2008 Top 10.

1.) Work

I'm really surprising myself with the way this list turned out. It's a good exercise in assessing your year and how you've grown since years past. This is probably the biggest surprise. I could devote an entire blog and them some to everything that's whack when it comes to my job and the place I work, best believe. But aside from what I do and how we operate, having a steady and serious job with significant responsibility is good for my soul and occasionally leaves me feeling rewarded and self fulfilled at the end of the day. I've sort've realized that it's not whether or not you have a the job you went to college for RIGHT AWAY out of the gate but whether or not it enriches your core. Plus the salary is a nice upgrade from last year. We'll see what 2009 has in store for my "career."

2.) It's Alive

For all intents and purposes, this should have the number one slot. It's what keeps me looking for light at the end of the road. Without this band I would have next to no creative outlet, and nothing to really strive for from the heart. We've spent the year writing music I'm really proud. We'll be saying goodbye to '08 with a tribute set to one of our all time favorite's Integrity, and at the beginning of this new year, we'll be laying the new tracks down on wax to share our best with the masses. The icing on the cake is working with Reaper Records, the realest and hottest label on the rise in hardcore today. It's a big push forward from there.

3.) s.Bo

If and when she reads this she'll ask why she isn't no. 1. Which is what's great about her haha. So here's a nod and a wink on the personal, livejournal tip to SEB, her cat with three legs, and all the fun we've had in '08.xo

4.) Trapped Under Ice - Stay Cold

What can I say about this 7" that hasn't already been said? Hard? Check. Heavy? Check. Catchy and attitude filled? Check. It's the complete package and the most promising hardcore release I've heard since American Nightmare's debut EP. This band cannot be stopped and I'm siked to be label mates with Baltimore City's golden goose egg.

5.) iPhone (and going all Apple in '08)
This summer I bit the bullet and made the monetary plunge into getting an iMac. I haven't looked back since. iMac, iPod, and lastly the iPhone make the trifecta complete. I was doing alright with the Sidekick (still love it, would be my no. 2 choice), but everything flows so well in the iWorld I had to round everything out. Believe the hype, the iPhone will be the phone in which all others are compared to for YEARS. Blackberry, Trio, Google G1, none come close.

6.) The Dark Knight

I've never went so nerd over a new movie as I did for the Dark Knight. I think I followed sneak peaks, news, rumors, set photos, and just about everything else from the first time I saw the teaser trailer to the midnight showing I hit up in the less than awesome local theatres to ensure a ticket. Best movie of '08.

7.) Ghostface Killah
If there was any dispute that Ghostface was not only the most consistent member of Wu, but one of the best emcee's in the rap game right now, the man himself put it to rest in '08. He managed to release another great album (The Big Doe Rehab), a hilarious and entertaining spoken word CD/coffee table book, and brought the house down at Skidmore College (of all places) in the best live hip hop performance I've seen yet.

8.) Step Brothers

This is my runner up to the Dark Knight. High re watch value on easily one of Will Ferrell's best performances to date. This one was worthy of purchase on the day of release.

9.) The Cheesecake Factory
See the previous post for added proof. This may be why I'm carrying a little extra around with me this year.

10.) Metallica - Death Magnetic

You can refer to my whole tirade on this album and the critical responses surrounding it a few posts back. All critiques, hate, and love aside, personally, I think it's great to get some material from one of the greatest metal band's of all that isn't immediately worth discarding. Save your nostalgic claims of it being a tribute to what the band once was, I'm tired of hearing it.

Peace, love, and Reincarnage

K.

What's been spinning.

Here's some stuff I've been listening to lately...

Integrity - Walpurgisnacht 7""


Killer 2 song 7'' from one of the all time greats, and one of my all time faves. Hopefully this is a good indication of where the next full length (The Blacket Curse) is headed. It reminds me A LOT of Seasons in the Size of Days, which in my opinion is a sorely underrated album in the Integrity catalogue. I would go as far as to say "Seasons..." is no. 2 if I had to rank my favorite Integrity records. Anyway, I get the same drilling, industrial-tinged metallic hardcore out of this 7'' as I do on the aforementioned full length. The riffs are very rigid and uniform when compared to classic Integrity like Systems Overload or Those Who Fear... The recording quality is top-notch, especially in the guitar tones, and the drums, which are nice and crisp. Plenty of eerie sampling and mellow interludes make for a good listen even though it's only two (albeit) lengthy songs. Definitely not something to skip over if your an Integrity fan.


Hammer Bros. -The Kids Are Dead
Simply put, this record is HARD. This is Merrimac Valley's pride and joy as far as I can understand. I've heard of these guys before but decided to check them out after stumbling upon the MVHC myspace page. This is no trick, basic, but very well written HARDcore. My favorite part of this record is how hard the vocals sound, which just add to the overall vibe of the record, as opposed to trying to keep up with the heaviness of the riffs. I'd love to catch these guys live.

Sadat X - Generation X

This is a nice break for me as far as the type of hip hop I've been listening to over the past 6 months or so. It has the indie vibe a little bit, mostly in Sadat's characteristic voice and delivery (think Pharaohe Monch), but not so much in the beats which is a huge plus for me. The first few tracks are solid repeats and the momentum carries throughout the rest of the album, which strains slightly in quality and substance but still manages to finish strong off the energy of the first 4 or 5 tracks. Definitely seek it out if you've enjoyed his previous releases, Brand Nubian albums, or Pharaohe Monch.

Honorable Mentions:

Bad Seed - Demo. Wasn't really feeling this at first but gave it another visit after seeing they've built some momentum and buzz. Pretty good Madball influenced start. Relistenable for the vocal pattern in the 2nd song verses alone, nice and tight.

Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes. Caught these guys on some double header type show in Albany a few months ago. Madball played upstairs, good time. This record is tight and well rounded but they're definately MUCH better live so if you have a chance to check them out, do so!

Coldplay - Viva la Vida. See post below.

I used to hate Coldplay.

For the longest time I couldn't get passed this bands seemingly drab songs that all appeared to sound the same. They never really called upon any livelihood or energy, and were the soundtrack to the lives of deep individuals and a gateway into more obscure music of the same category that pathetic souls used as a "soundtrack to their lives." Gimmie a fuckin' break with that shit. Your life is not an iPod commercial or an awkward romantic comedy starring Micheal Cera, shut it down.



Anyway, enough of the rant. With the iron stomach that I have I was able to give Coldplay's latest album a test run and it's AWESOME. Way more early U2 influence, which is welcomed since U2 either stopped making records or stopped putting out good ones. I also hear influences ranging from Woody Guthrie to Sting, especially in the song "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love."

Definitely check out "Viva la Vida" if you hated Coldplay before. If you absolutely hate this as much as the previous albums, you can write them off forever and give me a Joe Rockhead*

(* Term courtesy of Buncocky Cast)

Why I can't stop listening to 'Death Magnetic'

Over the last few weeks, while I listen to Metallica's new album non-stop (hopefully we'll figure out why later in this post), I've attempted to explain my reasoning and logic as it stands towards the almighty 'tallica dude. Simply put, I'm too young to revel in the hatred spawned by diehard Metallica fans. The same hatred that has consumed the band's reputation and put them on the proverbial chopping block, just waiting for the sharperned axe of true metalheads to come smashing down, has missed me by 3 or 4 years.

I was only 6 years old when the "black album" came out. I wasn't nearly a true music fan until at least 14 or 15. That gives me 7 years of indifference on what many see as Metallica's turning point record towards a shittier, watered down, less abrasive style. Being that they rode the commerical success of this album for just over 5 years, I had a chance to catch the final wave of hysteria that surrounded this material before 'Load' was released and metal fans across the world burned their Metallica shrines. I remember when I was younger and seeing old re-runs of the Enter Sandman video and thinking it was pretty cool. At this point in my musical life it went something like this.....see cool video/hear cool song on the radio in dad's truck >>>> buy album with allowance based on liking a singular song >>>>play singular song in room and (sometimes) explore the tracks surrounding that radio hit. This more or less translates to file the "black album" CD between L.L. Cool J's 'Mama Said Knock You Out,' and Montell Jordan's 'This is How we Do It.' What I'm saying is, Metallica's prime years were long gone before I was even to set foot on the path of having a definitive taste in music.

It puts the age thing in perspective to hear my older friends experience's with Metallica. Hearing of older friends sitting around the TV with their friends after a day in high school with their jaws dropped watching the "One" or "Enter Sandman" the minute they debuted (in either wonderment or awe), versus me catching old re-runs on countdown lists picking my nose in my pajamas.

As I grew up and my musical expanses became more vast, I settled into the Punk/Hardcore scene, and almost as a pre-requisite, was encouraged by the scene and many friends personally to go back and check out the glory albums. The real Metallica: (Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, ...And Justice For All). Holy shit. This really was like an entirely different band. The sound, the energy, the vibe, the mood....everything was different. Bear in mind this was during the Load/Reload/Hiatus years so I quickly followed suit and wrote off anything after '88 like everyone else.

My favorite Metallica album, to this day, is still 'Master of Puppets.' It has everything a Metallica album should have. Grueling speed, riding riffs with the occasional key change within, long epic thrashing, deranged lyrics, and enough eerie moody parts to change the tone every once in awhile. Abandoning the risk of sounding overly pretentious, it's like an experience.

Still, while everybody else with a real ear for hard, heavy, and fast stuff hated Metallica for the next 12 years, I sort've said back quietly, spun mostly 'Master' and 'Justice' and kept an eye out hoping someone with influence and power in THA BIZZ went to them in confidence and spoke for the millions of fans scratching their heads..."WRITE LIKE YOU KNOW HOW!" "Give up trying to reinvent the wheel, people want 10 Ride the Lightnings."

The release of "Some Kind of Monster" and "St. Anger" furthered the divide between reputable Metallica and an all-out joke. I'm not going to try an argue against the general consensus on either of these projects, that being total over-the-top ridiculousness (save for the entertainment and re-watch value of the movie for me).

When news broke of a new album in the works, with Rick Rubin at the board, speculation and rumors flew from the mouths of freelance critics. People were expecting to hate it, expecting it to promise change and a return to classic Metallica with an inevitable let down. A friend of mine got a leaked copy and I convinced to play it on a trip down to NYC (he had swore it off already). It definitely sounded different upon first listen. I didn't love it right away, and it didn't sound like old Metallica, but it wasn't bad enough to not seek it out for myself to rummage through on my own time upon returning from vacation.

It's been about 3 weeks since I've had my own copy. And I can't stop listening to it. It's not a failed promise at old Metallica. It's the fast and shredding awesomeness of old albums with the carefully picked and placed elements of newer Metallica intertwined within. If people actually went through Load and to a lesser extent reLoad (everyone agrees St. Anger was a turd), they would find a lot of cool blues and southern rock inspired guitar work, improved lyrics, and a cool vibe separate from the original feeling of Metallica. This album takes that vibe and combines it with much better songwriting inspired by the older albums. The vocals are a bit lacking, they could be harsher and less auto-tuned, but the songs are long again, the solos are back, and the riffs stick in your head. The songs are emotional and set a mood without being whiny, pretentious, or emo. The first five tracks floored me, my favorite being "All Nightmare Long." "Cyanide" is easily skippable, but I even love "The Unforgiven III." Sue me. The last three tracks sound rushed and I feel like they could've done a better job with them, but overall it's stayed in heavy rotation for the better part of two months.

People are really stretching to hate this album. The whole complaint of how it's mixed and mastered is a reach to say the least. Shut up, basically. It's loud because it's Metallica! Who cares about the context in which it's loud and the "loud wars" with shitty contemporaries. It's funny to me that music snobs and those with "impeccable" taste are concerned with how the album is mixed in relation to the rest of the music biz...these are the same people who take pride in distancing themselves from commercial and mainstream music altogether.

I guess it all comes back to my age and "era." I was too young to be the awkward metal kid amidst the jocks in high school who clung to his copy of Kill 'Em All. I don't hold new Metallica to the standards of their older albums. I hold Metallica to the standards of what I enjoy. The closest thing to Metallica that I really listen to on the regular is probably Mastodon, or even Down (with the connection being the southern inspired riffs and moody parts). And I hear a huge similarity between the new Down and latest Mastodon albums and 'Death Magnetic.' It fits in nicely, and I'm at an age where I can enjoy old Metallica albums almost as a separate band with no sentimental attachment to that era. I don't think of what used to be for Metallica because I never experienced it in the first place, and I'm not going to front like I did, and be a younger kid writing off new Metallica.

I can respect older heads not bothering with 'Death Magnetic,' but I like it a lot and make no apologies for it.

Barred for life.

Check these guys out. They're traveling the country and putting a book together of Black Flag tattoo's and the personal stories behind them. I felt a little private and reluctant when I showed up to the Albany event, but ultimately I'm glad I went through with it. It was a cool ass night with cover bands and just an overall appreciation for the 'Flag.

Pumped to see the book when it's published.

www.myspace.com/barredforlife

Better late than never...

It's Alive Demo 2008 

(mediafire)

Tracklist:

1. Intro

2. Your March On

3. Reincarnage

4. Pompeii

5. Reducer

See you with the new stuff in '09.

CROWBAR.

Over the past three years or so, I've witnessed my musical taste take a turn in direction towards bands or artists that can inspire a specific sort of mood or vibe in their records. That "vibe" varies slightly depending on my feelings at the time, but generally encompasses one of the following: sarcastic bitterness, apocalyptic foreshadowing, helplessness, hopelessness, or intense anger.

It should come as no surprise then to those who are familiar with the band that I've been introduced to Crowbar throughout this process and instantly became a super fan.

My friend Derrick and I were having one our usual Crowbar discussion the other day and both agreed (without too much pretension) that you have to "get" Crowbar to fully appreciate their music. If you could bottle all the emotions I listed above that I've been drawn towards in music and put them into one sound, Crowbar would be that sound.

For those interested in supporting and seeking out records, I would recommend Odd Fellows Rest first and foremost, followed swiftly by Crowbar (Self-Titled), and a rising favorite of mine, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden.

Note***: It was at this point that I was gonna try my hand and making one of these "muxtapes" that are hot in the streets. I had a pretty sweet "Best of the Bar" playlist that I was going to make available. I went to the muxtape site only to find the RIAA is fucking them in the ass too. Go Figure. Seek out Crowbar the old fashioned way, it delivers and than some.

www.myspace.com/crowbar

Bitter End - S/T 7"

Bitter End just dropped their 3rd record and second on Malfunction Records (subsidiary of Deathwish Inc.). Their last record Climate of Fear easily became one of my favorite albums of the year for 2007 as they improved miles from their debut release and really developed their own patent sound. It's hard to pinpoint but I would best describe it as Breakdown/Biohazard NYHC style crossed with a pinch of old Metallica and a unique sense of urgency and emotion brought forth primarily by the vocal delivery and lyric content.

The record opens with some eerie ass feedback that sounds like it came of a Cursed or Rise and Fall record. The beat and ring outs quickly come in and right away the guitars are hitting hard with the wah, I love this band's guitar sound and use of the wah pedal. The beat picks up and the vibe I'm getting from these riffs is one of more urgency and danger. If this were a continuation of the full length theme (which I'm told its not), it would be as if the world had swallowed it's self at the end of that record and this is the aftermath. Purgatory is constant movement forward and relentless double picking. Wasting no time at all with the guitar shredding. It's just really driving and intense and doesn't let up for the whole 5 minutes +. It's one great riff after another and just enough tempo changes to keep things interesting. The beat on the third track is a little more intricate and less of the driving feel is given off by this song. It's still cool and I haven't pinned down what's going on with the vocals yet. There's definitely more than just the lead singer on this track but doesn't sound too much like the backups done on the full length by their guitarist. Also, I'm feeling the slight guitar harmonies in the breakdown riff.

My only complaint with the record overall (besides its short length) is the lack of a prominent bass tone which is seemingly lost when compared to Climate of Fear, which had some great bass lines and a great bass tone.

Definitely check out this record. If you're not into grabbing it on vinyl, support them and pick it up on iTunes for only 1.99, it's well worth your pocket change.

Columbia.

Last night I caught the first show by a new Albany band, Columbia. Their drummer is none other than Pat "The Dwyer" Dwyer of It's Alive. Not only did Pat prove his prowess as a multi-instrumentalist, but they did a great job as their first gig. It's by no means hardcore, but does have a slight Quicksand, Texas is the Reason vibe if you're into that sort of thing. I also can't help but compare it to a lot of Hyra Head style bands (Isis, Jesu, Pelican). It's not nearly as heavy, but it definitely uses the approach of building on a single chord or riff to create a droning melody.

With that said, while their live show might get a little stale for me, it's definitely something I could see myself listening to on a long drive or through ear buds.

Unfortunately they don't have any finished product recordings, but if this sounds like something you could be into bookmark their Myspace and and check back for finished demo tracks (all that's up their at the moment is instrumental tracks.)

www.myspace.com/columbiany

NYHC live sets.

This is my first post from my phone which would account for the lack of cool pictures. Anyways, I stumbled on this link while beefing up my NYHC backlog and its got an assload of live sets ranging from '83 to '94 including everyone from Antidote to Breakdown to Quicksand.

I snagged the Antidote set from '84 at CB's and the quality is incredbile. Breakdown from WNYU in '94, ehh...not so much, still has the classic vibe though.

http://forums.livewire-records.com/read.php?f=1&i=303170&t=303170

Gold mine.

''I just want a life as one..Struggle to survive.'' - Antidote (Life as One)

AZ - Undeniable

This is the latest effort from "fly-under-the-radar-emcee" No. 1 AZ. With close to a dozen albums under his belt, most people would recognize AZ from his spots on Illmatic. Since then he's stayed at work consistently putting out records demonstrating an undying flow and proving his place in the narrative aspect of hip-hop.

The general consensus on this album after reading a few reviews is: great emcee, sub par beats. I guess I can see where they're coming from. The second half of the album is definitely not as strong as the first, and there's some cheesy R&B laced choruses. But the verses and standout tracks are still there. What I really love about AZ's records is that they're largely concise and to the point...a manageable amount of tracks and next to no "skits" or "interludes".

Standout tracks: The Game Don't Stop, Superstar, Life on the Line, Dead End

Download