music! +rant

2010 will be remembered for the fixed gear trend, dudes with beards and mos that really cant grow beards or mos, shitty lo-fi garage beach indie rock with frumpy female singers, another generation of talentless "deathcore" bands trying to start a genre of music that was dead before it started (and those metalcore bands who use techno, fuck), crosby scoring the golden goal, the word "hipster" and everyone dressing like they are going on an adventure, another year the wintersun album isnt released, party in the u.s.a., even more girlie scene dudes from arizona playing shitty breakdowns, the rise of the "dj" who is really just a dude with itunes, and just a whole bunch of other horrible things that this year brought us. even if i tried i couldnt make a list of 20 albums i love this year, i had trouble with 10. but i figured ill give it a shot.

over the past week or so ive read heaps of blogs, pitchfork, ap, rolling stone, spin, whatever I could find on best albums of 2010. then i downloaded and youtubed constantly trying to see what the fuss was about. what i was missing. and in the end I just dont get it. i listened to beach house, deerhunter, caribou, sufjan stevens, the tallest man on earth, the walkmen, lcd soundsystem, vampire weekend, harlem, surfer blood, local natives, yeasayer. each and everyone of these will be on almost every best of list you can come across. i honestly wish i enjoyed any of this. i really tried (well some i honestly got 30sec into and had to turn off) but i dont. it focuses on guitar tone over substance, beard growth over emotion. maybe over time some of these will grow on me but i doubt it. ill just be lost until next year.

metal really went backwards this year. at one time it was all i cared about and this year many of the big guns released albums i'll never listen to again. burzum, dark tranquility, blind guardian, avantasia, soilwork, kalmah, kamelot, dimmu; they all have a back catalogue i will listen too until im old but all their 2010 works will be easily forgotten.

this is a weird list of 10 but it was a weird year.

here is what i can remember from this year and what i'll gladly take into the next one.

• gaslight anthem - american slang
• comeback kid - symptoms and cures
• the roots - how i got over
• agalloch - marrow of the spirit
• minus the bear - omni
• the kanye album
• ihsahn - after
• enslaved - axioma ethica odini
• the black keys - brothers
• black breath - heavy breathing

some good albums that i enjoyed but will no way make a "best of" list -

• make do and mend - end measured mile (so close)
• mikoto - transitions ep
• equalibrium - rekreatur
• russ chimes - midnight club ep
• octaves - greener pastures!
• beta wolf - ep
• more then life - love let me go
• cancer bats - bears, mayors, scraps, and bones
• at our heels - misanthropy and godlessness
• kvelertak - kvelertak
• alcest - ecailles de lune
• borknagar - universal

best rerelease of the year(?) -

bruce springsteen - the promise: darkness on the other side of town (i had to include this album even thought it came out in 1978. but its remastered and with 21 new added bootlegs and songs its world better then anything that came out this year)

song of the year -

usher - dj got us fallin in love again

new tunes.

defeater - lost ground

5/5. unbelievable. the best hardcore band currently going. modern. progressive. angry. intelligent. its all good.

blind guardian - at the edge of time

5/5. they just keep getting better and better.

comeback kid - symptoms and cures

4.5. this isnt the "wake the dead" cbk. but its still real good. loud and aggressive.

gaslight anthem - american slang

5/5. some of this actually had to grow on me but i cant count how many times ive gone through this. bonus song "she loves you" may be the best one.

kalmah - 12 gauge

4/5. kalmah is one of the best and this album is much better then the last, yet with the new vocals they can never make another swampsong.

kverlertak - s/t

4/5. this came out of nowhere. swedish black metal rock n roll. one of the most exciting albums ive come across.

black breath - heavy breathing

5/5. do you like cursed? get this.

octaves - greener pastures!

4/5. whoa. cant wait for more. mewithoutyou vocals mixed with norma jean (bless the martyr) sound. heavy, diverse, tons of fun.

in mourning - monolith

4/5. great melodic death metal. this genre has been around for awhile but they can make it new. new opeth type progressions.

alcest - ecailles de lune

4.5/5. so good. beautiful.

more than life - love let me go

3.5/5. this band will be huge. just need to grow and better production. these new hardcore uk bands get better and better.

Beta Wolf EP

Beta Wolf - "S/T EP"

1. Undertow

2. Los Angeles

3. Say It To Me Now

4. Dig

5. Girl On Fire

Free Download!

MediaFire Download

queen of tarts.

queen of tarts. dublin. ireland.

blackberry apple crumble/soy latte

raspberry scone/soy latte

avatar.

9.6/10 i would love to give this movie a 10, but if you cast michelle rodriguez in a movie i will always subtract points. the girl who almost ruined LOST does her best to destroy this film, luckily she doesnt have a huge part.

but it lives up to the hype. breathtaking visuals you wont want to blink. the colors and level of detail are unlike anything ive seen. and this does carry the film. the animals, the floating mountains, and the avatars themselves seem as real as anything.

but the story is very predictable. almost boring because you know exactly what is going to happen. but its good enough, and coupled with the visuals you get one of the best action movies in years.

the princess and the frog.

9/10. absolutely brilliant. fits perfectly next too all the early disney classics. the only reason this film doesnt hit a 10/10 is because there is no classic song; no lion king theme, no whole new

world, no under the sea.

this movie just doesnt

have that song ill be

singing in 10 minutes,

let alone 10 years. yet

the story is great, the

characters are

memorable,

and animation

breathtaking.

MOvember!

we grow mustaches (MO's) for mens health

http://au.movember.com/

donate!

(photos for MOvember, by Matt)

hobart-strahan (tasmania)

a serious man.

8/10 i try not to jump on the bandwagon of any particular director, writer, or producer but i think the coen brothers can do no wrong (ok ladykillers was awful) but this is another fabulous movie to add to their collection. like all their movies the casting is absolutely perfect. they dont bring in anyone because of a name, they all fit the role perfectly. pacing was spot on. you care about each individual character and their interchanging story lines. just a great overall film.

zombieland.

8/10. amazing movie. fun and simple. harrelson and eisenberg were excellent. the girls i could of done without. one of the best cameos in years, even better in that it wasnt spoiled in the trailer.

paranormal activity.

6/10 for what it is. made for $10,000 and thrown into the hype machine. the new theatrical ending is much much better then the original.

lazy sunday.

imaginarium of doctor parnassus.

7/10

very odd. scattered.

tries to be bigger

then it is.

enjoyable.

spoilers.

verne troyer is the worst actor

collin ferrell is a bad actor

johnny depp is in this movie for 3 minutes.

mother chu's vegetarian kitchen

sweet n' sour chicken

salt with alittle bit of tofu

ham and pineapple fried rice

fried banana with vegan mango ice cream

the counter. again.

at the counter eatin burgers with american cheese and american mustard, drinkin a coke and watching the dodgers game. doesn't get more american then that.