A moment of free time...

I haven't posted on this blog this week because of my insane schedule lately.  School work is starting to pick up, did a lot of fun stuff with my unicorn siblings for my birthday (<3) and have been further sinking into my fantasy world. :) No complaints, really.

Since I am such a nut for my media and my recent acquisitions, I will let you know what has been going on.

Comic books have become a daily staple of my world.  Today, for example, I went to Books, Comics & Things and picked up the following new issues from DC's "New 52":

Batman-"Knife Trick"
Deadman-"Twenty Questions, Part 1"
Demon Knights-"Seven Against the Dark"
Justice League-"Part One"
Resurrection Man-"Pronounced Dead"

In my back catalog, I have also been enjoying old Aquaman (my "Showcase Presents" volumes as well as my plethora of back issues from the 90's) and discovering the Marvel superhero group The Eternals. Really looking forward to next week's DC reboot of Aquaman, and who knows? I may take a chance on a few more reboots that catch my eye, given that I enjoy the ones I purchased today and that are eagerly awaiting a read.

Musicwise, this week has been pretty big.  I have taken a sneak peak at some of the new album leaks online, determining what I feel is worth entering my collection.

Blink 182-"Neighborhoods" (4.0) I was pleasantly surprised with this album. Not that I thought that they wouldn't be able to make a decent album after 8 years of hiatus, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't a fan of Angels & Airwaves, mostly because I can't stand Tom DeLonge.  Well, he's still front and center on this album, which is a disappointment because I think that Mark is a far better singer.  But overall, the songs are catchy but more sophisticated than their earlier, sillier songs and has the same tone as their self-titled (2003) album which I thought was their best work.  Definitely worth a listen. Notable songs: "Natives," "Heart's All Gone," "Ghost on the Dance Floor," "MH 4.18.2011"

Machine Head-"Unto the Locust" (4.7) There was no doubt in my mind that this album was going to rock HARD. Ever since the band revamped their sound in 2004 with their album "Through the Ashes of Empires," and their 2007 metal masterpiece "The Blackening," Machine Head has been on my "CAN DO NO WRONG" list.  This album just further proves that. Do I love it as much as "The Blackening?" Not yet. But there is not one bad song on this album, and it plays like classic Machine Head from beginning to end with the crisp production you would expect from the metal gods. Notable songs: "Be Still and Know," "Who We Are," "I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)"

Thrice-"Major/Minor" (2.7) These art-rockers have gradually upset me a little bit more with every album since their 2003 landmark "The Artist in the Ambulance." Ever since, they have removed themselves further away from the music and fanbase that made them who they were and instead are going the route of Radiohead...if Radiohead decided to bore the pants off of everyone listening.  As with most recent Thrice albums, a gem here and there does not help save the album or even allow the good songs to shine in a sea of half-heartedly written riffs and droning keys. Notable songs: "Call It In the Air," "Words in the Water," "Anthology."

I will have a few more reviews posted for albums that I have listened to but not yet gotten a chance to analyze. All I will say is that the new Tori Amos, "Night of Hunters," is a beautiful 72 minutes of music, all focusing around Tori's piano and voice, boosted up by an orchestra in this classically-influenced concept album. Full review next time. :)

For DVDs, my recent excitement has revolved around the Sponge Bob Square Pants season one boxset, and "Bridesmaids" on Blu-Ray/DVD combo. I don't have a Blu-Ray player yet, but those combo packs are only a few dollars more than the DVD, so why not get that? :) The special features on the DVD are hilarious, I can only imagine the awesome special features included on the Blu-Ray.

Vinyl-wise, I have been spinning some older ones I bought a few weeks ago that I haven't gotten a chance to listen to yet.

Toto-"Vol. 4" (1982)
Meat Loaf-"Bat Out of Hell" (1977)
Starship-"Knee Deep in the Hoopla" (1985)
Heart-"Dreamboat Annie" (1976)

And I bought these today at my favorite Fort Wayne record store, Neat Neat Neat.

Jimmy Eat World-"Chase This Light" (2007) MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF THEIRS!
The Locust-"New Erections" (2007) POWERVIOLENCE MUSIC AT ITS FINEST

Currently working towards finishing up Stephen King's "Carrie" (1974) and William S. Burroughs' "Junky" (1953). 

One last note, my uncle Rob bought me one of the heaviest, most brutal albums of last year: The Acacia Strain's "Wormwood." What a kickass uncle, huh? :)  Thanks Uncle Rob!!

Lazy Weekend

I was up really late night being awesome, and I slept until around 2. I woke up and finished up reading William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" (1971) and tomorrow I plan on listening to his audio commentary on the film's DVD to learn some things about the book and the film. 

I solved a problem that had been bugging me for a couple days: I was fearful that my turntable was dying, because the past few times I have been listening to music, the sound had gradually dipped down about a half step in tone, making everything sound out of key. I tried it on several albums and after about three minutes, I would hear it dip again. It was then confirmed by pressing the stop and restart button that the song would pick up at its original key and gradually dip down again.  Not realizing I was solving the problem, I moved my turntable back up to on top of my DVD player. What I had done earlier this past week was buy a shelf for my records and use the lower shelf underneath the TV to store my turntable. As soon as I returned the turntable to its original spot on the entertainment center, the dipping of the tone ceased.  I am wondering if it has something to do with the lower shelf being slightly bowed due to the heavy weight of the albums that had occupied the shelves previously. Whatever, it worked! :) Not gonna question it, saves me having to buy a new one...

Today's vinyl picks have been Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" (1967): Record #2, since I had listened to the second side of Record #1 last night as I was laying in bed, eventually falling asleep.  After that, my new vinyl that came in the mail today, The Devil Wears Prada's "With Roots Above and Branches Below" (2009), which I am very glad I purchased. I forgot how much I loved that one. (On a slightly related note, their new album "Dead Throne" is not nearly as good, but I still ended up awarding it a 3.6 out of 5. Very predictable and bland.)

Took a listen to "Homesick" (2009), my favorite A Day to Remember album. and then Devin Townsend's "Physicist" (2000), which has my absolute HevyDevy song on it, "Kingdom." I popped into Neat Neat Neat, looking for the new album by The Gaslight Anthem frontman, called The Horrible Crowes.  Unfortunately, it was out of stock. Hopefully it will be there on Tuesday when I go to pick up the new Primus album (which is FANTASTIC!!) :)

Don't really have anything else to say other than I discovered a bag of Combos that I bought several days ago and completely forgot about. Unopened! Jackpot!!! I have been muchin' on those muthatrukas all day!! :)

Labor Day Weekend: Part Duece Yo!

        "Robocop" (1987) gets me all pumped up! I have it playing right next to me as I am typing this; for those who have seen it, I only started watching it a few minutes ago because the 209 just blew someone's insides out. :) It's also funny to see Kurtwood Smith from 1987; I guess in the 70's he was the lovable hardass Red Forman on "That 70's Show," and obviously went crazy in the 80's, got younger, and became a bank-robbing criminal. :) It just really blows my mind to know an actor from a late 90's sitcom taking place in the 70's, and then to watch a futuristic film from 1986 in which he is the villain. :) Earth-shattering. I feel like I am in a TIME WARP! (Go ahead, start singing.) ;)

        Today was kind of an odd day. I didn't go to sleep last night because I was up reading comic books and watching movies. I watched David Cronenberg's "The Fly" (1986) which is brilliant. Never seen the original from the 50's but I can't imagine it is anywhere near that epic. Oh shit, hang on! Red Forman is about to shoot Peter Weller like a million* times!........

(*when I say a million, I obviously mean 100,000) ;) 

"Cops don't like me....so I don't like cops." BOOSH! BOOSH! BOOSH!

"Hey Clarence! He's still alive!..."

"Okay...fun's over." BOOOOOOOSH!!

Okay, so Murphy's dead. Bet he won't be for long! ;) RRRROOOOOBBBBOOOOCCCOOOP!

Diversion. So anyways, I went to Spyro's today and had a pretty awesome omelette that was the size of a freaking football. Then I went to Books, Comics & Things to pick up the first issue of my new favorite comic book series,  Marvel's "The Sentry." No Aquaman today, but a couple more "Robocop" comics.  I then went to Neat ^3, and to my disappointment, he no longer had the Pearl Jam album. Lucky for me and my diverse interests, it didn't take me too long to find something I couldn't live without.  He had just gotten the triple-LP release of The Dear Hunter's (not to be confused with the indie rock band Deerhunter, who are also great) first two albums: "Act 1: The Lake South, The River North" (2006) and "Act II: The Meaning Of & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading" (2007). For those who don't know, the frontman and brainchild of The Dear Hunter is Casey Crescenzo, formerly guitarist and one of the vocalists of The Receiving End of Sirens, a very underrated experimental rock band from 2005ish. 

"Madam you have experienced emotional shock. I will notify a rape crisis center."

I am really being distracted by the genius of Robocop. Hard to think that the director of this film and "Total Recall" (1990), Paul Verhoeven, went on to direct "Showgirls" (1995). :( Disappointment. But if you think I don't own it on DVD, you would be wrong. On the contrary, I purchased it when I was 18 just because I was old enough to buy an NC-17 movie at Best Buy. It's not a good movie. At all. But nobody watches "Showgirls" for the plot, right? ;)

Last Robocop quote: "I'd buy THAT for a dollar." 

At this point I am really hoping that someone who is reading this (I know there aren't many yet) has seen "Robocop" enough to know the shit I'm referencing.

So my big news for the day: I bought a snazzy suit at Salvation Army today and the jacket, pants, shirt and tie collectively cost $9 dollars. :) I am thinking about instituting "Classyass Tuesday," in which I wear a suit to class. Also I bought a much needed shelf for my 200-vinyl collection, and my dad and I discovered a Hammond organ for $25.00. I couldn't pass that up. I may end up being broke as hell when I am older, but at least I'll have cool stuff to keep my poor ass entertained. :) I am picking it up on Tuesday. It will be epic. After all my running around this morning and my lack of sleep last night, I ended up crashing out on my bed around noon, while listening to my favorite Tori Amos CD ("To Venus and Back", 1999). Ended up sleeping until 8 o'clock. Yikes. So this day feels kind of backwards. Definitely need to get back on a regular normal-people's sleep schedule. Well, peace out friends! I will post again tomorrow :) Until then...

"I'd buy THAT for a dollar!!!" :D

What did I do today?

         I woke up at the crack of 3:45 PM today. My dad came home from work. I requested that we go to Half Price Books, because today was "20% Off Vinyl" Day.  Little did I realize when I got there, the whole store would be 20% off for a Labor Day Weekend sale.  When I walked in, right next to the vinyls, were 10-pack mystery bags of comic books for $2.00 a piece. Given how hardcore I have jumped into comic books lately (thanks Aquaman ;)), this was a no brainer that I would gladly spend six bucks to possess thirty new comics. I also found an Aquaman that I must have missed during my last sweep of the HPB comic book collection. And to make the situation more hardcore, what robot muthafucka did I pick up four comics of? ROBOCOP!!! :) Punchy punchy punch, yo!!

         We then traveled back to our side of town and indulged in some Great Wall Buffet.  I saw a girl in front of us eating cheesecake right when we walked in...and I was like "JACKPOT!!" Who says you can't eat two slices of cheesecake before your meal? I think they also must have put cocaine in their Pepsi because it was more refreshing than usual.  I got my usual "J Vinney All Star Platter" (those who don't know what this is will have to join me at a Chinese buffet someday, because this plate is ALWAYS collected by me). :D 

          I got home with a few new vinyls, and of course, thiry-five comic books that I rounded up for less than ten dollars! The first order of business was to pop in vinyl #199 of my collection: The Moody Blue's 1978 album "Octave." While I did not get into more than half of it, there are some great songs on it as well and who knows, maybe the rest of it will grow on me after a few more listens. I then put in the 2008 "Iron Man" movie and got to reading some comic books. The set that I have read so far is:

01.  Frank Miller’s “Robocop”-Issue #2 [Wrap Cover*] (Sept. 2003)

02.  Frank Miller’s “Robocop”-Issue #3 [Wrap Cover] (Sept. 2003)

03.  Frank Miller’s “Robocop”-Issue #4 (December 2003)

04.  Frank Miller’s “Robocop”-Issue #7 (October 2004)

05.  “Aquaman” Volume 43, No. 450 (March 1976)

06.  “X”-Issue #15 (June 1995)

07.  “The Last Minute”-Issue #4 (December 2004)

08.  “Mantra” (Vol. 1, #2) (August 1993)

09.  Mike Grell’s “Jon Sable, Freelance”-Issue #3 (June 2005)

10.  “Project Superpowers: Chapter 2” (Vol. 1, Issue #1) (2009)

(those who aren't familiar with a "wrap cover," this is when the front and back cover of the book is one complete picture, as opposed to the usual advertisement on the back)

          So I read ten of the thirty-five comic books that I purchased today, watched "Iron Man," Disney's "Beauty & The Beast" (the 1991 work-in-progress version, which was fascinating), and Tobe Hooper's 1975 film "Eaten Alive." If you haven't seen this film, a run-down motel is run by a maniac with a scythe and a pet crocodile that lives in the pond surrounding his establishment.  He murders people and feeds the bodies to his crocodile. There is a helpless girl running the whole time, very similar to Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" film.  It's movies like these that kind of make me understand the accusations of horror as misogynistic.  

           So tomorrow (or technically today) is a very important day. You may have noticed that the Moody Blues album, the most recent I have purchased, was vinyl #199 for me.  Tomorrow, with the help of me $10 off discount card at my favorite record store in Fort Wayne (Neat Neat Neat), I will be purchasing #200.  Album #100 was Pearl Jam's first album "Ten," the re-release of their first album.  While I enjoy the re-releases of these albums, having the original pressing of their "Vitalogy" (1994) album has spoiled me. And when I saw their album "Vs." (1993) at Neat^3, I knew that it had to be my 200th. So that's going down tomorrow.

          Before I wrap things up, I just want to give a shout-out to some people who mean a lot to me. My family (Dad, Mom, Alex and Andie and Sparky) and my AWESOME unicorn siblings Chapstyk and Toxyk.  If you don't know who they are, you're not cool.  Marvin Beard, sorry I pussied out tonight because I wasn't feeling well earlier, we will find a time this weekend to hang out, and if not, definitely next week.  And everyone who plays in a band with me, you all know who you are. You are what gets me through the days with eagerness to get together and do what we love. (...and then we play some instruments afterwards.) XD Peace out friends!