Saturday, January 26, 2008

Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me

Artist: Motion City Soundtrack
Album: Even If It Kills Me
Release Date: September 18, 2007
Label: Epitaph Records
Rating: 3/5

Here's a test to see if you will like the new MCS:
  1. Do you like Synth / Pop?
  2. Did you like "Commit This To Memory"?
    Results:
  • If you answered "yes" to either one of those questions, you will like the new MCS.
  • If you answered "yes" to both of those questions, you will love the new MCS.
  • If you answered "no" to both, you will maybe tolerate the new MCS.
Personally, I have never been that big of a fan of MCS. I have all three of their full lengths, but I have never really enjoyed them as album makers. I like their songs when they come on random, but not as a whole. This album doesn't change my mindset.

This time around, they have recruited some of the big guns to produce their albums:

They've also recruited some of the top talent from the genre as guests:
Rachel Minton of Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer
Additional Vocals on "It Had To Be You", "Hello Helicopter", & "Point Of Extinction"
Max Bemis of Say Anything
Additional Vocals on "Hello Helicopter" & "Point Of Extinction"
Shawn Harris of The Matches
Additional Vocals on "Hello Helicopter" & "Point Of Extinction"
However, with this long list of credits, I haven't noticed much of a creative step from MCS. They make very good pop songs, which I find myself humming along to, but I do not see this album changing lives or having much of a lasting effect. Also, the lyrics are a little cheesy at times (Just listen to the first 30 seconds of "Antonia). But at the end of the day, it is a rather enjoyable album.

P.S. I don't know why, but I love the album art on this. There is something innately pleasing with the color scheme...

    Track Listing:
  1. Feel In Love Without You
  2. This Is For Real
  3. It Had To Be You
  4. Last Night
  5. Calling All Cops
  6. Can't Finish What You Started
  7. The Conversation
  8. Broken Heart
  9. Hello Helicopter
  10. Where I Belong
  11. Point Of Extinction
  12. Antonia
  13. Even If It Kills Me

Friday, January 25, 2008

Maybe?

So, I had a 2nd interview today that went very good. The recruiter said that I had, "star, star, star" right next to my name. The VP at the company wants to extend me an offer, he just needs to get it approved. The funny thing is that it is located on the same exact street that my father works on... Creepy huh? I still have two more interviews next week, but I think that the one from today is going to be the best opportunity for me. So the city better get ready. I think I'm going to chill this weekend, so if you don't hear from me, have a good one!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Georgia

Yo, Yo, Yo:

It's been a couple of relatively productive days, so far. All of the interviews that I had this week have gone very well. The company from Monday has invited me to interview on Friday. And the company from Tuesday has invited me back for lunch next week. Both of these places I am very interested in working for. I also have had a phone interview as well as another interview coming up.

I've been listening to A Lesson In Romantics by Mayday Parade, a pretty alright album that I'll review someday, and they drop a lot of notions about traveling. One line in particular from the song "Jamie All Over" sticks in my head:

I'll never go back to Georgia
Not at least till I have to

I bring this up, because last night Abe and I went to the Floyd's for dinner. He is not used to drinking the holy grail of beers, instead he'd rather drink piss water. He said that they don't do drink that in Georgia. Then I realize that GA has been a pretty prevalent place in my life:
  • Abe, went to UGA
  • Reef, my last roommate in NJ, was from Atlanta, and he moved back there
  • Nick, has dated not 1 but 2 girls from GA. Both of which he met on the internet...
  • Andy, my friend since kindergarten, joined the army and was relocated to Fort Benning
  • My girlfriend throughout high school had a mom whose name was "Georgia"
  • My last girlfriend's best friend currently goes to SCAD
And I realized that, I have never been. It is a place that has had such an impact on the lives of my friends. Maybe someday I'll go, but for now, I'm more than content being in the Midwest.

The last couple of days, I've compiled lists for the rest of the Primaries and Caucuses, and the remaining debates. If the times and dates are wrong, please let me know. Tonight is Florida's Republican Presidential Primary Debate, which will be televised on MSNBC at 9:00P.M. EST.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Primary / Caucus Schedule

State Date
Democratic Republican
Alabama February 5th
Alaska February 5th
Arizona February 5th
Arkansas February 5th
California February 5th
Colorado February 5th
Connecticut February 5th
Delaware February 5th
District of Colombia February 12th
Florida January 29th
Georgia February 5th
Hawaii February 19th February 7th
Idaho February 5th May 27th
Illinois February 5th
Indiana May 6th
Iowa January 3rd
Kansas February 5th February 9th
Kentucky May 20th
Lousiana February 9th
Maine February 10th February 1st
Maryland February 12th
Massachusetts February 5th
Michigan January 15th
Minnesota February 5th
Mississippi March 11th
Missouri February 5th
Montana June 3rd
Nebraska May 13th
Nevada January 19th
New Hampshire January 8th
New Jersey February 5th
New Mexico February 5th June 3rd
New York February 5th
North Carolina May 6th
North Dakota February 5th
Ohio March 4th
Oklahoma February 5th
Oregon May 20th
Pennsylvania April 22nd
Rhode Island March 4th
South Carolina January 26th January 19th
South Dakota June 3rd
Tennesse February 5th
Texas March 4th
Utah February 5th
Vermont March 4th
Virginia February 12th
Washington February 9th February 19th
West Virginia May 13th
Wisconsin February 19th
Wyoming March 8th January 5th

2008 Presidential Debates

January 24th

Republican Presidential Candidates Debate
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
9:00PM to 10:30PM EST
MSNBC
January 30th
Republican Presidential Candidates Debate
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Simi Valley, CA
5:00PM to 7:00PM PST
CNN
January 31st

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate
Kodak Theatre
Hollywood, CA
5:00PM to 7:00PM PST
CNN

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Super Tuesday

Hello Ladies And Gentlemen,

Today, I had an interview with a small company downtown. They were very nice people, and the position is really everything that I want to do. However; I'm not sure if the money is there. I also had a very good interview on Monday, because while at the one this morning, I got a voice mail inviting me to a second interview on Friday. Also, I did get an offer from the company from Monday. Now I am starting to get this ball rolling! Right now, I have a positive outlook on the career aspect of my life.

On the woman aspect, I realize that I am more upset than I thought. A couple of days ago, I boxed away some pictures and got a little teary eyed. But hey, at least I've got my health. While I was riding the South Shore home, I heard one of my all time favorite songs: "Walking On Glass" by The Movielife. Originally appearing on Has A Gambling Problem, I feel that these lyrics summarize how I feel:

Pretending to remember our last December, and everything it was.
Hoping to fix the broken, stood by the fireplace. The flames lit up my face.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

Pretending to recall the way it was last Fall, for lack of better days.
I think this time of year, you see everything too clear, but still can't understand a thing.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

I can't forget a word you said, and everything it meant.
Instead of you, I fear myself. Guess all that I can do,
Is take back everything that I'd given to you.

Pretending to remember our last December, and everything it was.
Hoping to fix the broken, stood by the fireplace. The flames lit up my face.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

I can't forget a word you said, and everything it meant.
Instead of you, I fear myself. It's all that I can do.

'Cause you're uncomfortable with me.
Yeah you're uncomfortable with me. (Just answer the question)
Why can't I just understand what's inside you?
Is it just guts and black stuff? (I'll find out soon)
'Cause anything that you do or say cannot compare to the pain that I felt,
The day that you said that we'd go our separate ways.

Anyway, in keeping with the theme of the title, I want to urge everyone to take the opportunity to educate yourself and vote in your primary/caucus and this year's presidential election. Take the time to watch the debates that are on, and please try to listen to both parties. I pride myself in not being part of any particular party, but instead by backing who I feel will be able to lead this country the best. I ask that you take the time to observe and judge these candidates without bias, because you were born Republican or Democratic. I also, will not mention who I am supporting, because I feel that it is not my job (or anyone's for that matter) to sway opinions. We are of the select countries that allow us to form our own opinions.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Weekend Warrior

Hey Bitches, so I know that I haven't written a post for a while, but I've been pretty busy as of late. When I awoke on Friday, I was invited to a spur of the moment interview downtown. It was a nice place with a perfect location, however, the pay is not that great, but we will see. I've decided to refrain from using the names of real people when posting, so I do not get caught. I'm coming up with nicknames for everyone, I may mention. I spoke briefly with Anne (my most current ex, whom I don't want to be an ex), but she so conveniently had to go shopping. She said that she doesn't have a computer anymore (which means she doesn't have time to respond to e-mails..), but that she was going to Chicago for the weekend. I tried letting her know that I was going to be there, but I didn't want to bother her...

Anyway, Friday, I decided to go home for the night. On Saturday, I headed up to Abe's. We drank some Daniel's Jack (Korenglish for Jack Daniel's), and then headed to Enclave. This is a club that is good for people who don't really like techno music. They don't just play rap, hip-hop, top-40, or techno; they blend also play rock hits as well. Drinks are about $10 a piece, but I did not pay a cover. We ended up meeting up with one of Abe's work buddies. He was there with about 5 Brazilian girls and his girlfriend.

Now here's my thing about Brizilians. Brazil is the home to some of the hottest girls in the world: Alessandra Ambrosio, Izabel Goulart, Gisele Bündchen, and my personal favorite Adriana Lima. Not to mention that Brazil makes some of the most disturbing "films" of all time. Now these girls were not of the super-model caliber, but most of them were pretty hot. They were short, but so were cut of there tops! But they were pretty ho-ish. Just about every time I turned my head, they were making out with someone new. A point of interest is the overwhelming number of people with STDs/AIDS in Brazil. Knowing this, I decided to not partake in the tongue-on-tongue action, and Abe had no intentions either. However, the one unattractive one had her eyes on him. She ended up cornering him and chewing (not nibbling or bitting) his ear and cheek. Needless to say, he felt raped.

Sunday, we headed to O'Donovan's for brunch, and then I headed home. I decided to take it easy and ended the day with watching a lot of football. I had an interview with another company downtown this morning, and I have prep work for another one tomorrow. Maybe I'll get around to another post, but then again, maybe not.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Shock Stars - Feel For A Heartbeat

Artist:Shock Stars
Album:Feel For A Heartbeat
Release Date:October 23, 2007
Label:None
Rating:2/5

After the news of an "indefinite hiatus" from my all time favorite band, Lucky Boys Confusion, two bands were spawned. One being a powerpop band by the name of American Taxi and the other a pop/dance/techno group called Shock Stars. So far, both have released an ep (this is actually the second from SS), but not a full length yet.

Now the question that I have about this EP is why? I don't understand releasing two EPs in one year. Why did they not release a full length??? By the way, this already has 8 tracks, why not throw in 2 more???

The other question that I have is, who is am I gay for liking this? I was driving in my car with my mom, and she made a comment that this is very reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys. After much thinking, I realized that this sound is very much akin to the music all of us made fun of a decade ago. I became no longer comfortable driving my car with my windows down... Not to mention that the band's picture on the back of the album is to say the least, interesting.

Now don't get me wrong. The music here is very catchy, but then again, so were all of Backstreet Boys hits. At first, the album was kind of bland, but ifT you listen to it again and again, you notice your head bobbing and your foot tapping. Next thing you know, you're dancing alone in your room. The main problem that I have with this album (and the band) is that I don't see any real staying power. This album doesn't break any new ground (except for making guys want to dance). Many artists in the scene have tried to dance route before: Glassjaw to Head Automatica and AFI to Blaqk Audio, both of which I feel fared better. This does help to introduce non techno/dance fans to the scene, but this LBC fan wants his pop/ska/reggae/punk/hip-hop back...

Track Listing

  1. The Heart Attack (Intro)
  2. EMT
  3. Butterfly
  4. Fast Fast
  5. Dancing On Thin Ice
  6. I Got A Feeling
  7. Biggest Mistake
  8. Baby Baby