Guy With an Acoustic Guitar,” music. Take a few seconds to imagine that and you’ll get the full picture. He had a song about Humboldt Park that did not have the chorus, “I live here because I can’t afford Logan Square.” I like to make up fake criteria and then judge people based on that. To his credit, he was a very adept guitarist with really strong tone. That really improved the overall experience.

Joie De Vivre doesn't actually like basketball

What has changed about Joie De Vivre? Well they have different haircuts and two new members. Since the initial break up, Horn guy Paul Karnatz and organist Zach Staas both moved thousands of miles away from the rest of the band (I can’t blame them). In their place, a couple of fellows called Mark have stepped in to play. Does it make a difference? Kind of. Mark Jaeschke of Chicago’s The Island of Misfit Toys is playing basically the same trumpet parts that were recorded by Karnatz. The big audible difference is that where Zach Staas’s approach to the organ was often, “Hey Danger, here is $20. When I point at you I want you to put a beer on my organ,” Mark Gustofsan was more like, “I’m going to play notes.” It often showed.  Much credit to all of the band. Despite protests of, “We didn’t really practice. I’m sorry,” the performances were much more muscular that one is often accustomed to.  Set opener, “You Ruined Everything That Was Ever Good,” felt like a nice hearty shove to the torso. It’s entirely possible that this band will enter its second life with some fists in addition to the twinkles. Worse things have happened.

Some guy kept yelling, “Sellout!” and, “Judas!” during JDV’s set. That guy must be a pretty clever person who knows a lot about music and sticking it to women of the fine-ass persuasion.

Sock Monkey Sound

Twilight Fan Fiction?

Fifty Shades of Grey is the book that the world is talking about.

A brief summary for anyone who hasn’t heard of it yet: Ana fills in for her roommate and best friend, who needs to interview the young millionaire, Christian Grey, for the college newspaper. The creepy Grey quickly begins stalking.. er, seducing the clumsy, naive, borderline moronic Ana. Using new computers, fancy cars and private helicopters, Grey whisks Ana away from her mundane life and into a world of BDSM fantasy. The books deals with Ana’s struggle to reconcile her love for Grey with her reluctance to get the crap beat out of her.

The book is gaining infamy in teacher’s lounges and women’s groups around the nation. I had a very hard time reading it for several reasons:

For starters, E.L. James’ writing is just not very good. The book can be compared to reading something written by a not-very-smart 15 year old. The grammar and spelling mistakes printed into Twilight were terrible, but this ends up coming up worse than even that. James re-uses phrases frequently. By the fifth time Ana “shattered to pieces” with an orgasm the magic was lost. And if she wasn’t shattering, she was spiraling.

Both of the main characters was inconsistent and poorly developed. We get just enough information about Grey to be intrigued, but he’s such a jackass that I lost interest quickly. Ana was just insufferable. I’m sorry, but what 21-year old college student in publishing/journalism nonetheless has had limited exposure to having a computer! Ana has never had a smartphone or her own computer. Yet, she is pursuing a career at a publishing house? Further, Ana has never had a boyfriend, never been drunk despite drinking with her roommate constantly, and never held hands with a boy. She is just a little too naive to be a believable character.

The author goes even further to personify Ana’s subconscious and what she calls her “inner goddess.” Anything that occurs in the book, especially when Christian is involved, has them either hiding behind a couch (subconscious) or doing cartwheels (inner goddess). These two actions were repeated to infinity, making me want to throw my kindle across the room.

The absolute biggest problem with the book is the relationship between Christian and Ana. I don’t know much about a BDSM lifestyle, but I have had my share of VERY poor relationships. And outside of the sexual relationship, Christian’s behavior was borderline emotionally abusive. Very similar to Twilight, Ana also turns her back on all her closest friends to pursue this relationship with Grey. She does this against the advice of her best friend, who constantly warns her that something’s not right, which would be a red flag for any sane person.

There is something in the BDSM culture that’s called “consensual non-consent.” The way I understand it, it means that you act like you’re not interested. That adds excitement and struggle to the sexual encounter. I can see where James was trying to get at this with some trysts between the “lovers,” but it results in Ana simply being coerced because she is bullied into the relationship.

In a recent 20/20 interview, James admitted that to research for the book she visited a sex store, but it grossed her out. She did the majority of her research on the internet. This definitely shows in the lack of depth of the book. Also even though I know next to nothing about the world of BDSM there were several parts that just felt like assumptions to me.

(I’m really trying not to give too much away here)

It’s fine with me if you would like to engage in that type of release, but when Ana feels compelled to engage in a sexual relationship she is not at all comfortable with because she is afraid to lose him, I get nervous. When she cowers and gives in because she is afraid he is mad at her, I get physically ill.

I’m not about censorship in art, and I guess because this is a novel it is a form of “art” (however poor). But I really think that we should exercise caution before glorifying characters that are not able/willing to stand up for themselves and making heroes out of very abusive men. This book is selling itself as “romance” when it’s a thinly disguised story of emotional and physical abuse.

Behind that, it’s just a Twilight fan fiction with different names. Disgraceful.

Sock Monkey Sound

Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs locks hands with fan at their Toronto show at the Opera House.

The only predictable thing about Kaiser Chiefs’ performance at the Opera House Tuesday night was that it was a banger of a show.

Along with his band-mates, front man of the Leeds-based post-punk band, Ricky Wilson, challenged the venue’s notoriously poor sound quality with fan-favourites such as Ruby, I Predict A Riot and Every Day I Love You Less And Less –and most certainly won.

Toronto-based Teenage Kicks (A Night With Teenage Kicks) started the show, pouring their melodic, indie hearts out to the oddly eclectic crowd of fathers, sons, husbands and wives of young and old. The five-piece band were not short on enthusiasm, as lead vocalist, Pete van Helvoort, sang and danced his bearded face off with more manic energy than a Rockstar.

Teenage Kicks set the atmosphere for a night of post-punk with a dash of rock n’ roll, with songs such as The River and Brooklyn Bridge.

Yeah, their harmonies were a little off, and the venue’s sound quality caused the bass to distort most of the [musicality], but the rawness and passion of their delivery was not overlooked.

The Kaiser Chiefs swiftly followed the opening act, introducing themselves with a series of flashing strobe lights and the Dire Straits’ riff, Money For Nothing.

The crowd’s anticipation was soon satisfied, as Chiefs’ drummer Nick Hodgson – sporting the typical Britpop bowl haircut – strode across the stage to his seat, followed by band-mates, Whitey, Simon, Peanut and Ricky.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman, Ricky Wilson, sings to Toronto's Opera House crowd.

It was clear the sound quality had significantly improved, as the Kaiser Chiefs used their own equipment, and dove straight into their set-list with songs Every Day I Love You Less and Less, Never Miss A Beat, The Angry Mob and Na Na Na Na Naa.

The Opera House’s packed audience were swaying and jumping to their favourite Chiefs’ songs, but all eyes were fixed on lead singer, Ricky Wilson, flailing his tambourine carelessly in the air. Their performance was clearly about feeling, not about composition, as the bass forcibly thumped, and Wilson deliberately chanted off-pitch, post-punk-esque vocals.

Wilson flaunted his expertise as front-man by skillfully throwing the mic-stand in the air, catching the microphone mid-air, and jumping onto the barrier fence.

After jumping into the audience and onto one of the bar counters to guzzle a Heineken in between songs, he began enticing the audience to clap and sing along, as he pounded the microphone to his chest.

“Come on Toronto, I need you to roar like a Toronto-saurus,” encouraged Wilson.

The audience gladly complied.

Sock Monkey Sound

I first heard Company Flow in 1999. Technically, it was the Indelible MCs track off of Lyricists Lounge Volume 1 but hey, who’s counting? The style that they had was something so different from anything that I had heard at that point that I became a fan almost instantly. El-P and Bigg Juss had a delivery and word choice that was far from what I was accustomed to hearing. Coupled with the El’s off-beat production, the combination made for a sound that was fresh as fuck. I was an avid listener of Wu-Tang and The Roots  but mostly liked punk and ska at that particular juncture in my life. Their sound and ethic was more akin to the punk music that I listened to and was part of my indoctrination to a culture that would take me to a lot of places, both literally and figuratively.

After hearing that one track, I scoured the internet to try and find Funcrusher Plus, Company Flow’s one and only album that featured all three members: El-P, Bigg Juss and DJ Mr. Len. Funcrusher Plus was officially released July 28, 1997 on the long defunct Rawkus Records. Despite outright disses to major labels on the album and laboring under the motto, “Independent as Fuck”, overall sales of the album were above and beyond the 100,000 plus mark. While this might not seem impressive in 2012, this was well before the advent of widespread e-commerce and internet promotion. After short tours on both coasts and Europe, the group disbanded. Juss and Mr. Len kinda fell by the wayside, while El-P would go on to found one of the most influential indie hip-hop labels, Definitive Jux and release two critically acclaimed albums on his own. None of them would achive the same type of success that Funcrusher Plus had independent of each other however.

Funcrusher Plus has stayed on steady rotation in my car, computer, wherever I might be for over a decade. I’ve gone through two physical copies of the CD and have digital version of it on not only my external hard drive but computer as well. As cliche as it sounds, if I had one album to listen to on a desert island, it would be Funcrusher Plus, no doubt about it.

Being that I have listened to this record hundreds of times, but never had the opportunity to see Company Flow live, I got hella excited when I heard they were doing some performances in New York mid-2011. I was highly doubtful that they would make their way anywhere near Chicago but I was at least stoked that they were working together again. Maybe they would cut a new track, maybe they would make a few tracks, maybe they would start work on a new album…

Well, there was still no news of a reunion, but I heard that they would be playing Coachella. Much to my surprise, they decided to add one show, in one city on their way out to California. That show would be in Chicago.

I bought tickets the day they went on sale and so did a few of my other friends. The thing about Company Flow is that if you’ve heard the record and ever listened to any sort of off the beaten path hip-hop, you’ll dig it. It was the blueprint for Aesop Rock,  most of the Anticon shit and probably a ton of stuff that I could give a fuck less about because it just isn’t the genuine article.

We arrived in Chicago around 7pm, killed some time walking around and eating at a place called Yak-zie’s which sucked. I’m pretty sure the only reason they’re still in business is because of their proximity to Wrigley Field. They put what’s call “Tang” sauce on their food which is basically shitty hot-sauce. The burger was meh, my Budweiser sat empty on the table for more than 10 minutes before I was even asked if I wanted another one. Here’s a tip: The bigger the bill is, the bigger the tip is as long as the service is prompt and courteous.

We put off going in to the venue for as long as possible. The Metro has adopted a “No In & Out” policy which makes you stay and pay six bucks a beer rather than going to your car during shitty sets and shotgunning Schlitz. When we arrived Qwel was on. Qwel is a one time member of Typical Cats and is a Jesus-loving weirdo. He looks more like a Kinko’s employee than a rapper. Don’t get me wrong, he’s got some ill shit in his catalog, it’s just few and far in between. His DJ, Maker, was the redeeming quality to the set.

The next act was 4th Pyramid. I saw this lackluster excuse for a hypeman back in 2007 when Murs came to Logan Square Auditorium. He sucked then and he sucks even worse now. How this guy hasn’t given up and got a real job is beyond me. There can’t be anyone that finds his music entertaining. He raps with a lisp, enough said.

Motherfucking finally, Company Flow came on. It was everything I hoped the show would be. They did all of my favorite tracks from Funcrusher: End To End Burners, Lune TNS, 8 Steps to Perfection, Patriotism and pretty much any track that I would’ve wanted to see live. El even did Last Good Sleep, a haunting ballad that describes the domestic abuse his mother endured at the hands of his stepfather. It doesn’t pull a single punch. The energy from both of them was dope. El’s charisma shines on stage like David Koresh with a mic. Juss had a mechanical presence that matched his flow perfectly. Mr. Len was ill as fuck. He was a consummate professional and master of his craft, executing some of the illest scratching that I’ve ever seen live and I’ve been to tons of hip-hop shows and seen a lot of different DJs. You could tell that they were having fun and a lot of it. To me that’s what making music is about, having one helluva good time. El and Juss both professed their appreciation multiple times during the set. The crowd was full of fans that knew every line to every track, no matter how obscure. After two encores and performances of new material from both El and Juss, they called it a night and left the stage.

Have I seen better performances before? Definitely. Have I had more fun at a live show? Yes. However, it was super duty tough work to the fucking max and impressive that even after a decade and a half, these two MCs and a DJ could come together for a kickass performance and rock the stage like it was 1997 all over again. I expected what most hip-hop shows are: a room full of dudes nodding their heads to a four count and like five girls looking bored. The energy was more akin to a punk or metal show for most of the performance but there were still like 5 girls total in the crowd but I’m married so I could care less.

Sock Monkey Sound

William Steig may have been a genius but, sadly, his picture book legacy has certainly done a disservice to his talent as a writer. Although Abel’s Island is disjointed, including the occasional untied up loose end, his prose flows like the sweet nectar of life that is a pressed cup of Peet’s Kenya. In other words, his writing makes you smile, brightens any type of day, and leaves you in amazement that anyone, child or adult, could go through life without experiencing it. Oh, Abel is a well-to-do mouse. He gets caught up in a hurricane and swept out to an uninhabited island. He must learn to survive in many ways, but really he learns who he really is and what his talents really are. (I’m looking up at the ceiling, which means up to where the white, old man doG in flowing robes is and I’m winking and giving you the thumbs up, William Steig. You fooled everyone!)

- JW

Sock Monkey Sound

Tom Waits (© Photo By Kirk West)

“My kids are starting to notice I’m a little different from the other dads. “Why don’t you have a straight job like everyone else?” they asked me the other day. I told them this story: In the forest, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. Every day, the straight tree would say to the crooked tree, “Look at me…I’m tall, and I’m straight, and I’m handsome. Look at you…you’re all crooked and bent over. No one wants to look at you.” And they grew up in that forest together. And then one day the loggers came, and they saw the crooked tree and the straight tree, and they said, “Just cut the straight trees and leave the rest.” So the loggers turned all the straight trees into lumber and toothpicks and paper. And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.”

Tom Waits

Sock Monkey Sound

From their Facebook page, Teenage Kicks. Jeff, Cam, Pete, Christian and Pat (from the left)

On a deserted island, these guys would only need generators to survive.  Well, the generators would at least power up their amps so they could jam.

But in Toronto, before their gig at The Hideout as apart of Canadian Music Week, Teenage Kicks need three simple things to get by: monitors, hot water (for their throat coating tea), and friendship.

“We hang out more than most bands do,” says lead singer and guitarist, Pete van Helvoort.

We are sitting in the band’s white panel tour van behind The Hideout on Queen West in Toronto, in a lively parking lot.  Colourful graffiti dances on the walls and a homeless man trudges around with a shopping cart full of cans, murmuring to himself.

Jeff van Helvoort, bass player, is in the front seat with Pat Marchent the guitar player.  Cam Brunt, the drummer, is in the back seat with Pete and I, tapping his fingers on the van window sill.

“We don’t know any different, so we all spend quite a bit of time with each other.”

A loud gargle interrupts Pete, mid talk.

It’s Jeff, his younger brother, gargling on some hot tea – it’s his preferred drink before a show, especially this one in particular because they played the night before.

“I lose my voice a lot,” he says.  “And I always fear losing it.”

But you wouldn’t be able to tell because Teenage Kicks are a down to earth rock n roll band, just doing their thing.  They seem not to have a care or bother in the world.

They are even still stoked about their performance from the night before.  They played the Phoenix Concert Theatre with Treble Charger, which was another CMW show.

“We wanted to play there for a long time,” says Pete.

“It’s also cool to get those opportunities,” adds Jeff.

Teenage Kicks have been a band for just under two years now and even though it’s been a short time, they are playing big shows.

Like in October when they opened up for AWOLNATION at Toronto’s Sound Academy, playing in front of more than one thousand people – not bad for a band hailing from Guelph, Ontario.

But Teenage Kicks are not your typical band.  They do not drink and party to excess, but they do like to have fun.

About a month earlier, they played a show at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

“Since it was a school thing, we got a good amount of money, free dinner and put up in a hotel room,” says Jeff.

Now, they only had two rooms between the five of themselves and their friends, so it was going to be tight.  But one of the other bands on the bill, Dinosaur Bones, didn’t stay the night and still had a room booked.

So, Pat went to the front desk with a friend and said they were Dinosaur Bones.  Pat and his friend explained that the rest of the band was out getting girls and they just wanted to crash.

The clerk behind the desk expressed his sympathies.

“I’ll put you guys in rooms where there is no one beside you and no one below you.  Have as much fun as you want,” and then he paused.  “But not too much fun!”

Jeff and Cam then burst into laughter at the memory.

“We are a pretty tame band as far as that stuff goes,” Cam says.  “Peter’s the dad of the band, he keeps everyone in line.”

Eventually Pat and Pete leave the van to go and check out the other bands.

Christian Turner, Teenage Kick’s other guitarist, eventually shows up at the van.  He was home having spaghetti and taking a nap.

Pat suddenly returns to the van.

On the sidewalk patio, the band is no different than they were in the van.

We are all sitting around a table in front of a sliding class door, chatting – Jeff has a thermos of hot tea, everyone else is smoking and drinking water in preparation for the show.

“Peter and I don’t like to talk too much [before shows],” Jeff explains over some tea.  “Like over loud music … cause it fucks us over.”

A couple minutes later, the sliding glass door opens, unleashing an overwhelming cluster of noise.  The bar back comes by and closes the door.

“Hey, if this door opens again, please shut it,” he says.

Teenage Kicks agree to help out the guy.

And oldie of Teenage Kicks, take from their Facebook page.

For the next couple of minutes, drunk people keep opening up the door because it’s so hot inside, but the band keeps shutting it.  It’s the ultimate comedic power struggle as the drunks can barely stand and sweat noticeably drips from their brows.

Teenage Kicks are respectful though, but they want the quiet more than anything.

Finally, the bar back comes over and shuts the sliding door for a final time, jamming it with a broken broom.

“Hey, no outside drinks,” he says pointing to Jeff’s thermos of hot tea.  “Put it away when you are done.”

Just as soon as the bar back finishes his sentence, Pete comes from the van carrying a white kettle, full of water for even more tea, and looking for an outlet to fire it up.

Everyone erupts with laughter and Jeff agrees to put the thermos and kettle away.

As it gets closer to show time, Jeff stands up from the table.

After their 30 minute set (click here to see live stuff!), everyone in the crowd pats the band members on their back as they walk by, congratulating them on a job well done.

The band isn’t big enough to have their own roadies yet, so they somewhat struggle between tearing down their gear and responding to everyone’s kind gestures.

But as they load up the van with their gear, it’s clear they have one thing one thing on mind: their first east coast tour of Canada.

In preparation, the guys are going to clean out their van and Pete is planning on giving everyone money for food, so they don’t go hungry.  It’s only a 6 concert tour, but anything could happen.

As for Pat, his food plans are slightly different from the rest of Teenage Kicks.

“I don’t know if you know, but it’s fast food coupon season,” he explains.  “There’s A&W ones and MacDonald ones, I’m going to bring some of those.”

Teenage Kicks' east coast tour poster, from their Facebook page.

Sock Monkey Sound

Bomb the Music Industry!

Early into this sold-out show at The Beat Kitchen, there was a palpable feeling of tension and excitement in the crowd, almost as if there was a (pardon the pun) bomb ready to explode.

The first band, Chicago three-piece North by North, played a (surprising) blues/garage rock hybrid. Not what I was expecting for a show like this, but they were an interesting and entertaining opener that the crowd responded well to.

Devon Kay & the Solutions, another Chicago band, followed with their brand of pop-punk. I was not familiar with them going into the show, but was pleasantly surprised by their performance; they were super energetic, fun, and the songs were catchy with some pretty good lyrics. The crowd absolutely loved them and went kinda nuts during their set, stage diving and circle-pitting.

A slight aside: in my younger days, I never really understood how jumping off a stage or running around in circles pushing people and being pushed at shows added to the enjoyment of the music. Now, as a grown man, I still don’t. But everyone seemed to be having a nice time, and the band was able to continue, even with a stage full of audience members for their last song. As crazy as it was during Devon Kay’s set, the place only got crazier for Bomb the Music Industry! (Note: in case you didn’t know, the exclamation point there is part of the band’s name. I’m only noting this here because that sentence sounds really air-heady and dumb (rather than just poorly-written) if you’re not aware of the band’s always-on punctuation. I don’t envy people who work for Alternative Press and are constantly writing articles about Panic! At the Disco and trying to make sentences not sound weird).

BtMI! began their set with “Campaign for a Better Weekend,” a build-y song that starts mellow then erupts into a speedy punk rock verse and sing-along chorus. Once that verse kicked in, the place (figuratively) exploded. The entire center of the room became a sea of movement (luckily, I was against the wall on the left side, narrowly avoiding being swept into the center of the punk rock hurricane. Did you know there are coat hooks on that wall at The Beat Kitchen? They are quite handy for hanging your jacket if you’re an old man like myself or hanging your shirt if you’re a dude going into the pit and want everyone to see your tattoos).

Bomb the Music Industry!

They played through a very Vacation-heavy set (which was awesome for me, because I love the record) including “Vocal Coach,” “Can’t Complain,” “The Shit That You Hate,” and “Hurricane Waves.” There were songs from other releases played as well, like “The First Time I Met Sanawon,” “25!,” and “I Don’t Love You Anymore.” The set and setlist were great and the band (which for this show included Rick Johnson of Mustard Plug on bass) was energetic and funny (despite showing some annoyance at stage divers running into them and their equipment), but it felt incredibly short. Before I knew it, the show was over and all the under-21 folks (which appeared to be the majority of the crowd) were filing out the side door, shiny not only from sweating profusely, but from the joy that only comes from being young and experiencing a rowdy punk rock show.

Photos courtesy of Lindsey’s iPhone because I totally forgot my camera.

Sock Monkey Sound

Doki Doki Panic

In just under 15 minutes, this EP represents Japanese rock at its most awesome, nerdy, and insane. The two bands (Babymetal and Kiba of Akiba) alternate tracks on the split, resulting in a record that’s incredibly fun and entertaining.

If early 2000s tween J-Pop group Mini Moni were possessed by Satan, it would probably result in something not entirely unlike Babymetal. If you can’t seem to imagine that unholy union, check out this video of Babymetal’s first single, 2011′s Doki Doki Morning:

The J-Pop/death metal ensemble kicks off the EP with “Iine,” which blends their combination of pop and technical death metal even more seamlessly than their debut release. Oh, and there is a rap breakdown in the track as well. And quite a bit of electronica. Yet somehow, it works.

The next track, by Kiba of Akiba (whose name references Tokyo geek-Mecca, Akihabara), is an excellent melodic death metal song about, I think, having an awesome time on message boards. It’s called “Party @ The BBS” and is extremely tight, high-quality stuff, with some ridiculous riffs and rad dueling vocals.

The third track is Babymetal ”answering” Kiba of Akiba’s “Animation With You” (a song about watching anime). The interpretation is pretty spot-on, with a few endearing added tweaks.

Kiba of Akiba closes things out with an ultra-bizarre cover of “Doki Doki Morning.” The vocals are all over the place, and while it’s a pretty tongue-in-cheek cover, it’s also tight, excellently produced, and even pretty intense at times.

Although this four-song release may appear completely unapproachable and too bizarre and gimmicky to be worth your time, I implore courageous and curious music fans to check it out anyway. Even if you despise J-Pop and loathe technical, melodic metal, you may still find yourself enjoying this infectious combination.

Babymetal X Kiba of Akiba – EP is available exclusively on iTunes in the U.S. for a way-less-than-import price of $3.99. Get it here.

Sock Monkey Sound

What is this? A quick review of a store brand soda

Why? Because I’m bored and I thought it would taste like Dr. Pepper. Also this

Your name is, “Fuck you,”? I thought it was Alex. Not really. I’m just being combative.

I was walking through the refrigerated section of my local Whole Foods the other afternoon with my ladyfriend (she’s from two towns over. You probably don’t know her) because WF is the only place I know that sells the right sized coffee filters for the device I use and also because that place is delicious. She was getting curried beets or grilled tofu or something so I was casually browsing various liquids.  One can on the soda shelf jumped out at me.

That has, “Dr,” in the name. It must be a Dr. Pepper knock off.”

Quick sidenote: Dr. Pepper is my favorite of all sodas (especially among dark colored sodas).  I get a little silly about it.

I picked up the can of Dr. Snap and started reading the label.  Several signifiers drew my attention. It had a 365 label which is the Whole Foods organic store brand (and known to usually have delicious products). That was a good sign. So was, “Sweetened with 100% Cane Sugar.” That excited me even more. There are two reasons for my excitement.

1. I have had very good experiences with organic root beer that is sweetened with cane sugar.  Yes I sometimes buy small batch root beer. I am a fucking lunatic.

2. You can’t get cane sugar Dr. Pepper anywhere outside of West Texas. There is one bottling plant in some nowhere town in West Texas that refused to follow the corporate mandated switch over to corn syrup in the 1970s. Grocery stores within about a 100 mile radius of that plant sell cane sugar Dr. Pepper but otherwise it is always made with corn syrup.

My head was flooded with possibilities. What if this was a Dr. Pepper knockoff that is made with cane sugar? They obviously couldn’t get all of the 23 flavors but they might get to 20 or 21 flavors like Mr. Pibb. Cane sugar Mr. Pibb sounded very good and it was only 65 cents. I can afford to potentially waste 65 cents every now and then.

I bought the soda.

When I got home I sat down in the chair, opened the can, and started drinking.

A dream died that afternoon.  Not like a major dream death that might cause me to spin into depression, or even a moderate dream death that would ruin my day.  It was a small dream and it certainly ruined the 5 o’clock hour of Wednesday.

It did not taste anything like Dr. Pepper.  As I continued my way through the can, I pondered the flavor profile in my head.  “There’s too much cherry. It’s not very bubbly. It’s somewhat bubbly but less than Coca Cola. I don’t think this has caffeine. It does have a bit of a dark, cola flavor. Not much though.”

Dr. Snap tastes like what might happen if one poured a glass that was half RC Cola, and half Stewart’s Black Cherry Soda. I enjoy both of those sodas a little bit. It’s not actually all that bad and it tastes much better than most other 65 cent cans of soda. On the other hand, it has, “Dr.” in the name and that gave me false hopes and now I’m sad.  Soda shouldn’t make you sad.

Final Verdict: Disappointment.

 Here is a video of my experience

Sock Monkey Sound

EP’s are one of the hardest things (for me anways) to review for a couple reasons. Most of the time it simply has to do with the lack of time available for the artist to be able to draw you into their sound. Sure, a single release can be more difficult to hook someone but there’s a 50% chance of success versus failure. An EP on the other hand can be a mixed bag. To steal an album title from another artist to explain this; you could have two hits and a miss.

Released a month ago, Rockford native Dane Penn’s debut “Ghosts of Departure” EP is slow to start with the opener Come Undone (not to be confused with Duran Duran’s Come Undone). A plaintively strum guitar is joined along the way by some drums with no real tonal distinction (I think there are 3, maybe 4). The drum sounds pulled on this record are very flat sounding and generally lack a sound associated with a traditional kit. That’s fine, I think it works stylistically and is very reminiscent to me of Prairie Prince’s understated drumming on XTC’s fantastic late 90′s album Apple Venus Vol. 1. The raw quality adds an overall empty and barren feel to the entire EP, allowing the other instrumentation to really take up sonic space. Eventually the instrumentation builds into a crescendo  towards the end of the song, but for my taste, didn’t happen soon enough to really hold my interest throughout the tune. On the whole, and as an opening song to the EP, I really feel that it fails to give me the best of what Penn has to offer right from the get go. Not that an opener should be upbeat, I just don’t think it should be 6+ minutes long. Then again, conventions have been broken plenty of times when it comes to songcraft.

The second track “Shaking” might have been a better choice to bring listeners into Dane’s world, if that was the intention. There is a hook there to attract listeners and is a bit more upbeat; I found myself humming the verse the other morning while making breakfast. When a song gets stuck in your head you know there’s something there that is infectious; luckily this was the good kind.

It’s a slow burn throughout most of the album and never really stretches beyond the slower output that some might be accustomed to in the singer songwriter, folkie genre. The lyrical content generally focusses on longing, having, losing, loving, isolation… you know, the usual stuff that gets written about in thoughtful and hushed mid-tempo jams with acoustic guitars. Penn vocal approach is very reminiscent of David Bazan, not the angry and rocking Bazan, but more the early Pedro the Lion output. The waver in his voice lends a sincerity to what he sings while tipping you off to the fact that

“Firing Range”  is the perfect track to place before the closer. Understated and expressive, it does what it should by being the calm before the storm that is the final track “Lady of the Dale”, possibly the strongest song in the bunch.

While not a perfect debut, Dane Penn lays the groundwork for some promising music in the future. Like I said before, the EP is a slow burner that doesn’t blow up but is instead a nice little campfire out in the woods.

You can purchase the album online either at the Cassette Company Records website or at Penn’s Bandcamp page.

Sock Monkey Sound

Wednesday, March 21

I attended a show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre to see a childhood favourite band of mine, Treble Charger.  But it wasn’t a real childhood band favourite, I just like one of their songs, “American Psycho.”

So there I was, going to see this band.  But I was pleasantly blown away by openers, Teenage Kicks.  These guys put on a great show, they sound amazing, they are everything that is rock n roll.  Their performance was also fun to watch because they were having fun and that rubbed off on the crowd.  Teenage Kicks also finished with a mind blowing cover of “Helter Skelter” by The Beatles.

Treble Charger then came on after a nine year break up/break. And it was interesting. The main singer came on stage, probably in his early 40s, and attempted to act as he did in the 90s. I felt embarrassed and left after I heard a recognizable song.

Thursday, March 22

Wow!  I was blown away with Teenage Kicks from the night before and was pumped to see them again.  (I also made plans to hang out with the guys to write a feature on them, which will be coming soon).  So there I was, hanging with Teenage Kicks in their white tour van before their gig at The Hideout.  We did typical rockstar stuff like chill, drink tea and crack jokes.

But their show was fantastic.  Their riffs were heavier than the previous night, the crowd was involved because the venue was smaller and the boys were wild.  I hadn’t seen a good rock n roll band in a while and Teenage Kicks were at the very least, refreshing.  It’s good to know that bands like them are still around and rocking out.  This one is kick ass! “I Get What You Give.”

Friday, March 23

It was my friend’s birthday, so I didn’t attend any CMW stuff.

Saturday, March 24

This was a night full of adventure.  It started late (11pm) and ended late too (4am).

First, I went to The Indies at the Passion Pit play their last song, “Sleepyhead.”

After this, I ventured to the Bovine Sex Club to catch The Dirty Nil.  They went on at 2am and it was like an absolute grunge and thrash orgy.  Their melodies and hooks are still bouncing around in my head.  ”Cinnamon,” and “Fucking Up Young,” were the main jammers for me.  They are a super young band from Hamilton and like the Teenage Kicks, it is cool to see great music coming from the Toronto area.

Sunday, March 25

I am going to see The Temper Trap at the Phoenix and then catch The Elwins at some mexican bar place.  Check back soon to see how these concerts were.  I have a feeling it’ll be another case of a a fun music adventure.

Sock Monkey Sound

Bronsalino put out two quality efforts last year, one being the critically acclaimed “Dr. Lecter” and the other being “Well Done” with Statik Selectah. Both were awesome in their own right. My personal opinion is that “Well Done” was better produced and therefore Action went apeshit on most of the beats. Only one track that had a bit too much of a simp vibe for my taste. It’s kinda tough to maintain credibility when you go from talking about guns and drug money to falling in love with a girl you met in cooking school.

The beats on Blue Chips are kinda simplistic in their production. It seems that Party Supplies’ production aesthetic is more attuned to repetitive loops rather than dynamic beats with more variation in drum patterns and use of samples or synths. For some tracks, this works.  “Hookers at the Point” , the first video off of the mixtape, illustrates when this type of production works well. The first track on the tape however, shows when this type of production doesn’t. The beat on “Pouches of Tuna” feels like an overly long intro to a beat that just never drops. When I listen to the track, it feels lazy. From Bronson keeping his outtake on the track to Roc Marciano’s verse, it just doesn’t seem like a good first impression.

The record moves onto better production and a more dynamic rhymes laced with references to food, professional wrestlers, obscure athletes and the finer things in life. The short length of each track keeps it moving along nicely. Action even addresses the similarities in his vocal tones to Ghostface Killah, whom he has been compared to numerous times. He even goes far enough on “Ron Simmons” to tell listeners  ”Don’t ever say my fuckin’ music sound like Ghost’s shit.” On Wu’s last record, Ghost and Bronson both appear on the track “Meteor Hammer” , where I’m pretty sure Ghost doubled up his vocals to sound different than Action Bronson. He should be honored to be compared to the Wallabee King. Ghost is as ill as it gets.

Overall, this record isn’t great in comparison to his previous joints. “Well Done” was so fucking good that it’s a hard act to follow. It probably would have been smarter to ride the buzz from his last two efforts and chill on putting anything else out for a few months. I dig it, but then again I appreciate his lyricism and put most of the fault on the production of this album. Party Supplies isn’t doing anything new or inventive. His beats don’t make me want to nod my head hard enough to knock my brain out my nose holes. They just kinda fall flat. You can be ill as fuck with the words, but if you’re rapping over some Speak and Spell beats nobody cares. Guru (R.I.P.) was ill as it gets, but GangStarr with out DJ Premier wouldn’t have been the same. Same with Mobb Deep. Havok and Prodigy are raw as fuck but Alchemist brought that shit with every track that made it classic. Plain and simple, Bronson needs a steady producer to take him to the next level and build on his previous efforts.

Personal favorites on the album are “Steve Wynn”, “9-24-11″ and “Intercontinental Champion”. If you haven’t heard him yet, knock this shit a few times then check out “Dr. Lecter” and then “Well Done”. Listen to the record and download it for free here.

Sock Monkey Sound

The Eastwood House likes bikes

What: Warren Franklin, Coping, Direct Effect, You Blew It, and Dowsing

Where: The Clint Eastwood House, Uptown, Chicago

When: A week and 3 days ago

Were you excited to go to a show in Uptown? Very!

I need to get this part out of the way at the top: If you went to this show you probably already heard about how excited I was to attend a house show in Uptown. You probably heard it twice. I was very excited, you guys.  As I have mentioned before, I live in Uptown so some of the excitement was just due to the fact that there was a basement show that was only a 10 minute walk away from my home. Most of the time when I go to house shows in Chicago they’re on the west side in Logan Square or Humboldt Park and I have to spend an hour on a train to get there. This is due to a few socioeconomic factors of each neighborhood.  Uptown has a kind of blighted history. It never fully recovered from the Great Depression which lead to the gangy stuff that most super poor neighborhoods develop. One of the key differences between the growth away from dirt poor violence on the west side and dirt poor violence on the east (as it relates to DIY venues and independent/artistically minded people in general) is that the past 25 years of Uptown growth was mostly stymied by an alderman who didn’t seem to understand the logic behind the idea that it is good for a neighborhood to have some public housing but it should not have all of the public housing (I’m oversimplifying things). This has led to a incredibly prolonged timeline in which there just wasn’t an internal economy in Uptown. Combine that with the architectural trend of having high rises along the lakefront. The net effect was that while Logan Square has long had lots of poor families who live in houses (with basements), Uptown has largely been poor families who lived in apartments, poor single people who lived in apartments, and a shit ton of people in public mid/high rises. On a logistics level It’s a lot easier to rent a house with 4 friends and have secret basement shows than it is to figure out a way to find space for DIY shows in a much less home oriented area.  This has been changing though.  The 46th and 48th wards have new aldermen who have been making a very public show of at least seeming anti-crime, and Mayor Emanuel won’t shut up about the Uptown entertainment district (He even talked President Obama into throwing a party at the Aragon. They drove by my building. It was kind of awesome). This has led to a pretty strong increase in public visibility and a growing trend that finally seems to have tipped as the last two years have seen an increasingly visible stream of young people with jobs who finally realized that there was a place near the lake with decidedly cheaper rent. This is a very long winded way of saying that Uptown finally has the population for DIY shows and I hope more people are able to find the space and desire to engage in such things.

Warren Franklin setting up

This is the last time I’m going to write about Warren Franklin for a while. I’m running out of things to say.  The kid plays everywhere and often.  On this night he was joined by members of The Island of Misfit Toys, Dowsing, and Jesse Carmona (former drummer of The Braves and Crankupmadonna) to play one of his increasingly frequent (and increasingly fun) electric sets. The band was super loose (I think this was a symptom of how muddy the room sound was. All of the bands erred on the sloppy side that night) but it was in a fun way that tended more towards the rambunctious than the unlistenable. The full band version of Franklin’s  ballad, “You Get Weary,” proved to be especially enjoyable, giving some real power and gravitas to a song that was already pretty great.  God damn there were a lot of links in that paragraph.

Basement lighting makes in focus photos difficult

Coping are are post punk/emo band from Chicago, IL. I once compared their pulsing wave of circular note patters to the early 70s fusion work of Miles Davis because I was in an especially goofy mood. They don’t really sound like that but, at their best, Coping acts as a visceral rhythmic force of atonal catharsis.  Unfortunately the super muddy basement got the best of several songs that felt disjointed and slightly off. I would imagine it to be a fairly difficult environment for a band that seems to listen more than it counts.  They also might have been tired. I was tired.

Direct Effect

Direct Effect are a Punk band from Orlando, Florida. They sounded like the past which is my favorite way for music to sound. They swim in the waters of straight up, hardcore punk. No hybrids, no fillers, just the sort of simple, angry punk music that you would find from 80s East Coast Hardcore groups like Agnostic Front and The Abused. It was a set’s worth of brute force that I kind of love. Guitar, drums, bass, some guy shouting. Arrrgggh! If a song was longer than 2 minutes I have since forgotten it. Direct Effect covered Nirvana’s, “Territorial Pissing.” Covering Nirvana can be dangerous for most non high school bands because of obvious reasons.  That was not the case because the song fit in perfectly with Direct Effect’s aesthetic and it turned into a good time shout along.

You Blew It

You Blew It are also from Orlando, FL and were on tour with Direct Effect.  I’ve gotta be honest, by that point in the night I was growing tired of the Sunny Day Real Estate/insert your favorite late 90s Emo influenced music that I used all of my good adjectives to describe back in the Coping section. I’m getting kind of tired of writing about it too. I’m probably going to start seeing a bunch of shows by  garagey, reverb drenched Jesus and Mary Chain clones again.  I wasn’t really feeling You Blew It’s music. I do appreciate the general aesthetic and they executed it somewhat well, but there was just something about their performance that fell flat for me. The big dynamic shifts (be it in tempo or volume) never felt as drastic as was necessary. I felt kind of bored and took some photos of the back of Chris French’s head.

Dowsing makes shit wet

Dowsing is about to receive the same much needed break much needed break that I will be giving Warren Franklin but this show was somewhat significant for me because it was my first chance at seeing them play with their newest member. Chris French (of Joie De Vivre fame) joined the band as lead guitarist a couple of months ago and I was very interested to find out how much of an effect he would have on the band’s sound.  The answer, is, “a little bit.” The guitars were generally more muscular and he added some very nice twinkly lines to my favorite Dowsing song, “Amateur Cartography.”  I consider that to be a worthwhile addition. Dowsing proved, once again, to be a fun blast of energy and an enjoyable way to end a Tuesday evening.

Check out all of the various bands’ Facebook and Tumblr pages for information on upcoming gigs and releases and all of those delightful things.

Visit Uptown if you are in Chicago and would like to buy me a Banh Mi sandwich.

Sock Monkey Sound

New Love Plus soundtrack cover

Love Aurally

To refer to the Love Plus games as simple “dating sims” would be understating the impact the series has had not only sales-wise in Japan, but on the lives of the players themselves. The first iteration of Love Plus was released in 2009 for the Nintendo DS. In the game, you choose one of three high school girls to become your virtual girlfriend. Once you have settled on your high school sweetheart, you can send her emails, call her using the DS microphone, study together, and even “touch” her with the DS touch screen, awkwardly similar to Nintendogs.

The formula was so popular that it inspired a sequel, the beautifully redundantly-titled “Love Plus +.” One of the major additions to this game was a SOS button that a player could use if they were contemplating real life suicide. When pressed, the player’s virtual girlfriend would attempt to talk them out of taking their life. Seriously. With that in mind, it’s not difficult to imagine other ways Love Plus has crept into Japanese society and culture such as man-Love Plus-girl-marriage and resorts that players can attend with their Love Plus girlfriends.

Love Plus is bizarre, fascinating, and honestly, a little bit baffling. It also has some great music, and New Love Plus, the recently released (on Valentine’s Day, of course) 3DS title is no exception. The soundtrack for the game is available as a standard two-disc set  or as part of a 23,980 yen ($290 USD) system bundle (which you had to win a lottery on Konami’s official site to be able to purchase).

The soundtrack opens with an instrumental version of the game’s main theme, appropriately titled メインテーマ (“Main Theme”).  This charming, airy electro-pop track is fun and inviting; a great introduction to the game and soundtrack.

What follows is primarily a collection of subtle piano melodies, for more intimate moments with your girl (emotionally intimate that is; the LP games hold steadfast to a very PG-rated, idealized interpretation of romance). These tracks are good for what they are, but the strongest tracks on the discs, however, are the light guitar numbers. These breezy songs (which sadly are not available on any video sites for sharing purposes at the time of this writing) are somewhat evocative of some PS1-era RPG music and quite welcome. The soundtrack also contains pure sugary synth-pop such as “Imitation Girl” and inexplicably weird tracks like “CARTOON,” but these two CDs are primarily comprised of the aforementioned light piano and guitar melodies.

It’s unlikely that there will ever be an English-language version of Love Plus released (in any official capacity at least; fan-translations do exist). The games are too text-heavy for all but the most Japanese-fluent importers, so most Westerners will never have a chance to experience the strange and intriguing phenomenon of Love Plus. The soundtrack however, is quite a bit more accessible and proof of the universal language of music.

Sock Monkey Sound

Let’s get this part out of the way: Dowsing and Parker are two bands that I have given pretty hearty praise to in the recent past.  That trend will continue in this review because I think the EP is very good. If you don’t care to read me praising the same people, I would stop here (it’s cool. That’s a totally valid viewpoint).

Dowsing and Parker are both rock and roll bands from Northern Illinois (the former from Chicago and the latter from Rockford). Their relationship prior to collaboration of this EP is the sort that one always kind of hopes will lead rock and roll bands to releasing a split EP.  They have played a few DIY gigs together and I assumed shared a couple of late night dinners at pancake restaurants.  Both bands recorded their side with Chris French who now plays electric guitar in Dowsing (but did not appear on the EP) and in the band Joie De Vivre with Parker bassist/singer Brandon Lutmer. Dowsing and Parker would probably describe their comradery as being, “not really best friends. We’re just good friends.” The sort of rock and roll friends that you might release a Split EP with instead of a collaborative album.

This EP is being released by Count Your Lucky Stars Records which pretty much guarantees a couple of things for prospective listeners. First that it will probably sound like the (late) 1990s and, secondly, that it will be emo as shit. That assumption is validated in full.  All four songs are sung to former members of relationships (romantic or friendly) who pulled the trigger on ending said relationship. They’re sung from the perspective of someone who is using control of their own attitude to gain agency after having been rejected.  The seemingly personal details and differing musical approaches of each band are able to make the songs unique listening experiences within the shared themes.

Dowsing’s musical foundation is built upon propulsion and the drive of its rhythm section keeps a healthy sense of motion in these new songs which allows the guitar and vocals to spread out a little. It leaves more room for Delia Hornik’s keyboards to add color and melodic lines in a more active manner than in the songs on Dowsing’s debut EP.  On top of it all, singer Erik Czaja lets loose catchy invectives to an unnamed selfish person. “I’ve got these songs to remind me, that I’m not coming home to you…I hope you’ll choose what’s best for you.” “I think you’ve got more problems than most of the people I talk to.” In credit to Czaja’s performance, it all has enough humor that such lines don’t contain any of the melodrama that one might assume from reading the lyrics. In the manner of life’s best emo songs, the negative spew  works as both a healthy release and a catchy punchline.  Dowsing’s side (which is side A, I assume because of alphabetizing) is a fun little blast (both songs only add up to about 5 minutes) of interpersonal goals and memories of the summer spent drinking, running through sprinklers, and making mistakes that one won’t realize until October when things cool off enough for some introspection. Being 22 is hard, you guys. Let’s shout a bit.

Parker’s side takes a slightly more mature approach to dissatisfaction. They’re more than a season removed from the most memorable drives through the cemetery and beers in the parking lot, and a new summer doesn’t wash away the dispiriting passage of time when you’re always searching.  On, “Make it Home Safely,” Brandon Lutmer sings, “It’s hard to ignore this feeling of quarter life that I’ve had since 19.” as the band churns out the sort of mid tempo palm mutes and jagged octave chords that one alludes to when using a Smoking Popes comparison as a compliment.  The chorus is a catchy shout of someone who is finally recognizing that they can only live up to their own expectations, “You always told me that you like my hair better short. You always told me that you liked me better before. It doesn’t stop me swinging and I can’t stand another summer away from all of this.” The song really hinges on very well executed dynamic musical shifts.  The run of the mill complaints of people getting older are (once again) turned anthemic.

I previously praised the line, “Like your favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt/I have to do the thing I could not do,” on the Warren Franklin sung, “Eleanor Roosevelt,” but really the whole song is pretty great.  The opening line, “I’m sorry I didn’t turn out to be the man you thought I was,” sets the tone of a regretful (seemingly very personal) ballad for someone who has left the singer behind.  I use ballad in the sense of a melancholy indie rock crooner. It’s still noisy and scruffy. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” this song is not.  I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or criticism.  Either way, the harmonized repetitions of, “Good night brown eyes,” and the ways in which guitarist Brian Jaworowski strings little arpeggiated flourishes as the song builds to a strong, plaintive wail over its final third are most impressive.  “Eleanor Roosevelt,” is honestly one of my favorite songs of 2012 (so far at least).

The Dowsing/Parker Split collects the usual themes of Midwestern Emo (loneliness, hurt feelings, singing words that one could never speak, autumnal shit, collectivism, driving with no particular destination) and doles them out in a manner that beckons the listener to share in universal themes of youth and sing along songs.  It’s one of my favorite forms of catharsis.  I heartily recommend that everyone accepts the invitation.

The Dowsing/Parker Split is now available for order from the Count Your Lucky Stars Records web store

You can listen to the EP being streamed at Alter The Press

Sock Monkey Sound

Excuse the brevity. My apologies for the curtness of the message. Pardon the fact that there are only three songs on Louis & The Hunt’s second EP, Crocodile. Please do not be angry with Ryne Estwing, the man behind LATH. What he has put out, on the heels of his debut release (Louis & The Hunt) this time last year, is some of the most promising music of the year. For those who do choose to listen to this 3-song EP, you will understand why I apologize. You will simply want more.

The opening and title track (“Crocodile”) is a journey of images and emotions. A specific theme, or concept, of the song is not really laid out by Estwing, but the feeling of anxiety, loneliness, and fear is buried deep within this track. It may not be until the third or fourth time that one finds out the lyrics resonate with themselves. Allusions allow for multiple interpretations, and the crocodile has always been notorious for his false tears….

Ryne Estwing

Louis and the Hunt has been a side project of Estwing, as his finely crafted songs have come in spurts while he tours with Rockford/Chicago natives Scattered Trees. His band has been a mix of various figures, with members of Scattered Trees filling gaps at times. The mainstay has been Estwing, reaching inwards to express some difficult experiences, and his ability to write music and see parts before the other pieces are even there.

“Okay Alright” is a multi-dimensional song that sounds a bit like Fleet Foxes, the Decemberists and Local Natives. It articulates the pain and realization that maybe everything isn’t okay or all right. The paired qualities of beauty and pain are alluring. The sometimes-faint falsetto masks the bitter and real ache the lyrics are expressing. The drums find a tempo that many people cannot find when going through doubt and lost love. The vocals, somewhat cheery and sing-songy, do not evoke the desire to “not go over there” because, frankly, “it’s dark and I can’t see through those waves.” It seems as if everything is completely fine, right?

To close the record, LATH does a reworking of the last song on his debut release. “The Wolf & I” is, thematically, a more obvious song. Musically, it has a classical feel of sadness, unlike the other two tracks. There is a subtle hint of ending, of fantasy, of exposure. Estwing simply croons, wanting to know “if it’s love” or something else, as he sees his love wandering around. The simplicity of the theme is complicated with classical guitar, sparse drums, accentuating vocals, and a dreamy electric guitar all working in fits and stops perfectly.

The Crocodile is a very promising tease. After a quality debut release, these three songs show that Louis & the Hunt have potential and quality. It haunts and tantalizes, and truly provokes anticipation for what happens next.

Sock Monkey Sound

I’m absolutely fascinated by the man truthfully.  Not because of what he says, so much so as how offended people get by him- acting as though every time he strikes a chord it’s the most shocking thing he could.  He called out Michael J Fox’s shaky TV stem cell research plea as Michael acting and exaggerating his symptoms, he called soldiers who protest the war they are fighting “phony soldiers”, and now, he called Sandra Fluke a “slut” because she testified before House of Representative Democrats during a hearing on contraception.

Ladies and gentlemen, get over it.  Seriously.  It’s time to learn that 99% of what comes out of this man’s mouth is nothing more than pure garbage.  And that goes for both sides of the aisle- Republican or Democrat.  I hold Limbaugh at the same level I hold a Howard Stern, or a Mancow; a business man, who also happens to be an entertainer, who is doing nothing more than trying to get ratings and people to tune into their show.  All of whom will say and do anything to have their voices heard over the airwaves.  Rush Limbaugh makes roughly $40 million dollars a year, and there is a good reason for it.   When things like this happen during his show- people write about him, they support him, they protest him, they email links about him, or post said links on Facebook.  They call him names, they sing his praises, they tune in (whether they like the man or not) just to hear what he might say next.

Yes, Limbaugh calling Fluke a “slut” and “prostitute” is disgusting, shameful,  and incredibly immature- but it’s also brilliant from his business standpoint.  Look at your news feed today, and see how many people have posted about Rush Limbaugh.  You would literally think it’s the only news story in the world that matters.  Honestly, it doesn’t, it never did, and it never will.  I promise you that in the coming years, Rush Limbaugh will say more stupid things, and he will be back to apologize for it sooner than later, but when the sun sets and the next day comes, we are giving good ol’ Rush exactly what he wants- his name plastered everywhere; on Facebook, in emails, text messages, on petitions, in newspapers and magazines, and even us just saying his name in conversation.  Yes Rush, you are the king of the ego driven asses, but you are taking your place in political buffoonery in a big way.

I hate to break it to everyone reading right now, but Rush knows what he is doing.  He knows EXACTLY what he is doing.  People like Rush don’t get where they are because they are tame and reserved.  They get where they are because they are willing to throw themselves into controversy head first, and repeatedly do so for years and years.  People like Rush are willing to be in the middle of a media firestorm because they know ultimately their name becomes either admired or reviled, or both.  Rush isn’t going anywhere, no matter how many advertisers pull- everyone who signs his checks know what they were getting into.  It’s not like this is the first he has said something stupid; I promise you it won’t be the last- and regardless how this situation turns out, there will be multiple other companies willing to sign their name on the dotted line to cash in on Rush’s indecency.  He’s a rich middle aged white guy with a microphone.  They always said even bad press is good press, and at this moment, we are eating it up for Rush.  Take me as proof.  I just wrote an article on him.

Sock Monkey Sound

First off, I’ll take you back to the great year of 1992. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had just released their smash album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and sales were OK, but not great. And then there was the legendary SNL performance. Anthony Kiedis’ voice was out of tune, Flea’s face was covered with a black giant sock-looking object and Chad Smith’s drums were, well, drums. Then there was John Frusciante and his wild guitar and hollering wails of immense pain. In Kiedis’ book, Scar Tissue, he talked of the performance in a negative light because John was out of tune and so was he. But, against all odds, the performance came across as a gem that boosted their record sales through the roof and got them the success they deserved. So this was a performance that made a career.

Now, this next performer is the opposite.  Two words: Ashlee Simpson.  She apparently had a sore throat and therefore decided to lip sync on SNL.  And yes, thankfully she got caught and provided audiences around the world with laughter.  But soon after she got caught, Ashlee Simpson faded from the spotlight of fame and music glory.  This performance killed her career.

And recently, Lana Del Rey gave SNL a shot and completely shit the bed. I mean it, she was absolutely awful and it was pure torture to sit through. She was completely out of tune and sounded like a heavy smoking granny’s take on deep throated tracheostomy noises (an incision in the windpipe/your throat to make breathing easier) – yes, very frightening. However, she sounds fantastic on record and other performances.

So there it is. SNL either breaks or makes a career. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens to Lana Del Rey. Check it out below and see/hear for yourself!

What are some of your favorite worst SNL performances? Tell us in the comments below.

Sock Monkey Sound

The Guardian Legend title screen

Compile Heart.

Multi-genre games have always fascinated me. While somewhat rare today, they were all the rage during the experimental 8-bit era. Games like The Adventures of Bayou Billy and Gundam: Hot Scramble mixed side-scrolling action stages with first person shooting and driving levels. While this was a novel approach (and made for great bullet points on the back of boxes), the result was typically half (or no) fun games, with one gameplay style receiving the bulk of the developer’s polish.

There were, however, some exceptions, and The Guardian Legend is one of them. Developed by shooter masters Compile, TGL combined the intense top-down shooting the company was known for with action-adventure and role-playing elements.

The Guardian Legend begins with your ship (which transforms into a woman named Miria, and vice versa ) shooting aliens and obstacles in standard top-down fashion. Typical of developer Compile, the enemy placement in these stages is excellent and the movement is fast and smooth. After defeating the first boss, the game switches to an action-adventure style, reminiscent of the original Legend of Zelda. After being given an ominous request from a giant supercomputer, the player is left to explore the game world.

The Guardian Legend top-down stage

The computer’s instructions are pretty vague, so there is no real choice but to simply start walking. While there is a sizable amount of exploration and wandering required to progress in TGL, it never feels like a waste of time, thanks to the power-ups and experience points you earn through searching and combat. Eventually you will reach a corridor which leads another top-down shooting stage. Upon completing the stage, more areas in the world are unlocked. This progression is immensely satisfying and continues throughout the entire game.

The computer's message

The Guardian Legend is a challenging title that rewards players with a rich and varied adventure if they put in the effort. The game is innovative, deep, and in many ways, ahead of its time. It is coated with an endearing 80s-anime sci-fi aesthetic (not unlike Sega’s early Phantasy Star titles) and sports an excellent and memorable soundtrack. Unlike many of its multi-genre peers, The Guardian Legend’s mishmash of qualities and styles add up to a well-crafted experience from an underrated developer that I really wish was still around.

Randar, Compile's mascot of sorts, sells the player items and gives the obscenely long passwords required to continue your game in The Guardian Legend.

Sock Monkey Sound

If there was ever a group that reinforced the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” it was Doomtree. My first thought when the group came out onto stage (aside from the fact that superproducer/DJ Lazerbeak looks eerily like SMS podcast host Patrick Delehanty) was to wonder where they had found a bunch of kindergarten teachers at this time of night. Doomtree advertises itself as a Midwest rap collective and it’s obvious when you see them. To quote my friend and concert companion, “They’re just a bunch of dudes.” Still, when the beat drops and they start to rap, you understand why they have a rabid underground following. I can easily say that they put on one of the most entertaining and energetic performances I’ve ever seen.

As I said before, Doomtree has been a group for over ten years. Nothing strengthens a performance like strong relationships. They were all clearly on the same wavelength when it came to the music and seemed to have an almost psychic sense of the other members on stage. These are clearly long-time friends who have made strong creative connections. That feeling of comfort radiated to the audience. It never felt like we were separate from them; we were invited into their flow and their music. Ease in the audience is a large part of having fun at a show. From the beginning, when Lazerbeak emerged wearing a bedazzled #1 fan Cecil Otter shirt after losing a bet over merch, there was no sense of us and them. It was all we.

The group hit the pavement on the heels of No Kings, a release that made my end of the year list for 2011. The album itself covers a wide range musically and showcases each emcee’s style clearly, while still feeling like a cohesive album. It’s an impressive feat to release such a collaborative piece without muddling the individual flavors in the group.

The tour showcased not only songs off of their recent album and their previous self-titled release, but also gave each member stage time for songs from their solo releases. Mixing songs like this had potential to make the show feel too crowded and scatterbrained. Luckily they avoided that, alternating between group and individual songs. Lazerbeak opened the show with a 10 minute DJ set before welcoming the rest of the group out. Solo songs still featured other members on backing vocals, making the songs richer than they had been on record. It was, I believe, the group participation on every song that made the show cohesive and fluid.

One thing that is obvious about the crew is their remarkable talent. P.O.S. is the most well-known of the group, thanks to stellar releases like 2009’s Never Better, and solo female Dessa got the most love from the crowd. Still, there are no token members, and no one is dead weight. Each emcee has a jaw-dropping flow – Mike Mictlan had a verse so fast and so clean that I was actually left speechless – but maintains his or her own style. There really is something for every taste in the group.

Opener Toki Wright, from the Rhymesayers Entertainment label, was a great way to start the show. Namedropped in Doomtree’s Bangarang, Toki was on his first stop as opener on the tour. Right out of the gate, he hyped the crowd up and built energy despite being alone on stage (aside from DJ Gabe Garcia helping to spin beats). His lyrics are smart and socially-conscious. He was clearly elated to be on stage on this first stop and the fact that he was having the time of his life was infectious in the audience.

From powerful rhymes to a room-wide dance competition with the crowd vs. the collective (which featured the most ridiculous dance moves from Sims and Mike Mictlan), Doomtree put on one of the best performances I’ve seen in recent years, if not ever. Their set was polished, the energy was high throughout, their talent was impressive, and, most of all, I had a lot of fun. As they say, “10 years in our lane” and Doomtree knows how to put on a real show.

Click here to check out the rest of the shots from the show!

Sock Monkey Sound

R. Garcia Resurgens cover

DIY Synth-Pop from Atlanta, GA.

With both male and female vocals and long instrumental (electronic) sections, R_Garcia’s Resurgens (Nophi Records) is an interesting and varied record. The album opener, “Seawater,” is a fantastic electro-pop song and easily my favorite on the record. The vivid picture created by the lyrics is matched by a spirited and pulsating beat which together result in a very fun and sincere track.

Other standout tracks include the sweet and poppy “I Was a Feather” and infectious electronic number “Red Line to Shady Grove” (with vocals by recent SMS podcast interviewee NNXT). “The Year 100,000” flips the script and has a total late-70s punk vibe to it, a welcome and enjoyable surprise.

Resurgens traverses many different styles, which results in a record consistent in quality of production, but not necessarily in genre or style. This is actually a strength of the record; as it feels constantly inspired and surprising.

Sock Monkey Sound

The Seattle Times had recently labeled Damien Jurado as the godfather of the folk boom. As an artist who has spent around 17 years writing, touring and creating, it is only fitting that certain honors are bestowed. As a folk forger, Jurado has experimented with various recording techniques, different instruments, and different vocal sounds throughout the years. He had seemingly settled in a niche over his past couple records (St. Bartlett & Caught In the Trees), but Jurado again forces appreciators of “folk” music to remember these simple truths about folk music: It is about people and feelings. Feelings that make one dance, that force a tear, that make you tilt your head and wonder, “what was that?” And like the title track (Maraqopa) states, “All are welcome in.”

In something of a new path, Jurado and longtime friend and producer Richard Swift create a janky, Neil Young rocker, and trippy record. This is not all down to the embellishments of the ever creative and uncorralled Richard Swift, but possibly to the fact that Jurado is now the head chef in an institution he built. He knows the ingredients and knows what can, and will, work. But to create an exciting menu, he needs to have some pizzazz, some spiciness. Swift adds musical delicacies, intricacies and vocal harmonies (especially on “Working Titles”) on some tracks that Jurado has never used on a major release.
A song like “Nothing Is the News” is dissimilar with much of Jurado’s discography. It is bluesy, and convoluted with incoming sounds, much like our lives dealing with incessant streams of information. “Museum of Flight” could be the best Coldplay song ever, but they’re too cheap to write a song like Jurado has crafted. Long-time admirers of Jurado are still shown plenty of love as old themes of social stigmas, pain and nature are spotlighted. However, the difference between Maraqopa and other Jurado records is the recording process. Much like the differences from I Break Chairs to On My Way to Absence, there are noticeable differences in the vocal recordings, the focus on acoustic guitars, the addition of drums and synths.

Maraqopa asks to stand above the clouds, and lose oneself for a moment. Pretend folk music is one guy in a coffee shop, or the populist darling Bon Iver. Pretend its music that one can just listen to. It does not have to be analyzed like drug rock, or glossed over like pop; it can simply exist in time and space in conjunction with life. Jurado leaves you to live your life; he just wants to impart a couple of stories, a couple of feelings. He has few demands. He knows we’ll listen (repeatedly, too).

We are all mountains still asleep.

Sock Monkey Sound

I’m a little late on reviewing Wugazi, but the recent podcast featuring Ian MacKaye, a write up on one of this year’s most talked about mash-up albums only seems fitting.

I grew up listening to both Wu Tang Clan and Fugazi so their material is very familiar. In recent years I definitely listen to more Wu, but then again Ghostface comes out with a new album every six months and Argument came out when I was a senior in high school. Do the math.

Hip-hop and punk (well, post-punk or whatever the hell you want to call it in this case) constantly fought for my attention as an adolescent and still do as an adult.  When I first heard people going apeshit about how good of a mash-up this album was, I was skeptical. I figured if I really wanted to listen to Wu or Fugazi, I’d just throw on Repeater or 36 Chambers and that would be that. My experience with mash-up albums is that they’re usually pretty boring. Maybe I haven’t listened to enough of them, but I often liken a mash-up to watching the Wizard of Oz while listening to Pink Floyd. Sure, it’s kinda neat if you’ve taken a few bong rips but at the end of the day, I’d rather just keep each classic separate. Plus that kinda shit is for hippies and as Jack Donaghy once wisely quipped, “Never go to a second location with a hippie”.

A few of my friends had played “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me” while we were hanging out and I wasn’t too impressed. Therefore, I didn’t go out of my way to listen to the rest of the album.  A few days ago when I was asked to do a write up on it, I figured it wouldn’t kill me to hear what the buzz was all about. I listened to the album from front to back and was surprisingly impressed. The familiar verses from my favorite Wu-Tang tracks and the defining sound that Fugazi carved out go hella well together. Both groups undeniably had such a large impact on their respective genre so it’s appropriate that their music be weaved together so seamlessly.

Each track was a great amalgamation. I respect the hell out of the amount of work that had to go into making such a great sounding mash-up album. There were even a few verses from some of the more obscure Wu tracks that I had forgot about. One in particular was Ol’ Dirty’s verse from “Ghetto Superstar” off of the Bulworth soundtrack. In retrospect, it was a very well crafted verse and more than appropriate for the original track. When it first came out, I thought it was kinda cheesy, but watched the video when it came on because Mya was hot. It goes even better right along side GZA instead of Pras, that one guy from The Fugees who didn’t do anything after they broke up. Seriously, what the hell happened to that guy after The Fugees?

Overall, I really liked what I heard as I was listening to the album and it definitely showed me that mash-up albums can be great if done properly. The album is actually the brainchild of Cecil Otter, who is a part of the hip-hip group Doomtree from Minneapolis and Swiss Andy, who I’ve never heard of. My only gripes with the album is that I’m so used to hearing some of the tracks in their entirety that when the verses are different or some of Ian MacKaye’s lyrics are weaved into the track, my expectations aren’t met. “The Mystery of Chessboxin’” is one of my favorite fucking raps songs of all time. So, on “Another Chessboxin’ Arguement” when the chorus comes up and I expect to hear Method Man and instead hear Ian Mackaye, it’s a bit weird. Don’t get me wrong, “Argument” is a great song, but it just doesn’t seem right to hear that track any other way.

The tracks that most caught my attention were “Sweet Release” and “Shame on Blue”. If you even remotely like listening to either Wu-Tang or Fugazi, I’d recommend giving the album a listen.

Sock Monkey Sound

Metroid (NES)

Beyond The Call Of Duty

In response to the… um, interesting Guinness World Record list of top 50 game endings, I was compelled to create my own list of what I feel are the greatest video game endings ever. The endings on this list vary greatly in tone and presentation. The modern games have lavish, movie-like production, while games from the 8-bit era may only be a few static screens and some text. Whether incredibly moving, humorous, shocking, or just plain bizarre, each ending selected for this list is definitely memorable to me in its own way.

A quick comment before we begin: obviously this list is flawed. It is comprised solely of my opinions and is by no means meant to be a definitive statement on the subject. In my 29 years, I’ve finished a lot of games, but not everything, and as a result, many games (and entire genres) are absent from the list.

Finally, thanks to Chris and Kevin for your input and suggestions. I would have totally forgotten Cyber-Lip and Bad Dudes if it wasn’t for you Two Crude Dudes. 

50. The Conduit 2 (Wii)

49. Parappa the Rapper (PS1)

48. Vanquish (PS3/360)

47. Shining Force (Genesis)

46. Wing Commander III (PC)

45. Tekken 3 – Paul’s ending (PS1)

44. Dead Space (PC/PS3/360)

43. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

42. Cyber-Lip (Neo-Geo)

41. Street Fighter 2 – Zangief ending (Arcade)

40. Mortal Kombat 4 – Jax Ending (Arcade)

39. Bionic Commando (NES)

38. Golden Axe (Arcade)

37. Bad Dudes (NES)

36. ICO – Watermelon ending (PS2)

35. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

34. Bayonetta (360)

33. Mega Man 3 (NES)

32. Resident Evil – Best ending (Gamecube)

31. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PC/PS2/Gamecube/Xbox)

30. Chrono Cross -Best ending (PS1)

29. Phantasy Star IV (Genesis)

28. Tekken 3 – Mokujin (PS1)

27. Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

26. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (PS1)

25. Portal 2 (PC/PS3/360)

24. Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty (PS2/Xbox)

23. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

22. Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)

21. Silent Hill 2 – Dog ending (PS2/Xbox)

20. 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors – All endings (DS)

19. We Love Katamari (PS2)

18. Doom (PC)

17. Resident Evil 3 (PS1)

16. Phantasy Star II (Genesis)

15. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

14. Shenmue (Dreamcast)

13. Metal Gear Solid – Meryl ending (PS1)

12. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)

11. Silent Hill 2 – Water ending (PC, PS2, Xbox)

10. Final Fantasy VIII (PC, PS1) – Despite the story in the game being a bit of a mess, FFVIII’s ending is incredibly satisfying. The excellent use of music and some of the most beautiful CG of the time combine to make this ending quite memorable.

9. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox) – This borderline anarchic ending encourages players to turn off the TV and take to resisting any and all authority. The last moments of the ending even hint at a sequel, which sadly will likely never come.

8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) – An ending longer than many feature-length films, MGS4′s ending contains more plot and twists than most games in their entirety. It’s a lot to take in and somewhat exhausting, but wraps up nearly all of the series’ dangling plot points in a surprising and satisfying manner, which is no small feat for a series as complicated as Metal Gear.

7. Super Metroid (SNES) – The surprising and touching ending really begins during the last battle, and represents some of the medium’s best visual storytelling.

6. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – Love Lost Ending (Wii/PS2/PSP) - I still remember my stomach dropping when the “twist” of the game hit, and thinking about it for days afterwards. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy) – Despite the primitive hardware, this bittersweet ending still packs a significant emotional punch.

4. Chrono Trigger – Developer ending (SNES) - The coolest of 13(!), this ending allows the player to walk around and chat with members of the “Dream Team” that created this RPG masterpiece.

3. Final Fantasy IX (PS1) – Classy and theatrical (literally), this is the high point of storytelling in the Final Fantasy series.

2. Metroid (NES) – It’s impossible to overstate how shocking and revolutionary this ending was at the time. In the mid 80s, human protagonists in games were simply always male (that is if the game even had a human protagonist). Naturally, players assumed that the entire time they were controlling Samus that it was a dude under that suit, but completing the game in under five hours revealed that Samus was actually a woman. Far from a mere twist, this reveal not only changed players’ perceptions of the game, but of the medium in general.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) – Utterly heartbreaking without being overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative, the end of Metal Gear Solid 3 adds an unforgettable layer of depth to Big Boss, the antagonist of the original 8-bit Metal Gear. Expertly crafted and packed with plot, heart, sincerity, and subtext, the ending of MGS 3 is simply the most profound ending to a game that I have ever experienced; a true reward for the journey.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)

Sock Monkey Sound

But that is just what I am getting at.  Whitney Houston’s death, much like Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson, is not shocking by any capacity of the mind.  We are talking about artists that were openly admitting to being abused, both physically and verbally, being exhausted, feeling used, and taking in their dark moments.  And I am not trying to take away the fact that all of the artists were insanely talented, it was the only thing in size that beat their stardom.  But when you get to THAT level of fame, and the entire world is watching you, especially when you’re in the beginning stages of a comeback, or taking your final bow, we (the rest of the world) tend to forget that this is not like returning to work after being sick for a couple of days.

Imagine that, being called a legend while you’re alive.  Let that sink in for a few seconds.  Now, imagine every where you go there is a camera going off, someone yelling your name.  Imagine having your name being critiqued with everything move you are making.  Imagine having that word hanging over your head while you are trying to live your life- “legend”.  The entire world knows your name, your face, your family life, your details, and what you are doing at the exact moment.  People believe at that moment that they have the right to rip you apart because they gave you that title- they gave it to you.  People are weak, we aren’t made to take the entire world on our shoulders and carry it, trying to please everyone else in the process of our actions.

We beat the living hell out of Amy Winehouse, panning every single show she did as something that was horrifyingly bad.  Let me show you a video…

We take Whitney Houston’s 2010 shows as a comparison to that of her days of youth, and walk out on it…

I remember watching the videos of Amy Winehouse after her death, when she was doing a string of comeback shows.  It was obvious- she didn’t want to be there, and I don’t know if the fact that she was completely tore up was what made me feel that way, but watching her slur through songs, nearly falling with almost every movement, I can’t believe no one walked on stage and took her off of it.  I can’t believe no one cancelled that tour.  What is even more devastating is that those videos will be her legacy.

We are seeing this with Whitney.  Her legacy is going to be a series of YouTube videos that show her being walked out on, hitting bad notes, and all in the fear (of I am assuming her and obviously her record company, and as of Amy in her scenario) of losing money and fame.  We forget that these are people like you and I, that take on problems that only a very rare, chosen few will ever get the chance to even remotely comprehend.  While we have superiors in the form of a boss, they have millions of people, millions of dollars, and people pulling them in 89 different directions in one decision, watching them.  This isn’t shocking anymore that people are dying like this, especially those in positions of fame and exposure.

We see these people as strictly talent, and that’s fine, that’s their job to “entertain” us.  But we forget when we throw money at people that they aren’t that anymore- people.  We want perfection, we want flawless, we want to see ideal, and why?  Because we can’t achieve it ourselves- no one can.  Let me repeat that- NO ONE CAN ACHIEVE PERFECTION.  But you can bet when our money is involved, you had better be perfect, and not make one mistake.  We don’t care about the person standing in front of us anymore at that point- we care about our perceptions and how much we paid for it.  While I am not blaming our perceptions solely on the reason that these people have died- we definitely played a helping hand in how these people saw themselves, and why they were driven to this point.

While we remember Whitney Houston and the truly awesome talent she had (and don’t let your masculinity hide your appreciation for that voice, you’re an idiot if you do), and we state over and over again how true that statement is, let’s ease up on each other- fame or none.  Tragic and saddening, but let’s be honest everyone, it’s not surprising at this point, and it’s just as sad that that is a reality in reaction.  Cheers Whitney.

Sock Monkey Sound

Like a villain breathing down the neck of an unsuspecting victim, The Woman In Black comes that close to what a horror movie should be. Screenwriter Jane Goldman (who has writing credits for X-Men: First Class, Stardust, and Kick-Ass) adapts Susan Hill‘s novel about a city lawyer who is assigned to travel to the country to arrange the affairs of a haunted country estate. The material is then handed to director James Watkins, who does a decent job, but is seemingly hindered by his lack of directing experience. Credit for the movie being as good as it is goes to the casting director (Karen Lindsay-Stewart) and Cinematographer (Tim Maurice-Jones)

While the accomplished actors in the film give stunning performances given the material they had, this is a best role for none of them. The previews are capitalizing on Daniel Radcliffe to sell the movie. In a way, it was a positive. He gave a good performance, really. He copes well with a lack of dialog, making me think that he might be a good actor outside of his Harry Potter fame. However, every time he spoke all I could think was, “Oh, yep, that’s Harry Potter.”

Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman in Black

The setting is absolutely breathtaking. The estate is on an island in the marshes (conveniently) cut off during the tide. There is also (conveniently) fog, which adds to the creepiness of the run-down estate. The writers didn’t rely on dialog to move the story along, letting the visual aspects of the film carry the story in most parts. Rather than slow the story down, this was a strong choice to emphasize the loneliness of the characters and the isolation of the location.

At final count, there was one, single, lonely, jump-out-of-your-skin moment. It was a great one, but the single moment of fear didn’t permeate into the whole film. The story was generally interesting and kept me wondering where they were going to go next, even though it seemed incomplete.  There’s a whole backstory on why the house is haunted and why these strange things are happening. The movie touches on it, but that’s about it. It got on my nerves that I knew there was an interesting backstory and not know anything else about it. Overall, I was left with a feeling that they picked the wrong pieces to include in the movie.

I can’t shake the feeling that this movie could have been so much better. It had all the elements, they just didn’t come together in the right way in the right time. People will still go see it because, as my friend put it: “Yeah, but it’s Daniel and there are ghosts, so obviously I can’t not see it.”

This story has been a book, a play, a TV movie and now a major release. Maybe it’s time to just call it quits.

Sock Monkey Sound

Jake Orrall of JEFF The Brotherhood at the Kool Haus in Toronto on February 7, 2012.

Tuesday night in Toronto, rock was stripped and brought back to its utmost basics and faces melted at the mere sight and sound of it.

Guitar licks were fat and distorted, vocals were melodic swirls and snarls, and the drums pounded away.  And yes, that’s right, there was no BASS.

First up, guitar and drum brother duo, JEFF the Brotherhood was up.  All was black, then clouds of smoke poured from the stage and engulfed the audience.  A strobe light ignited and then the rock kicked off.

Lead singer and guitarist, Jake Orrall, was an absolute master of the guitar using swirling sound effects and fuzz.  He was also wearing a purple velvet blazer – the clothes matched the sounds!

Jamin Orrall JEFF The Brotherhood drums at the Kool Haus in Toronto on February 7, 2012.

Drummer Jamin Orrall was on count the entire set and when the duo went into long instrumental jams, his arms were nothing but blurs.

Although the band’s set was short, they made up for it with the quality of their songs and their delivery.  Jake was always getting close to the audience and occasionally swigging from his glass and Jamin got up to talk to the audience at one point.

The boys played their hits “Shredder” and “Bone Jam” and for their last song, Alison Mosshart from The Kills came on stage and the three musicians blew the roof of the place.

It was a great way to end a killer set.

Alison Mosshart of The Kills plays a brief guitar bit at the Kool Haus in Toronto on February 7, 2012.

The Kills were on after JEFF the Brotherhood and also played a great show.  But the main event for me was JEFF the Brotherhood – they played their hearts out and it was a billion times better than I had anticipated.

Sock Monkey Sound