The Videos, Volume X

Top of the three-days before the Super Bowl to ya! Yes, yes, I know... one must seperate one love from another. Tsk, tsk. Moving on, trying to forget the terrible introduction that I've refused to delete, here's volume 10 of The Videos.

1. N.I.B. - Black Sabbath

OZZY, OZZY, OZZY... OI, OI, OI!!! Back in the 70's the man known as the Prince of Darkness and daddy to those who watched him on MTV, Ozzy Osbourne, fronted the heralded band and father of metal, Black Sabbath. OK. Beyond the obvious. Straight shootin': This is a track off their debut album that took a whopping two-days to record. Ohh, yeah.



2. Fear of a Blank Planet - Porcupine Tree

Up until a few days ago I'd never heard of these guys. You'd figure I would've with a name like that, but this title track to their 2007 album Fear of a Blank Planet definitely should be noted by rock enthusiasts. The video for it condenses the song by roughly three-minutes, so it's adviced that you check out the actual album version, not to mention the rest of the album as well.



3. Closer - Kings of Leon

I dont know what movie the maker of this custom video used but the song is a sure-fire classic. The vocals are flawless and soulful in every syllable uttered. This is one of those songs I listen to when I'm in a chill mood. Dont you just wanna flow with the motions of life when you hear this?



4. Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden

I'm not one who likes grunge a great deal, but when it comes to that genre of rock the likes of Soundgarden's Superunknown, and Alice in Chain's Dirt are the two albums I more than stomach, but enjoy. There's a load of classics off Soundgarden's 1994 genre-defining record, and this is just one of them that gets constant radio time. Thankfully I dont listen to the radio or else I'd get sick of this song.



5. Mind's Eye - Wolfmother

Most of the vids I found for this had embed disabled, so we'll just have to make do. Sad that these guys are no longer together because I sure as hell saw potential in their debut album. Even the guys from Jackass did.

Working On A Dream: A Quick Review

Heading into this listen I was expecting this to be a minor effort from Springsteen; in the same vain of “The Ghost Of Tom Jones”, “Devils & Dust”, and “Tunnel Of Love”. Thankfully, the fact that this may be his most satisfying album in a while is a great surprise. “Magic” was really, really good, but that album was more short bursts of power than drawn out fist-pampers. “Working On A Dream” flows better and has more variety. A quick rundown of the tracks with ratings (1-5 stars):

1. Outlaw Pete- The best song on the album to kick it off. This is 8 minutes of pure, old-school Springsteen. Just absolute awesomeness in every aspect. Reminds me of Jungleland. The harmonica bit that comes in the middle also reminds me of Supertramp’s “School” opening. A fantastic song. 5/5

2. My Lucky Day- By far the most addicting and easy song to love on the album, the hook is a monster and the lyrics just barf happiness. No one else is better than The Boss at revving you up with energy and here’s a great example. It’s such a simple track, but who cares? 4.5/5

3. Working On A Dream- It takes you a while to warm up to this one, but it’ll eventually get you. It’s a little too sublime which holds the song back from truly jumping out. With that said, it’s still memorable and the pace does pick up as the song ticks on. 3.5/5

4. Queen Of the Supermarket- Juuuuuuuuuuuuust short of being great, nevertheless still very nice. One of the more bizarre tracks on the album as the lyrics go and look out for the blatant f-bomb The Boss drops toward the end (which is rare for him). 4/5

5. What Love Can Do- A nice little pop tune. Nothing more and nothing less. 2.5/5

6. This Life- It begins sounding like a Christmas song and then evolves into a graceful rock ballad. Has a hint of sorrowfulness in it. 4/5

7. Good Eye- Springsteen doesn’t throw too many curveballs, but this one is a knee-buckler. If I just heard this on the radio I’d think it was from garage bluegrass band. There lies the novelty of it though. Quite enjoyable 3.5/5

8. Tomorrow Never Knows- Pure filler. Not terrible, just instantly forgettable. 1/5

9. Life Itself- At first this sounded too rushed, but that’s just from the jumpy beat the song has. The odd thing about that is this song isn’t even fast. 4/5

10. Kingdom Of Days-One of the high points of “Working…”, this is the best ballad Bruce has done in a while. Really anthemic with a great melody. Sounds like an outtake from “Darkness On The Edge Of Town”. 5/5.

11. Surprise, Surprise- The lyrics are way too peachy and this song isn’t breaking any barriers, but it’s really catchy. All filler right here, but at least it’s fun to listen to. 2.5/5

12. The Last Carnival- Springsteen delves into “Nebraska” mode again with favorable results. Bizarrely arranged song that has a cool aura about it. 4/5

13. The Wrestler- Pure brilliance. Only way to put it. Springsteen could write about a toaster and make it heart wrenching. 5/5

14. The Night With The Jersey Devil (Bonus Track)- Gotta love the rollicking beat, Bruce’s fuzzy vocals, and that roadhouse feel. 4/5

Overall- 4/5 Once again, this is a really worthwhile listen that shows Bruce still has the creativity and range to make great, timeless music like no else can.

DRK Proudly Presents...

Hip-Hop!!!

How y'all doing today? Hope you don't have a foot of snow in your area of residence like we do here in northeastern Ohio. My name is Esco, and I represent the "Rhymes" wing of Dogs, Rhymes, and Karma. Anyways, apologies to chrono for never posting before this.

So, today I suddenly had the urge to write about producers in the hip-hop world. Now, in the beatmaking world, there are plenty of stars, just as in the emceeing world. Old timers like Kanye West, DJ Premier and the late J Dilla are always a treat to listen to, especially when paired with the right rapper, like say Eric B. & Rakim and Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth. Of course, as time goes on, more beat makers come into the light. Lately, Don Cannon has become this unabashed Pete Rock stan's favorite producer. The man's work is amazing. From Young Jeezy's "Go Crazy" and "Mr. 17.5" to Ludacris' "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Undisputed", Cannon has produced some of the most infectious songs in the last five years.

Anyways, off of Cannon for a second, production adds a certain mystique to a song. Any song that gets blessed by a Andre 3000 verse is special, but the dreary, almost eery beat in "The Art of Storytellin' Pt. 4" by Don Cannon (maybe we're not off him) adds a certain braggadocio to the song. Laid back yet in your face, the beat excels at showcasing the amazing lyrical skills of the two OutKast members. Whilst my rock-fixated brethren may find lack of change in chords or whatnot boring, hip-hop heads would certainly appreciate the beat for the purpose it so aptly serves, that as a platform for the emcee to showcase his skills. This, I believe, is a fundamental difference between rock and rap fans, the former thriving on the diversity and variety of sounds found in a certain song, while we hip-hoppers are simply satisfied by a beat that sounds nice and helps listen to listen to the performer's message. For example, the Nas song "The Message", deemed a classic by most rap fans, and would potentially bore most stereotypical rock fans. But that's neither side's fault. We're both products of our environment.

When it comes to pure beatmaking, another one of the greats around these days is Black Milk. His 2008 album "Tronic" was one of the best all year, but extremely slept on, right up there with Killer Mike's "I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II" and Ice Cube's "Raw Footage. The song "Give The Drummer Sum" has a beat might actually have the cross-over appeal to rock fans, due to the captivating drum beat in the back ground and an amazing horn sectin on the chorus. (While the rapping and hook may be annoying to those who aren't fans, keep in mind the beat is what I'm talking about.)

Well, I unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) have to cut this short.

One love,

Escobar Caesar III

2008 - The List Review

Well, 2008 is obviously over, and I, Cardsox, am here to post up my lists for the best of '08 (that I was fortunate enough to listen to). And so, without further ado:

Top Albums:
20. Noah & the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
19. Low vs. Diamond - Low vs. Diamond
18. E For Explosion - Reinvent the Heartbeat
17. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
16. The Republic Tigers - Keep Color
15. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
14. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
13. Sleeping Cranes - Good Fences
12. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
11. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
10. Sigur Rós - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
9. Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
8. Nada Surf - Lucky
7. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
6. The Matches - A Band In Hope
5. Astronautalis - Pomegranate
4. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
3. Lydia - Illuminate
2. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow: A Musical
1. The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event

Top Songs:
25. Wolftron - Crystal Skulls
24. The Killers - Human
23. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
22. Noah & the Whale - 5 Years Time
21. Robot Love Story - North By Northwest
20. Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened
19. Fleet Foxes - White Water Hymnal
18. The Airborne Toxic Event - Innocence
17. Vampire Weekend - M79
16. Death Cab For Cutie - ...Cath
15. Wild Sweet Orange - Either/Or
14. MGMT - Time To Pretend
13. Butch Walker - Ships In a Bottle
12. Nada Surf - See These Bones
11. Forgive Durden - Life Is Looking Up
10. Alkaline Trio - Help Me
9. Lydia - Hospital
8. E For Explosion - Paper Flowers Never Die
7. Conor Oberst - Cape Canaveral
6. The Matches - Wake the Sun
5. Sigur Ros - Fljotavik
4. Sleeping Cranes - You Come Too
3. The Airborne Toxic Event - Wishing Well
2. Bon Iver - re: stacks
1. The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

The Videos -- Volume IX

Okay, so it's finally time for the NFL Playoffs to start. Finally, they're here. As I type, the first Wild Card game is at half with the Atlanta Falcons, the team I picked, up 17-14 over the Arizona Cardinals, a team most believe to be the worst division winner in playoff history, or at least since we've had the current format giving division winners a guaranteed home-playoff game opener.

Anywho, all this mess about football has gotten me into a good mood, regardless of the fact that I'm watching these games alone with nasty weather engulfing my house that's tucked away in what's practically a village. So much of a good mood that I'm not even remotely featuring a song before 2000 in this volume of The Videos. (O.M.G.)

1. Easy/Lucky/Free - Bright Eyes



I've never really investigated anything involving Conor Oberst, outside of the handful of songs I've been forced to listen to by fellow writer, Cardsox, aka Rob Dog. "Easy/Lucky/Free" was the first song, I believe, that I was introducted too. It goes by quickly as it flows ever so perfectly, and surprisingly, Obert's vocals actually are more than tolerable -- actually quite angelic. Oh, and the video is sweet too.

2. Runes To My Memory - Amon Amarth



I know almost nothing about Amon Amarth. The most coming from Metalstorm's ravings in putting its album Twilight of the Thundergod in its Top 10 for the best metal albums of 2008, and the record I was given today by another online buddy and fellow DRK contributor, chrono: With Oden On Our Side. To be honest, the only reason this video is here is for the synchronized windmilling. And the long, Viking like hair that's spun...

3. Young Men Dead - The Black Angels



The Black Angels are today's version of the '60's psychadelic rock. Get anyone from that era and they'll immediately start getting goosebumps out of wonder if the man known as Jim Morrison is somewhere in the room. Driving, pulsating, trippy and dark rock is what's brought to the table by these young guys in the album Passover, one of a handful of records they've released.

4. The Pot - Tool



Am I the only one biting my nails in anticipation for the next Tool record? 10,000 Days, like its two predescesors -- AEnima and Lateralus -- was a fantastic album, and also hard to categorize within rock's walls. This is one of my favorite tracks, right there with "The Grudge" and "Vicarious", along with other less talked about gems. There was no official video for this track but some people out there took it upon themselves. Here's an example.

5. All Nightmare Long - Metallica



Like zombies and apocalyptic destruction caused by the Russians? Then watch this video. Yeah, that's all I got here...

Damn, it's arleady 28-17 and the end of the 3rd quarter. What took me so long?

How I got into Rock Music

I'm Dyhard, or Dan, and this is my first post on here.



A couple of years ago, I use to be the normal kid who would listen to rap music and only rap music. I would listen to the local radio station, and listen to only rap/hip-hop. That was until in 2008, when I found two groups on the sports site associated with SI.com, and that site was FanNation. Those two groups that I stumbled on, where Dogs, Pigs and Sheep and the other was Karma Police. They both served a different purpose for me.



Dogs, Pigs and Sheep is the place that I joined first. That place helped me get into the classic rock, which is stuff like The Beatles, The Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and other artists like that. Those people who led the groups like that were LIFER, Mac and Coletrain. I have grown an appreciation for that kind of music, and that is the one thing that got me off the hip-hop/rap scene.

There was another group, Karma Police, they got me into what we like to call "Alternative Rock" and that has gotten me into Bright Eyes, Muse, The Bravery and other artists like that. That was led by Cardsox, DJTG and NomarFan with Chrono helping out. This is the kind of music that I now listen to the most.

These two groups is what found a music that I was craving for, and found what I had a drive to spend more for, and to buy albums. The first album that I bought was Smashing Pumpkins:Rotten Apples (Which is their Greatest Hits) which has opened up my horizons in my music purchases. They made such a good album with their greatest hits, that I had desire to look into different albums from them. I have not purchased any other albums from The Smashing Pumpkins, but that is on my list in the near future.

I'm finding new artists very frequently, and my knowledge is growing with every band that I find. The more and more artists I find, more artists open up to me through finding music made by that specific band.

2008 was a thrill-ride for me in the music department, and 2009 should bring a ride again that will be full of excitement as I uncover more and more different aspects of Rock, and there are so many artists out there to look into, and that has driven me to look for more Rock music.

Thanks everyone who has led me into this great genre of music we like to call Rock.

Slayer -- The Unholy Alliance: Live

I've made my choice: six, six, six.

Cult, Slayer

On June 6th, 2006, Slayer made the choice to start a tour with some of the best names in metal of the present day. Through a concert in Vancover, Canada, music fans everywhere were allowed to witness the ferocious wonder of Slayer, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed, as it all was captured by cameras that seemingly were placed in all the right places.

In today's metal landscape, bands like Lamb of God, Opeth and Mastodon are on top of the mountain. 10-20 years ago, Slayer, along with metal-titans Metallica, led the metal underground movement to possibly its highest point, fighting the glam scene and bringing the people true, primal metal in its purest form. It's remarkable that bands of such importance were able to take the same stage on one night, much less for an entire tour.

In this DVD that I was able to acquire through Netflix, you'll see performances of songs such as "Crystal Skull" (Mastodon), "Vigil" (Lamb of God), and "Silent Scream" (Slayer), among many more by those artists and the other two included in the concert, Thine Eyes Bleed and Children of Bodom.

P.S. It's educational, too. I didnt know how to conduct myself in a circle-pit while bands like Lamb of God performed until basking in this nearly hour and a half concert DVD.