So I'm gonna talk about music now...

It's pretty simple. I'm going to listen to my entire library. It's a lot of shit, and I still haven't gotten to all of it. In order to not get bored of listening to extended discographies of one artist, I'm doing it in alphabetical order by album. First thing that pops up is Absolution by Muse. Here's my review below:

Muse is my favorite band. This album has my favorite song on it. If this review's a little too glowing, don't hold it against me. Absolution is often referred to as Muse's "heavy" album. I can see that, but I feel like it's much more than that. It's a really important album in the development of the band, the stepping stone between the earlier way-too-radiohead-influenced (never REALLY a bad thing) Muse to the epic-stadium-filling Muse we know today. I feel like the classical influences come through VERY strongly in this album, particularly in songs like Apocalypse Please, Stockholm Syndrome, and Butterflies in Hurricanes. Overall, it is a very mature album, possibly their most mature; although BH&R and the Resistance have more concise songwriting, the overt stadium rock moments of those albums definitely take the albums in a different direction. Absolution contains some of my favorite baselines from fellow bass tone whore and effects junky Chris Wolstenholme, including what I honestly feel is the most badass bass line of all time: Hysteria. Loved by bass players, hated buy Guitar Center workers (though not as much as Sweet Child O Mine, I'm sure), it's a kickass line, and the tone Chris achieves on it has been the subject of heated discussion on many a bass forum. As a bassist, it's a small wonder that this is my favorite Muse song by a longshot.

The strongest element in this album, to me, is the interplay between the bass and the guitar. Many of the riffs on this album are constructed such that if you remove either element, the song falls apart. I love this style of writing; while there's something to be said for songs that can just be hammered out with an acoustic guitar and a singer, all of my favorite bands write songs which require different elements working in harmony to create music. I feel like that's the ideal situation for a band to be in: bass and guitar playing different but complementary riffs to form a badass combination. A prime example of this to me is Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist, where Chris's straight roots baseline allows Matt Bellamy (guitar/vocals) to do a more interesting arpeggiated guitar line on top of it.

Anyway, I warned that this review would be glowing. Hopefully I didn't blind you with my fandom.

PS I'M SEEING THEM ON SATURDAY IN NYC FUCK YEAH.

PPS Peace out bitches.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Dumbass

This is just brilliant. GOP congressional candidate Rich Iott likes to pretend he's a nazi. For someone with political aspirations, it's probably not a good idea to be photographed in nazi regalia. Ever. Hell, it's probably not a good idea for anyone with any aspirations of working anywhere other than Kwik-E-Mart for the rest of their life. People find that shit.

What's Wrong With the World?

Reading the news is really not good for my mental health. Like the secret old man I am, I spent a good bit of my day surfing the New York Times website, reading up on gay abuse in New York, anti-islamic groups in Tennessee, and fueling my hatred for the political system in our lovely little melting pot. For some reason, I'm drawn to the most depressing and fucked up articles, and reading that shit gives me a really bleak outlook on humanity. I guess that just makes me a typical consumer of free information; it's no wonder news sources tend to focus in on the darker pieces of humanity. I'd like to think that there are some articles that focus on the bright side of life, but honestly, I don't know anyone who'd read them.

Sorry for not making this post funnier, but honestly, I'm not in the mood. People need to stop being so fucked up. Is it really that hard?

Me and Mr. T

If there's one thing me and B.A. Baracus have in common, it's this. I despise flying more than most people can imagine. It's cramped, it's noisy, it's impossible to sleep through (which is probably the number one thing that puts it above math class for me), and most of all, I'm fucking 6'3". Now, I know I'm only beating the cremated ashes of the dead horse that is complaining about flying, but you'd complain too if you were a large impatient teenager crammed into an airplane seat meant for a twelve year old sitting behind the one guy on the plane who simply WILL NOT give up his ability to recline those extra three inches in his seat. Seriously, it's THREE FUCKING INCHES. Those three inches of reclining space do not make the flight any more bearable; in fact, I think they're just a punishment tool put in place by airline companies who hate tall, handsome young teenage men.

All that in mind, it probably didn't help that this was how I reacted to this mans forced reclination.

Now, for something completely different, listen to Opeth. If you're at all into metal, and honestly, ever if you aren't, they're fucking amazing. Here are some links to some videos of theirs.

Peace out bitches.

On E-Cookies and Such

I'm disappointed in the number of people who tried to get my e-cookie (nobody tried to get my e-cookie). The answer was: I don't have a goddamn New Years Resolution. New Years Resolutions are fucking stupid. It's not the practice of making goals that I'm against; shit, the only way I EVER get anything done is by sitting down and setting a goal for myself. My beef is with the nature of the "New Years Resolution". In my experience, a New Years Resolution is a sweeping, general idea for some kind of vague "self-improvement". And that's completely moronic. It just gives people yet another way to feel self-righteous. "Oh, my New Years Resolution is to lose weight. I'm such a good person because I'm all healthy and shit." Boo. Most people have enough outlets for self-righteousness assholery anyway.

With all that in mind, I'm going to take this opportunity to shamelessly pimp my band and our hilarious new vlog post. Go. Watch it. Laugh hysterically. Listen to our music. Tell your billionaire record-company-executive friends.

Thank God That's Over

I fucking hate the Christmas Season. I hate the stupid sweaters, the tacky decorations, and most of all, the terrible music. It's all too goddamn major and/or Jesus-y. I'm not into that shit. I'm all for a little bit of "perky" every once and a while (see: the Flaming Lips), but when it's mixed in with the schlocky, the tacky, and the overplayed, it becomes utterly unbearable. The only Christmas music that comes close to being bearable is the stuff Elvis did in the 50s and Handel's Messiah, which, shock and awe, is actually for Easter. And that Elvis stuff gets old quick. Still, there is one aspect of Christmas that my selfish, consumerist, proto-libertarian self does enjoy: the free shit. And boy did I get some nice loot this year. Money, iPhone, new goddamn bass, wah pedal, some interesting books; put it all together and I made out like a goddamn bandit.

But that's enough about everyones favorite bastion of consumerism. It's 2010, and I'll give you a whole e-cookie if you can figure out what my resolution was. I feel like I should talk about the past year or something. About how 2009 was some kind of "Year of the X" or how "Event Y" will shape 2010. The thing is, I don't see much that's significant about this year. I turned 18, Obama "fixed" the economy, Avenged Sevenfold's drummer died, Republicans were morons, Democrats were morons, and life just kind of went on. Next year, I'll turn 19, politicians will still be morons, and I don't know what the fuck the economy will do. But that's not important. It's 2010, bitches. Pour yourself a goddamn beer, you survived.

Peace out, bitches.

Cafeteria Food

It kind of sucks. Especially when your vegan. Which is why I'm pretty fucking happy that my mother dearest is coming out to Boston to see my final performances at Berklee. I'm definitely gonna have to figure out what the fuck I'm going to do if (hopefully when) I go here for college. I'm probably going to try and find a way to cook at home, but I don't know how possible that'll be, especially if I get a dorm without any kind of kitchen area.

I feel like I should try and sum up the Berklee experience in this post, but it's not even really finished. I've learned so much, I love this town, and I love this school. I've got some serious work to do, but I think I could really thrive here. I feel like I'm better at college than I am at high school. I don't know how many other people are like that, but it just feels so much better when I can arrange my own life; I feel like I can get a lot more done.

Anyway, I've got to shower and shave and make it look like I've been keeping up with myself while I'm up here.

Peace out bitches.