If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Yesterday we got to hear the first track from the Metallica/Lou Reed project, Lulu, titled "The View." If you haven't heard it, CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY DJ PAGE and give it a listen.

Before I move ahead, let me say I am a HUGE fan of Metallica. I was never into Velvet Underground but I didn't dislike them either, just never listened much one way or the other.

Anyway, I was very excited about a Metallica concept album hoping for another S&M. Sadly, doesn't seem to be the case. The riffs are very Metallica and the brief parts where James sings sound good, but the song as a whole is crap. It sounds like beatnik poetry read over Metallica riffs.

So back to the title. Back in 2003, Metallica released St. Anger. As a rock album, not bad. As a Metallica album, I hated it. The drums sounded odd and there were NO GUITAR SOLOS! Not one! Now I am all for a band growing and their sound growing with them. Some of my favorite bands like Incubus and Korn sound worlds apart recently from their original sound. But those changes happened slowly. Album by album. Not 20 years of one style then a sudden shift into something completely different.

If bands want to put out an "experimental" album, I say go for it, but don't lead fans to believe it's the sound they know and love. Green Day did this by putting out an album as Foxboro Hot Tubs. Same members, different sound and style.

If you're not growing over time as a band and want to try something different, at least admit to the world that it's an "experimental" or "concept" album so we know what to expect.

The Calm Before The Storm

Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, hurricane season was always a strange time of year. It was always a pretty safe bet that each year at least one or two hurricanes would make their way up here and dump a ton of rain and some decent winds on us. Some years we were lucky and got the edge of the mess. Other years, I remember the eye passing directly over us. Either way, preparation was key.

The strangest thing was, the calmness of it all. My parents grew up in the area too so to all of us, every summer/fall meant hurricanes. If we lucked out one year then yay, but that was rare. Everyone just knew it was coming and what needed to be done to get ready. No panic, no chaos, just a little preparation and patience.

As an adult, whenever a storm is coming I see everyone whipped into an immediate panic. Grocery stores are wiped clean of essentials (toilet paper, water, bread, and Natural Light), gas stations are backed up as people fill up their cars, generators sell like hot cakes, etc. I guess it's all perspective. To me, it's just another big storm but to many (especially those who have moved to ENC) it's terrifying!

It's not a bad thing to be alert and prepared when a hurricane comes, but the key is to not panic. Stop, think, and try to stay calm.

Movies That Rock Pt. 2

So I had intended to do one of these a month but I kinda got slack on it. There have been a ton of great movies this summer so far so I'll try to hit some of the highlights.

After Transformers 2, I had low expectations for Transformers 3. It seemed like they were heading down the same road as The Matrix (great first movie, ok sequel, terrible 3rd) but it didn't. Transformers 3 was freakin awesome! Very rich story line, lots of emotion ranging from fun to very dark and sad, and the hot chick was a halfway decent actress this time! If you skipped part 3 because of part 2, catch it on DVD!

A movie that really caught me off guard recently was Source Code. The previews made it look like a time travelling love story but it was far more. The movie centers around Jake Gyllenhall's character who is an army pilot who wakes up 2 months after a helicopter crash to find himself knee deep in a secret military program that can actually look into the past in an attempt to find the cause of train bombing and stop future attacks. A good bit of sci fi, lots of action, great acting, and a touch of a love story make this a must watch!

On the humourous side of things, stoner comedies are the way to go this summer. On DVD, Paul (written and starring the guys from Shaun of the Dead) follows 2 British geeks on trek after Comic-Con to visit UFO hotspots who meet an alien named Paul and end up trying to help him escape the people who have been holding him captive for years. Still in theaters, 30 Minutes or Less is another instant comedy classic. 2 spoiled losers sponging off their parents decide to use a bomb vest to force a pizza delivery boy to rob a bank for them. Not a very deep story line here, think Superbad meets Crank. Lots of funny, lots of action!

There have been plenty of other good flicks this summer but those are the ones that really stick out to me.

The Quarter Life Crisis

I was reading an article the other day that shows that people are more likely to have a "crisis" in their mid to late 20's nowadays instead of their 40's as in the past. Could it be true?

Most everyone has heard of, or even used the phrase, "mid-life crisis". Usually a male, but females experience it too, in their 40's or 50's who suddenly tries to "find their youth". This leads to things like purchasing new vehicles (i.e. convertible sports cars), dating much younger, and things of that nature. Basically, things that make them feel young. This was more of a celebration than a crisis. After spending half of their life chasing a dream, it makes sense that many cut loose and "play".

Well, this new "quarter life crisis" is a different thing entirely. Many people are getting into their mid to upper 20's and are crumbling under the weight of... real life! Kids have had more and more spoon fed to them over the years and it's gotten to a point where people have no idea what "real work" is when they get out of school. I'm not talking about actual manual labor (most would die from exhaustion). No, these kids are falling apart over 40 hour work weeks and having to be responsible for their own work without someone coming behind to powder their ass and fix whatever they screw up.

So the "quarter-life crisis" seems less like a personal crisis like a "mid-life crisis" and more like a disturbing social trend.

Summer Unity 2011 Recap

Last night was one of my favorite concerts of all time! Not only was the show outstanding, but the whole evening was just one smile after another.

Last night was the Raleigh stop on the Summer Unity 2011 Tour featuring 311 & Sublime With Rome. For those who don't know, this is Sublime With Rome's first tour since the passing of Bradley Nowell, the band's original singer. I went in somewhat skeptical, I was always a big fan of Sublime and I was interested to see what the new kid was bringing to the table. I was blown away! Rome brought a whole new life to the band. At 23, he is nearly half the age of Eric and Bud which definitely added a lot of energy to the show. Not to mention the kid is talented! Shredding guitar solos, silly on-stage antics, great crowd interaction, and a voice that just won't stop. They played all the big Sublime hits (with a big "REST IN PEACE BRADLEY" in the chorus of What I've Got) perfectly mixed with tracks from their debut album, Yours Truly.

Between bands I ran off to spend way too much on water (almost $5 a 20 oz., ugh) and bumped into an old radio buddy I hadn't seen in ages. We got caught up chatting and next thing I knew 311 was cranking up on stage. I took off to get back to my seat and, as always, got rocked! I've seen 311 3 different times and each show was better than the last. They played the big hits each time but always mix up the rest of the playlist so you're not seeing the same show over and over again. One thing I'm always impressed by is how tight they sound on stage. Hearing the album, one would think they use a lot of studio tricks and effects but anyone who has seen them live knows that's not the case. Mix in a thunderous drum solo from Chad Sexton, P-Nut's bass shredding solo, and the full band percussion breakdown and you've got yourself a 311 show.

Thinking the fun was done we started heading home. While fighting through traffic in the parking lot I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Turned out, it was a couple of friends I haven't seen since Unk's in Greenville closed (for those who don't know what Unk's was, you missed out) which was over a year ago. After some quick catching up (and a dash back to my buddy's car) we headed home. Today I'm sore from standing, tired from lack of sleep, and would turn around and do it again tonight if I could!

Royal Canadian Mounted Douchebags

Growing up I always had this really heroic vision of the Canadian Mounties. Even comedic portrayals like Dudley Dooright or twisted views like Ren & Simpy's Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen painted a picture of heroism and valor. Apparently that's not always the case.

Today I saw a story in the news that genuinely made me sick to my stomach. This guy in Manitoba was speeding en route to the hospital. His wife was going into labor and had had complications with her first pregnancy so although he was speeding (105 mph) it was understandable, and they were pulled over by a mountie.

You would think they would get an escort to the hosipital right? Wrong. They got a $1000 ticket, which sadly isn't the bad part. They also got a 15 MINUTE LECTURE!! While the poor woman is in the car in labor! It gets worse...

Instead of escorting them to the hospital, the douchebag phones ahead to ANOTHER MOUNTIE who pulls over AGAIN and made them wait another 15 MINUTES for an ambulance to arrive and take them to the hospital. No info on the condition of the mom or baby but the husband has already had a court appearance and lost his license for 5 months.

What a couple of douchebags!

3D Or Not 3D... Is It Really A Question?

So last night I finally made my trip to the theater to see Transformers 3. Being a big fan of Transformers since I was old enough to remember, this trilogy has been a dream come through, but that's not why we're here. We're here to discuss this 2nd wave of "3D madness" that's ruining movies everywhere.

I personally am young enough I don't really remember when 3D was big back in the day. I remember a magazine or two as a kid but that was about it, no movies or TV shows. Well, a few years back, I guess movie companies decided with current technology where it was, it was time to bring 3D back. The first movie I remember seeing was the My Bloody Valentine remake. The movie was classic B horror (which I love) but the 3D was terrible. Lots of unnecessary things being thrown at the screen or stabbed outward to "show off" the 3D aspect.

A lot of those first 3D flicks put more thought into "what can we have poke out of the screen" and less into "is this movie worth making in 3D"? Luckily, over the past few years the craze seems to have died off some and less and less movies are getting the 3D treatment and the few that are are using it more wisely.

Now we're seeing 3D technology slowly invade our homes and game systems but will it last? The TV's cost a fortune and some require special glasses to watch or sitting in a certain spot to see things. Not to mention that converting 2D video into 3D looks terrible. I personally think it's just a fad like last time and in 10 years we'll be laughing at 3D movies again. Or, it could open the door to the next step in visual entertainment. Guess we'll just have to put on our 3D glasses and watch and see.