Archive for February, 2008

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The “Sing Your Balls Off” Mobile

February 11, 2008

I would love to be playing a lot more shows then I currently am(zero). One problem I run into is the lack of a practice space. I live in a house with people living upstairs and downstairs. The problem with that isn’t playing guitar, but practicing vocals. Singing is basically screaming, and I can’t just scream for an hour in my house. Especially when I’m writing vocals because that goes through a painful sounding process which I would prefer nobody else heard.

Today I decided to transform my car into a mobile practice room and pulled into the beach parking lot. I situated myself in a backwards, twisted way so i could comfortably hold my guitar on my lap. And then I started playing. And checked out the surrounding area and then got to singing. It was nice having the privacy of being able to sing my balls off and nobody there to listen to a voice lacking practice. It was a little awkward at first, getting used to my own singing voice again.

I sang a couple Foo Fighters songs to get warmed up and then went right into a song I’ve been working on. Getting the vocals down on a song is harder then I remember. When I was in a loud rock band you could scream until you got it right the way you want to, but just one acoustic is a little tougher because it is much easier to notice when you’re singing terrible notes.

I also started a new song writing method. Over the past week I came up with a few different parts that I knew I wanted to use in one song. And then today I sifted through a pile of different lyrics I had written and picked one out that I thought was pretty decent. I probably wrote it about six months ago, so i hesitated because things have changed since then and I don’t quite feel the same. But I like the fact that I can revisit older feelings and try to express it through the song as much as possible. I matched different riffs with different verses and choruses and now i still have a bunch of random pieces to a song. But now that I have all the pieces I will put them together tonight and then take my mobile practice room back to an isolated area and practice, practice, practice it for the open mic this Wednesday.

Last time I played an acoustic show was rough, only because I honestly didn’t practice at all. Hopefully this will change. Can’t wait to be shitting myself right before i get up on stage. But I think that load of shit helps me do better. Thats gross, I’m gonna be sitting down and everything.

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Some Mutant Snow, a Loud Talker, and a Guitar Dissapointment

February 10, 2008

Right now it is snowing outside, but it’s not the cool snow. You know, the snow that floats down and sticks to stuff, and you can pick it up and throw it at a stranger’s car and/or face. Nope, it’s the heavy huge snowflakes that come plummeting towards your windshield and automatically turns into a huge splat of water. Or when you are walking in it you just get soaked and it’s cold. That fucking mutant snow.

Sitting in a coffee shop on a Saturday night can be kind of fun. Except when the person sitting next to you is talking loudly on the phone in another language, like what is happening to me now. If you are going to talk loudly on the phone at least speak English so the rest of us can enjoy whatever you are enjoying, so much that you have to scream with enthusiasm. What loud phone conversation would be enjoyable to hear? The one where he’s talking about how he got so smashed the night before and woke up in the morning in an alley way full of homeless people with the words “Stick Penis Here” on his butt. What that never happened to you?

I went to Guitar Center yesterday in hopes of buying an electric-acoustic guitar. Could have gone for the mediocre $350 Ibanez, or the much better $800 Parkwood. So i could get the Parkwood within a couple weeks but blow my savings on it. But I will do the responsible thing and wait it out. My goal is to record some performances and get those videos up here. And be a whore.

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“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” Review

February 8, 2008

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4.5 out of 5

I have loved the Western movies that have been coming out recently. 3:10 to Yuma, There Will Be Blood, and now The Assassination of Jesse James. I saw a preview for this movie and it looked amazing. But then it never got released anywhere close to me. BUT I finally got it on Netflix.

The story is pretty straight forward with that title and all, or so I thought. The plot didn’t actually tighten up until 2/3rds of the way into the film, but it is two and half hours which works out. I was honestly felt lost on and off, but the main thing was the relationship between Jesse James and Robert Ford, and with that this succeeded. When you first meet Robert Ford he is very child like but wants to break out of that shell, and show that he is special and can be part of the James crew of bandits. You soon find out about his childhood and his fascination with Jesse James as a kid, and now he his walking with the legend he looked up to. But he starts to show signs of maybe being obsessed and taking that obsession to another level. Jesse James is introduced just as you would expect, a cold-hearted outlaw. You soon learn of some complications with his health and his overall state of mind. I almost feel like there’s nothing to spoil here but there is a lot more to see in this film then the title would suggest.

Brad Pitt is fucking perfect as Jesse James. He plays the different aspects of the character to perfection. He stirs a variety of emotions both individually, and sometimes within one scene. He is funny, scary, and emotional all to perfection. This is one of my favorite performances(along with Pitt as Tyler Durden). Casey Affleck as Robert Ford comes in very close competition to Pitt’s performance. Both James and Ford go through a transformation throughout the film, but Affleck’s is a much bigger transformation. He goes from an underdog trying to show his talent, to reliving his childhood obsession with James, to becoming someone he never intended to be. The title implies, no, straight out tells you that he is a coward but he wasn’t always a coward. His dreams became twisted with a harsh reality and obsession which turned against himself. Affleck shows some of the greatest emotion and delivery I have seen in a film.

There are other smaller roles in this film that are performed probably as best as they could be, but Pitt and Affleck are clearly the standouts. Even if you don’t get what is quite going on right away, it all clears up by the last third of the film and you will be satisfied by the end. Watch it if for Pitt and Affleck’s performances if for nothing else because it is well worth it.

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Music’s Not a One Night Stand

February 6, 2008

The relationship we have with music is perfect. Music understands us. Music knows just what to say and just how to say it. The relationship with music is so perfect that sometimes it requires only that we listen, we don’t have to say a word. It’s so perfect that we can scream with it, or cry with it, or laugh with it, or sing with it. Music is here forever, it’s not going anywhere. Don’t let anybody tell you when or how you will have that relationship.



I just watched Empire Records. I actually didn’t see this movie until less than a year ago. That probably makes people go “WHAT?!”. But I’m glad I didn’t see it until 12 years after its release because I get it a lot more now than I would have in middle school. All the sluttyness aside, I loved all the characters. All the relationships they had with each other and with the music.

Joe just beating the shit out of his drums to AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood” to get out the frustrations of losing his money to Atlantic City slot machines.

Ethan’s obsession with heavy metal and his Gwar stoned fantasy to show he’s more than just the wimpy awkward kid he appears to be.

Lucas’s Employee of the Month Tribute.

Rex Manning realizing
his music belongs in a nursing home where it’s listeners all reside.

Warren stealing rap CD’s as an attempt to feel like a BAMF and maybe get accepted.

Gina finally shedding her skin by singing her guts out.

The final dance scene to “This is the Day” which perfectly explains the moment they are all in.

If you somehow haven’t seen this movie you need to go buy it, it’ll probably be in the used DVD section or brand new for cheap because it’s old. Watch it and I hope you are inspired or touched(ha) or something you cold hearted bastard.

It’s late, goodnight my sweet sweet reader you.

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30 Rock

February 6, 2008

30 Rock is the funniest show I’ve seen in a long time. What makes it great is it sticks to the classic sitcom half-hour formula. There are a lot of reality shows, and other shows like 24, Heroes, or Lost that have one story spanning over entire seasons. 30 Rock keeps it simple, the backdrop is the behind the scenes happenings of an SNL type show with the cast and writers.

Tina Fey created it and also stars in it and she is one of my favorite celebrities, she’s kinda hot, and she is a genius, and she is also a Star Wars fan. How much better does it get. Alec Baldwin is also a regular character on the show and is incredibly funny. His antics include being ruthless and also bragging about his dating history with people from Rockettes to Condoleezza Rice. Tracy Morgan also adds a ton of hilarity as a character loosely based off himself. There are also a ton of other characters that all are fantastic, there isn’t one dull character in the show.

You’ll laugh your ass off, I highly recommend buying the Season 1 DVD.

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