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miko2It's music review time! Only I'm too lazy to give in-depth reviews!
CDs that I got in the mail yesterday (that I bought used through Amazon.com):
Event -- Human Condition I saw where a couple of people compared this band to King's X, so I checked them out. I don't know why I bothered -- every time someone thinks a band sounds like King's X, I find that they're waaaay off base. Nobody sounds like King's X. In fact, I read someone online once that thought that Alice In Chains sounded like King's X, and had stolen their sound... ???? Whatever. In any case, I've discovered some really good groups that DON'T sound like King's X, but are still worth listening to... but in this case, I'm not sure that's true. Event is a prog metal band, and they have talent, so in that respect, you know, they're like King's X, because King's X is kind of a prog metal/hard rock band, but so is Dream Theater and Rush and Tool and Faith No More. And the real problem with this band is their lead singer does not have a very interesting voice, and they don't know what melody is. And I'm not talking music like Dream Theater makes where it's so complex that you don't always pick out the melody right away. I'm talking the Beastie Boys know more about melody than these guys do.
But maybe I'll listen to it again and suddenly it will make sense to me and I'll like it. Who knows.
Platypus -- Ice Cycles Platypus is a side project/supergroup made up of Ty Cobb the outfielder the 1913 Detroit Tigers... oh no, wait, I mean Ty Tabor the guitarist from King's X, John Myung, bass player for Dream Theater, and two other guys... a keyboardist and drummer from some other band that I've never listened to and could care less about, unless I later discover that they're really good or something.
This is the second Platypus cd. The first one sucked. Well, probably not, but it involved a lot of instrumental songs with lots of room for brilliant musicians to show off their brilliance, and as such it was short on qualities like good songcraft, interesting lyrics, and band cohesiveness. So I didn't pick up the second cd for a long time, even though I'd read that it contained more actual songs with lyrics and was harder and the band was much tighter now. So basically, that was a stupid decision, because it's a very good cd. ^_^ Sky and I have agreed that Doug Pinnick (the other singer/songwriter in King's X) has improved his songwriting skills tremendously over the last five years or so, and is much more open and honest in his lyrics, which makes them more interesting... but actually you could say the same things about Ty Tabor (to varying degrees anyway), it's just that I haven't been listening to his solo and side projects because, frankly, the first Platypus cd was boring and so was his first solo cd.
So today I bought his new solo cd and the new not-Platypus cd. And something else they were playing in the store that I liked. Reviews of these:
Ty Tabor -- Safety This is his second solo cd, and it's very good, much better than the first. He's gone through a divorce in the last three years, so he writes a lot about that and most of the songs are sad or depressing... which is strange because for the most part Ty's songs never SOUND depressing. Some of these songs are like upbeat rock songs that happen to have depressing lyrics. He says on the inside cover that it took him three years to finish and release this project, because he didn't want to release a cd that ONLY contained depressing songs... so he kept working at it until he had some other songs that he liked that he could sprinkle in. Which is probably another reason it's a good CD... he took his time making it. Anyway, like I said, he's writing more openly and honestly if only because he's depressed about the collapse of his marriage and has to write about it. But whatever works.
The Jelly Jam This is a side project/supergroup made up of Ty Cobb... no, wait, Ty Tabor, John Myung, and a drummer named Rod Morgenstein from some band that I've never cared about, with some word like Dixie or Swamp or something like that in the name, I can't be bothered to remember. If this lineup sounds familiar, it's because this band is EXACTLY THE SAME as Platypus, except they don't have the keyboard player this time around. No great loss, really. I mean, he was a very good keyboard player, but who needs keyboards when you have Ty Tabor on guitar? King's X has always been a power trio (just like Rush) so now Platypus is a power trio, except that they changed their name and went to a new label. There will be a test later.
All I have to say about this cd is that it's even better than Platypus's Ice Cycles. Very cool stuff.
Guided By Voices -- Universal Truths and Cycles They were playing this in Silver Platters and I liked it so much I bought it on the spot. Which was a bad thing because I was already buying twice as many cds as I'd planned on buying. But I don't regret it because they're a cool band. I'd heard the name before but knew nothing about them. Quick research on the web shows that they're an alternative rock band with a large cult following, have been around for many years, have been on a major label for a few years, but they still record in their basement on a 4-track and play tiny clubs -- they've never caught on, or even tried to do so. But the lyrics are interesting, the band has some pop sensibility (which is what attracted me to them -- All Music Guide lists their influences as The Cars, The Who, Cheap Trick, and REM, all bands I like who mix creative rock with pop melodies). They also tend to be a bit progressive, which makes their music even more diverse and interesting. This is their most recent cd, and I like it. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for their other cds now. ^_^
I think that's enough new music for the time being. Other things that I've picked up recently include the new Rush cd, Vapor Trails... I'm not a big Rush fan but I really like this cd. Also the two most recent Midnight Oil studio cds, which are much better than the one that came before them, which really sucked.
From geekissues.org, QDB quotes:
<DigDug>
#653 +(12)- [SUX]
<metio> is there a pirated site that ahs the newest version of linux
#759 +(24)- [SUX]
<cygnus> oi
<cygnus> in windows
<cygnus> what it mean
<cygnus> if the folder has a hand underneaath it
<Sephiroth> means it is shared
<Sephiroth> across your network
<cygnus> how did you know that
<cygnus> i thought it meant itwas heavy
<cygnus> or something
<cygnus> like
<cygnus> it's got 10 gigs in it
#650 +(12)- [SUX]
<Auspex> how do i decompile a .c in windows?
#5273 +(210)- [SUX]
<erno> hm. I've lost a machine.. literally _lost_. it responds to ping, it works completely, I just can't figure out where in my apartment it is.
#5301 +(196)- [SUX]
<blazemore> LITTLETON, Colo. - Colorado officials plan to try a 15-year-old boy as an adult for allegedly offering a Sony PlayStation to have his aunt killed.
<FlipTopBx> is it modded?
#4281 +(186)- [SUX]
<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<phxl|paper> and DANCE
* nmp3bot dances :D\-<
* nmp3bot dances :D|-<
* nmp3bot dances :D/-<
<[SA]HatfulOfHollow> i'm going to become rich and famous after i invent a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet
#3936 +(155)- [SUX]
<+kritical> christin: you need to learn how to figure out stuff yourself..
<+Christin1> how do i do that
#5598 +(143)- [SUX]
<Kazz> Do vampires have anuses? Cause that's why I wouldn't let this kid invade a vampire's anus in this RPG, right, I was GMing, and his character was an Anus Shade, with the power to possess and control the anuses of people and animals.. and I figured that vampires don't have anuses.
<Zaratustra> a vampire's anus is present, but non-working.
<Zaratustra> like a network card without the appropriate driver.
<Kazz> Wow. You're the biggest dork on Earth.
<Sharkey> And you're DMing an rpg with Anus Shades.
#4780 +(138)- [SUX]
<Thumb> do you know of any major organizations that are similar the CDC?
<Lucent> who?
<Thumb> center for disease control
<Lucent> i said WHO
<Thumb> what? i'm asking you
<Lucent> World Health Organization
#4278 +(125)- [SUX]
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard
#4680 +(111)- [SUX]
<Raize> can you guys see what I type?
<vecna> no, raize
<Raize> How do I set it up so you can see it?
#5523 +(97)- [SUX]
<Opcode> i was gonna call 911...but i was downloading a file
#6011 +(95)- [SUX]
<incarnate> hey cres, I know what you're thinking right now
<incarnate> " "
<cres> i dont get it
#5272 +(91)- [SUX]
<django23> I have a stupid question: what does "sendmail" do?
<Epesh> django: you're right, that is pretty stupid
#6824 +(91)- [SUX]
<@Logan> I spent a minute looking at my own code by accident.
<@Logan> I was thinking "What the hell is this guy doing?"
CDs that I got in the mail yesterday (that I bought used through Amazon.com):
Event -- Human Condition I saw where a couple of people compared this band to King's X, so I checked them out. I don't know why I bothered -- every time someone thinks a band sounds like King's X, I find that they're waaaay off base. Nobody sounds like King's X. In fact, I read someone online once that thought that Alice In Chains sounded like King's X, and had stolen their sound... ???? Whatever. In any case, I've discovered some really good groups that DON'T sound like King's X, but are still worth listening to... but in this case, I'm not sure that's true. Event is a prog metal band, and they have talent, so in that respect, you know, they're like King's X, because King's X is kind of a prog metal/hard rock band, but so is Dream Theater and Rush and Tool and Faith No More. And the real problem with this band is their lead singer does not have a very interesting voice, and they don't know what melody is. And I'm not talking music like Dream Theater makes where it's so complex that you don't always pick out the melody right away. I'm talking the Beastie Boys know more about melody than these guys do.
But maybe I'll listen to it again and suddenly it will make sense to me and I'll like it. Who knows.
Platypus -- Ice Cycles Platypus is a side project/supergroup made up of Ty Cobb the outfielder the 1913 Detroit Tigers... oh no, wait, I mean Ty Tabor the guitarist from King's X, John Myung, bass player for Dream Theater, and two other guys... a keyboardist and drummer from some other band that I've never listened to and could care less about, unless I later discover that they're really good or something.
This is the second Platypus cd. The first one sucked. Well, probably not, but it involved a lot of instrumental songs with lots of room for brilliant musicians to show off their brilliance, and as such it was short on qualities like good songcraft, interesting lyrics, and band cohesiveness. So I didn't pick up the second cd for a long time, even though I'd read that it contained more actual songs with lyrics and was harder and the band was much tighter now. So basically, that was a stupid decision, because it's a very good cd. ^_^ Sky and I have agreed that Doug Pinnick (the other singer/songwriter in King's X) has improved his songwriting skills tremendously over the last five years or so, and is much more open and honest in his lyrics, which makes them more interesting... but actually you could say the same things about Ty Tabor (to varying degrees anyway), it's just that I haven't been listening to his solo and side projects because, frankly, the first Platypus cd was boring and so was his first solo cd.
So today I bought his new solo cd and the new not-Platypus cd. And something else they were playing in the store that I liked. Reviews of these:
Ty Tabor -- Safety This is his second solo cd, and it's very good, much better than the first. He's gone through a divorce in the last three years, so he writes a lot about that and most of the songs are sad or depressing... which is strange because for the most part Ty's songs never SOUND depressing. Some of these songs are like upbeat rock songs that happen to have depressing lyrics. He says on the inside cover that it took him three years to finish and release this project, because he didn't want to release a cd that ONLY contained depressing songs... so he kept working at it until he had some other songs that he liked that he could sprinkle in. Which is probably another reason it's a good CD... he took his time making it. Anyway, like I said, he's writing more openly and honestly if only because he's depressed about the collapse of his marriage and has to write about it. But whatever works.
The Jelly Jam This is a side project/supergroup made up of Ty Cobb... no, wait, Ty Tabor, John Myung, and a drummer named Rod Morgenstein from some band that I've never cared about, with some word like Dixie or Swamp or something like that in the name, I can't be bothered to remember. If this lineup sounds familiar, it's because this band is EXACTLY THE SAME as Platypus, except they don't have the keyboard player this time around. No great loss, really. I mean, he was a very good keyboard player, but who needs keyboards when you have Ty Tabor on guitar? King's X has always been a power trio (just like Rush) so now Platypus is a power trio, except that they changed their name and went to a new label. There will be a test later.
All I have to say about this cd is that it's even better than Platypus's Ice Cycles. Very cool stuff.
Guided By Voices -- Universal Truths and Cycles They were playing this in Silver Platters and I liked it so much I bought it on the spot. Which was a bad thing because I was already buying twice as many cds as I'd planned on buying. But I don't regret it because they're a cool band. I'd heard the name before but knew nothing about them. Quick research on the web shows that they're an alternative rock band with a large cult following, have been around for many years, have been on a major label for a few years, but they still record in their basement on a 4-track and play tiny clubs -- they've never caught on, or even tried to do so. But the lyrics are interesting, the band has some pop sensibility (which is what attracted me to them -- All Music Guide lists their influences as The Cars, The Who, Cheap Trick, and REM, all bands I like who mix creative rock with pop melodies). They also tend to be a bit progressive, which makes their music even more diverse and interesting. This is their most recent cd, and I like it. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for their other cds now. ^_^
I think that's enough new music for the time being. Other things that I've picked up recently include the new Rush cd, Vapor Trails... I'm not a big Rush fan but I really like this cd. Also the two most recent Midnight Oil studio cds, which are much better than the one that came before them, which really sucked.
From geekissues.org, QDB quotes:
<DigDug>
#653 +(12)- [SUX]
<metio> is there a pirated site that ahs the newest version of linux
#759 +(24)- [SUX]
<cygnus> oi
<cygnus> in windows
<cygnus> what it mean
<cygnus> if the folder has a hand underneaath it
<Sephiroth> means it is shared
<Sephiroth> across your network
<cygnus> how did you know that
<cygnus> i thought it meant itwas heavy
<cygnus> or something
<cygnus> like
<cygnus> it's got 10 gigs in it
#650 +(12)- [SUX]
<Auspex> how do i decompile a .c in windows?
#5273 +(210)- [SUX]
<erno> hm. I've lost a machine.. literally _lost_. it responds to ping, it works completely, I just can't figure out where in my apartment it is.
#5301 +(196)- [SUX]
<blazemore> LITTLETON, Colo. - Colorado officials plan to try a 15-year-old boy as an adult for allegedly offering a Sony PlayStation to have his aunt killed.
<FlipTopBx> is it modded?
#4281 +(186)- [SUX]
<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<phxl|paper> and DANCE
* nmp3bot dances :D\-<
* nmp3bot dances :D|-<
* nmp3bot dances :D/-<
<[SA]HatfulOfHollow> i'm going to become rich and famous after i invent a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet
#3936 +(155)- [SUX]
<+kritical> christin: you need to learn how to figure out stuff yourself..
<+Christin1> how do i do that
#5598 +(143)- [SUX]
<Kazz> Do vampires have anuses? Cause that's why I wouldn't let this kid invade a vampire's anus in this RPG, right, I was GMing, and his character was an Anus Shade, with the power to possess and control the anuses of people and animals.. and I figured that vampires don't have anuses.
<Zaratustra> a vampire's anus is present, but non-working.
<Zaratustra> like a network card without the appropriate driver.
<Kazz> Wow. You're the biggest dork on Earth.
<Sharkey> And you're DMing an rpg with Anus Shades.
#4780 +(138)- [SUX]
<Thumb> do you know of any major organizations that are similar the CDC?
<Lucent> who?
<Thumb> center for disease control
<Lucent> i said WHO
<Thumb> what? i'm asking you
<Lucent> World Health Organization
#4278 +(125)- [SUX]
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard
#4680 +(111)- [SUX]
<Raize> can you guys see what I type?
<vecna> no, raize
<Raize> How do I set it up so you can see it?
#5523 +(97)- [SUX]
<Opcode> i was gonna call 911...but i was downloading a file
#6011 +(95)- [SUX]
<incarnate> hey cres, I know what you're thinking right now
<incarnate> " "
<cres> i dont get it
#5272 +(91)- [SUX]
<django23> I have a stupid question: what does "sendmail" do?
<Epesh> django: you're right, that is pretty stupid
#6824 +(91)- [SUX]
<@Logan> I spent a minute looking at my own code by accident.
<@Logan> I was thinking "What the hell is this guy doing?"
