Baby bunnies

The best 3 albums ever

I have a reasonably broad taste of music. today I just go the urge to talk about my 3 favorite albums. SPECIAL BONUS Honorable Mention at the end.

#3 Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

I first heard about this album either my sophomore or junior year of high school. The only song I was familiar with was ‘Starfuckers, Inc.” and I was not terribly impressed. I never really gave it a shot. However, after graduation I was on a music buying binge for a while. I picked it up pretty cheap at Barnes & Noble and gave it a good listen through.

One thing to note about this album is that it is a double album. It clocks in at about 1.7 hours, but it is DEFENITELY worth listening through front to back and maybe a second time through. In between excellent lyrical tracks, Trent Reznor put together some AWESOMAZING instrumentals. The music itself is fairly complex, with bass lines from the song coming in making short appearances in the prior track, or even prior disc (La Mer - > The Void is a great and most noticeable example). While I can’t deny this album has songs that are great on their own, it is much more greatly appreciated when listened through the whole thing.

HIGHS: La Mer, The Great Below, I’m Looking Forward to Joining You Finally

LOWS: Starfuckers, inc., No You Don’t. They just don’t seem to fit with the other songs.

#2 The Mars Volta – DeLoused in the Comatorium

Someone at work is a huge fan of this group, but I had never heard of them. I hopped on iTunes and gave a few songs a listen. I was INSTANTLY hooked and downloaded the whole thing. The following albums (Frances The Mute, Amputechture) are okay, but their debut work is by far the best they have done.

DeLoused is a concept album. The story is based loosely on the real life story of a friend of theirs who attempted suicide by an overdose of morphine, but only succeeded in putting himself in a short coma (a week or so I think). Afterwards, he threw himself off of an overpass into oncoming traffic. Not a terribly happy story to be sure, but The Mars Volta pulls it together with lyrical brilliance.

As The Fragile before it, DeLoused is best when you can give it a full listen. All the songs lend themselves to single play, but because this is at it’s core a progressive rock album, many of the songs clock in at the 5 minute + mark. The 7^th Track, Cicatrize E.S.P. is right under 13 minutes itself. Don’t be turned away though, as between lyrics there is gorgeous instrumental work.

If you ever get a chance to look up the lyrics, I would recommend it. Some very strange stuff (i.e. ‘Trackmarks amoeba lands craft. Cartwheel of crashes… from Eria Tarka or, Exoskeletal junction at the railroad tonight, midnight nooses from boxcar-d cadavers… from Roulette Dares)

HIGHS: Eria Tarka, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt

LOWS: Tira Me A Las Aranas. They didn’t need a separate bridge song.

#1 Tool – Lateralus

Lateralus stands at the top of my list of all time favorite albums. I’ve seen this album in it’s near entirety performed live, and have never been disappointed with it. From start to finish (with one hiccup) this album is pure greatness. I really don’t know what else to say.

HIGHS: Disposition/Reflection/Triad. Best song ever. It is a single song broken up into 3 tracks. NOT to be listened to out of order/out of context.

LOWS: Ticks & Leeches. This was only included to prove that nothing is perfect.

Honorable Mention: Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children

Jason was the one who got me into BoC when we were working at the Gamestop. He had just picked up Geogaddi, and put it in while we were working one day. I really enjoyed it, but for some reason totally forgot about it until 3 years had passed. I was at Barnes & Noble looking at some ‘Best Of…’ CD’s when I noticed Julie & Candy was on one of them. Wonderful memories of a great album flooded into my mind, and I went on a mad search to find Geogaddi. Geogaddi is a great album. Music Has the Right to Children is even BETTER.

This album (like the others on this list) is probably not for everybody. It is full of samples of old Canadian Board of Education videos, but most of the time they are heavily distorted. But PLEASE, PLEASE PLEAAAASE give this album a chance, even if you don’t normally like techno/sample based music. You may not love it like Jason or I do, but you will not be sorry.

HIGHS: Sixtyten, Aquarius, Pete Standing Alone

LOWS: The Color of the Fire isn’t my favorite, but it isn’t BAD.

YTMND OF THE DAY:

http://mickeyeatsbabies.ytmnd.com/

If you don't have speakers, or have the sound up, you are missing at least 80% of the experience.

Colorado Trip

I just got back from Colorado late monday night. I just want to log everything here so I can remember it.

I got to the Airport Friday after working a half day at Vantage. Our plane was a half hour late, and the gate I was at was literally at the ass end of the airport where airconditioning as yet to be discovered. Literally, it was baking. Got onto the jetway and into the plane, and began the long journey to Colorado. It took about an hour.

Landed late, got a call from Nolan wondering where I was. I met up with him and Nick in the main terminal. Nick looks AWESOME having totally shed a lot of his pounds. Nolan looked like Nolan, but with a baseball cap. Hadn't seen him in one since (DC) '97. We proceeded to go towards the baggage claim. I hadn't actually checked a bag, they just assumed I did. I didn't ask questions and just followed them. Hilarity ensued until we realized we just walked to the total opposite end of the airport from where they parked. That kinda sucked.

We ended up getting down towards Arvada, and were trying to figure out where to eat. Nick suggested Phở78, and we called Jim to let him know we were going to be there. However, we passed by Black Eyed Pea and Nolan decided to want the BIG ASS Chicken Fried Steak. We called Jim again to let him know that Phở was out of the question (a recurring theme for the trip as you will see) and to meet us there. I had Prime Rib, Nolan and Nick had the forementioned BIG ASS Chicken Fried Steak, where Jim had chicken fried chicken. Something humorous was stated about the degredation from Prime rib to fried steak to fried chicken. It was funny at the time.

That night we kind of just hung out at Nicks from what I remember. Played some Munchkin and Catan. Went to bed at a reasonable hour that night, as everyone had had a killer week.

Next morning I woke Nick up to take me to Chipotle. It was GLORIOUS and I loved it. After that we went to BLACK & READ, one of my favorite stores in Colorado. Imagine a used/new bookstore, used/new music store, game store, and occult section of a library mashed together. Now imagine it run by surly folks. While we were there we picked up the 4th Munckin Expansion (Need for Steed) and the 5-6 player Catan expansion (which never got used). Next, Nick and I travelled to GameStop where he proceeded to trade in his old 'Ugly as the Devils Face' DS for a new amazing DS Lite after seeing the glory that is mine. We then went home and played games till Nolan showed up. Decided on Phở for dinner once again, and called Jim to let him know. But we changed our minds to Red Lobster at the last minute, thus pushing Phở off for another meal yet again. Proceeded up towards Flatirons where we had probably the funniest damn dinner I have had in a long time. Nolan had a couple of Long Island Iced Teas and was *mildly* drunk. He kept getting somewhat frightened of the various bus boys, be they large and scary like Lurch from the Adams Family, or glowing like the Human Torch due to Nolans booze enhanced vision.

Quick aside, Nolan had decided to theme the weekend after the letter B. Friday was Beef. Saturday was Booze. Sunday was supposed to be Boobs, but it didn't really happen. Unless you count Jim's drawing of them in his sketch book while in the back of Nicks car.

Anyways, the best part of dinner came about when Nolan stated that he was 'Soooooo....' and Jim was able to finish it with a 'BRRRRR'. Nolan started laughing and couln't stop. I also ended up with a fit of laughter that only abated once I had gotten to the bathroom. When I came back, Nolans still hadn't. It was great, you should have been there.

Well, after that we went home to relax until we went to see Andrew at work. Nolan relaxed with a bottle of Vodka, and after a failed attempt to leap over a bench at Lake Arbor, decided to call it a night.

We proceeded to Broadway and the sleazy gay club where Andrew works known as BOYZTOWN (with a Z for that extra touch of GAY). While I won't really go into detail as to what all happened there, let it be known I had my ass pinched by a stripper looking for tips. We left shortly thereafter. Headed out the Dave & Busters, and played a few games.

Went home, and crashed yet again.

Sunday rolled around. We had lunch at Texas Roadhouse with Andrew after his long night of work and chatting it up with a dominatrix (female, I was surprised). Let it forever be said, Andrews life is anything but not interesting. After that we went back to Nicks and played more Catan and Munchkin.

Amazingly for dinner on Sunday we had Phở. It was delicious, but I was so sick at that point (I caught a cold on the flight over) that I could barely taste it and barely ate half the small bowl I had ordered.

Andrew apparently came over later that night after working the bar at a hotel in Boulder, but due to sickness and the Sudafed I took, I crashed out somewhere around 9ish (I think).

Monday was not moving too fast. I packed in the morning, played some DS until Jim came over. We went to Rallibertos, this little converted Taco Bell mexican restaurant in Arvada. It was AWESOME. I had this drink called *** which is basically rice milk and cinnamon. I loved it. Jim and I drove around a bit after that. We headed to Toys R Us where I got Robin a present for having ditched her for a couple of days. Went back to Nicks and pretty much just hung out till he got home from school and took me to the airport. Although, we did play Worms somewhere in between there. I remember winning because somehow Jim's last worm managed to jump off the NON EXISTANT Z AXIS of the 2-D playing field and died. That got me laughing almost as much as Sooo....BRRRR...

Headed to the airport, caught the plane and had a bumpy ride home next to a panic stricken lady I fully expected to either puke or have a heart attack. She had neither, which was for the best.

And now I sit at home in the blazing heat and write this stream of thought post while I wait for Robin to bring me Coldstone after he trip outside with her Sister.

YAY! IT'S HERE!

YTMND OF THE DAY! Worst thing in Soliataire EVER: http://ultblock.ytmnd.com/

YTMWTF?

So yeah, I have a secret obsession. I LOVE YTMND's. There is such a strange yet structured culture surrounding this website. Sure, some of them you can look at and it is just funny on it's own. Others require a little bit of background knowledge to understand. Thankfully that is usually provided.

I am really trying to blog more. As a personal incentive I will try and end each post with a favorite YTMND of the day, since I like to share them so much. Well, not as much as Jason. But alot.

So without further Ado: YTMND OF THE DAY!

Unnecessary NEEDS

So I really really want a motorcycle. A Honda Shadow Aero to be exact (Black + Silver). I've kind of toyed with it for a while as just an idea, but as the weather gets nicer it just sounds so right. I've attached a picture of Robin and I on a 2004 all black model. Looking into it, though, it is a LOT more expensive just getting into motorcycling.

Bike: $6,599 for the one I want.
Gear: Andrew says almost another $1,000 (gloves, jacket, boots and of course, a helmet)
Insurance: $47 a MONTH
Class: $60-$80 (because I won't just get on and ride one)

However, gas will be cheap (with a 3 gallon tank) and should go a long way. We'll see how things go after I find out what my new salary is going to be. Here's to hoping it is EASY to afford!