tumbl'n once again.

You probably didn't notice, but I haven't really been posting that many blogs on here recently. This is mainly because with my busy schedule since the onset of the new school year I haven't had the time to write full-length entries. However, I still find the need to share my thoughts with the internet and in order to do this (in smaller bursts, but not completely constrained by 140 characters) I have created a new tumblr account:

http://getxcited.tumblr.com/

So check out the new blog, bookmark it or follow or whatever you please. It will be my main blogging-source for the time being. Maybe I'll get back to blogging on blogspot in December or April when I have some time to write out longer posts, but until then I'll be tweetin' and tumbl'n.

Fall Playlist.

It's been a while.

Change is in the air. Literally and figuratively speaking. In the literal sense the "air", or atmospheric conditions, are changing as Summer gives way to Fall (and I couldn't be more excited, I love the Fall). This change however also marks quite the change in who I am and must become as an individual over the next 12 months and beyond. Entering my 4th (and final?) year of university, starting a new job, unsure of what lies in my not-too-distant future, and trying to figure out my academic, social, personal, and professional life all at the same time will make this year quite an anxiety-inducing, and exciting, but ultimately interesting one (or so I hope). 

As always, music is on my mind and with the changes in weather and life circumstances I also feel that my iTunes could use a new musical boost. I've refrained from buying new albums for a while now (due to a lack of employment and the moneys) but now that I once again have a job that problem has been solved. Time for new music! 

Hollerado

I first heard of this band while at this year's Edgefest. I saw their set and thought they were pretty good musicians and their show was entertaining and fun (they get bonus points due to their copious use of confetti). My only knowledge of the band's music prior to seeing them live was the Rogers commercial that they were featured in. At the end of their set they made some joke at the expense of A Perfect Circle (who were then just starting on the main stage) and how they had never heard of that band before or any of their music for that matter. I thought that was  funny as I also had never heard of this band before, despite a lot of people at Edgefest being really excited that they were playing. I also found the comment to be a bit obnoxious, this relatively unknown band ripping on an (apparently) big-name band currently playing to a crowd probably six times (it was probably more) the size that they just played to. However I soon learned that Hollerado don't take themselves too seriously and actually seem like genuinely fun guys. 

Despite not knowing of the band prior to Edgefest, it seemed like in the days and weeks afterwards I couldn't get away from them. Their music started appearing everywhere and I got really into it. I liken them to the band Weezer in musical styling and ability to release hit singles without much appreciation for the rest of the album on the part of the general public. I did some research on the band and their "Meet the Mayor Tour" and decided that Hollerado was for me, so I picked up their album Record In A Bag (which literally was the album in a sealed plastic bag with stickers and a tattoo and other goodies inside) last week and have been loving their music ever since. I can see this band going places in the future, they will be one to watch.

Hollerado's awesome music video for "Americanarama"

The Joy Formidable

I can't remember the last time I have been as excited for a band as I currently am with The Joy Formidable (TJF). Yes, I was quite excited for Foster The People a few months back but that was mainly because I wanted to see if my prophecy of them becoming the band/having the single of the summer would come true (which I believe it did, their single "Pumped Up Kicks" went Platinum in the U.S. and NBC's Nightly News even covered the band a few weeks ago pretty much affirming what I had predicted - I just wish I could find the clip to share). My association with TJF is less exciting than it is for Hollerado, I pretty much was watching an interview with Blink-182's bassist Mark Hoppus and he mentioned that we was really into the band so I decided to check them out. So I did and I love it and I will buy their album as soon as I can. I don't know how well this band will do though, in terms of mainstream appeal, it really is hard to tell. It's unfortunate that a lot of indie-alternative bands of TJF's variety never really make it out of the indie scene, only known in obscurity and maybe have a large following in a couple cities. But, I love them and you should too. As soon as I can find their album somewhere I will pick it up (they aren't really featured in many Canadian record stores I've found) and if all else fails, I'll suck it up and buy the digital version. 

The Joy Formidable's "Whirring". Listen and love it.

Blink-182

I've already spoken about this band a couple times on my blog so I'm not sure what else needs to be said. I saw them live for the first time a few weeks ago and despite my initial hesitations, they put on an awesome show. It really was mind-blowing. Their new album Neighborhoods is set to be released on September 27th and will be a day-one purchase for me. 

Blink-182's sorta-stupid music video for "Up All Night". If they were trying to "wow" the world with their return, this video is definitely far from doing that. It doesn't really matter in the end I suppose, people will buy the album regardless. We  all just love Blink too much.

So there you have it! Three bands and three albums that will soon be on my musical playlist for the Fall. There are other bands I'm currently digging, and new ones will emerge. I love discovering new music and there will be other artists that catch my eye as this discovery tends to happen on a daily basis. For now though these are the big three and I hope in enjoyed reading about, listening to, and watching the new music I am currently into!

Summer 2011 report card.

With the end of my summer unofficially coming up relatively soon (I begin training for a job on August 21, which will effectively carry into the school year thus marking the end of my summer "break") I have been reflecting on the past few months trying to figure out if I would consider this summer to be a "success" or not. In order to best figure this out I have decided to grade my summer via a breakdown of summer-related categories and I'll share these grades with all of you! I consider my "summer break" to have begun when my regular school year ended, so I'll be reflecting on the period of May through August:

Productivity: 6/10

I consider "productivity" to be things that you don't necessarily enjoy doing, but you do them because they'll assist you at a later time (they produce a future good, not the production of good in-and-of-itself). The primary measure of productivity would be wage-labour (summer employment) and this is something I have ultimately failed to do this summer. Despite managing to get 3 interviews at good jobs, and actually having to turn down a couple other jobs (for various reasons) I could not find gainful employment this summer. So why did I award myself a 6/10, even though I haven't been earning money the past four months? The answer is that I feel that I earned productivity marks in other non-employment related ways. For instance, this summer I took a course at school, earning a credit which will (somewhat) alleviate the stress this upcoming school year will inevitably bring. I also began diligently studying for my LSAT, which is also "work" in the sense that I'd rather be doing something else but it is something that must be done. Therefore my attention to studious endeavours over the summer have earned me, I believe, a 6/10 in this category. 

Social: 8/10

Another major aspect of the summer is the social one. The summer is a time when most people have less to worry about (especially us students) and therefore more time to get together and socialize. The summer is also the ideal time to catch-up with friends and acquaintances who you don't normally see during the regular year. For me, the socialization aspect of the summer has been pretty good. I managed to hang out with most of the people I wanted to at some point, and I feel like I have re-strengthened bonds with some old friends as well. There have been plenty of social occasions this summer; parties, get-togethers, trips, etc., and the only thing really left wanting in this category would be an awesome end-of-summer-bash (that I still hope someone puts on). I also managed to hang out with the girlfriend quite a bit (who I normally see maybe 4 times a month during the school year) so that was nice as well. 

Events: 9/10

More amounts of free-time plus the awesome weather means that the summer is the best time to go out and do things that you wouldn't normally do during the year. Despite not working and therefore not having much money, as well as May-June primarily being dedicated to my school course, I am quite happy with this category. Two big concerts featuring some of my favourite bands (I managed to see personal favourites Rise Against, Blink-182, Tokyo Police Club and the Arkells live), a weekend trip to Niagara Falls, two Blue Jays game, an Argonauts football game, and a day trip to Wasaga, all within the span of 6-odd weeks has left me satisfied with that summer "need" to do stuff (plus a quite large credit card bill for the month of July has effectively scared me off of doing anything more). The only things lacking in this category would be a cottage trip of some sort. I love cottage life and I love hanging out with good friends. I think combining these two things would be the ultimate summer event. If only I had a cottage...

Rest and Relaxation: 10/10

Again I can credit my low "Productivity" mark for this one and even though the break part of my "summer break" didn't really begin until July, I really feel that I have rested up as well as anyone can during the past few weeks. At this point I actually feel restless and I am excited for the upcoming school year. I have reached that point where I want to be busy, to have structure in my life again. It's a good thing as it means that I won't (hopefully) burn out with everything come October because I never really got a break. With a lot of my friends actually having jobs, plus the geographic distance I am from other friends, there have been plenty of days where I spend the majority of my time simply lounging around doing whatever. This has allowed me to catch up on my favourite hobbies (music, gaming, reading fiction, and movies, etc.) which are usually neglected during the school year.

Overall Total: 33/40 = 82.5% (A-)

I think this total is accurate, I would give my summer a low "A" rating. It's been a good few months. Nothing grand or life-altering, but decent enough that I have no major complaints. I got some work done that will help me in the future, I managed to catch up with a good number of friends, I have made memories and have been kept busy, and I ultimately was able to recharge my batteries in anticipation of the upcoming year.

I believe that these four categories adequately demonstrate all that I hope to get out of during a summer break and if you feel like reflecting on your time this summer feel free to write your own post (or leave it in the comments) grading yourself in these four areas of summer (if you agree with me and think it's an adequate breakdown of what a summer should entail. If you don't think so, feel free to create a scale of your own.). It would be interesting to see how our grades compare and contrast! 

The only band ever?

It was August 5, 2011 when I heard the news. I lay on my bed reading Orson Scott Card's Children of the Mind when I decided to check out my social feeds on my BlackBerry. I log onto my Facebook app and read this message posted by one of my friends on the home page: "Alexisonfire broke up :(". I read it again. I panic. I immediately hop onto Twitter, searching for any tweets with the word "Alexisonfire" in them. Lo-and-behold, my Facebook friend appeared to be right. Numerous tweeters were reporting similar news. One tweet sent me to exclaim magazine's site, another to Alexisonfire's site and soon enough it became clear that it was official: the "only band ever" was no more. 

Alexisonfire is - er, was - one of my favourite bands, if not the favourite. Their 2004 album Watch Out! is my favourite album ever produced by any musical act. I accidently bought it back when I was 14 years old, as I was trying to purchase the band's self-titled first album after falling in love with their song "Waterwings". It took me awhile to get into and appreciate the type of music Alexisonfire played as it was very different from any type of music I had been exposed to previously. However, once I got into their music, I got into it in big way. With their musical styling and intensity combined with powerful and emotional lyrics, Alexisonfire became a mainstay in my life growing up and continue to be so to this day.

While the band's latest LP Old Crows/Young Cardinals is good and entirely serviceable in its own right, it was not what I was expecting from the band as I eagerly anticipated their follow-up to 2006's stellar offering of Crisis. The new album was different from the band's older works, a little too different for my tastes, and my initial opinion of the album was simply tampered by my anticipation of what I thought it could have been (the band itself were anticipating this fan criticism for how this album, as described in the lead track "Old Crows"). While at first Old Crows/Young Cardinals seem to cause a speed-bump in my absolute Alexis fandom, I had eventually come to appreciate the album in its own way and understand why the band decided to take their music down this path. The band also somewhat redeemed itself in my eyes (or ears rather) by releasing the Dog's Blood EP last year which is very reminiscent of the band's old Watch Out!-Crisis musical stylings.   

Regardless of the more recent tribulations in my relationship with the band, it is not an exaggeration to say that I really was devastated by the news that the band had broken up. The initial shock was like hearing that a good friend had just suddenly decided to move away. Alexisonfire have been a mainstay in my life for the past 7 years, and I have become attached to the band as an idea, entity, and group of artists. Great bands are the ones that can so effectively target the core of its listeners and connect with them that the band and the music become much more than just entertainment. Alexisonfire was one such band and it is sad to see them go. It is also pertinent to note that I am not alone in this feeling of loss for such a great band as Alexisonfire have sold thousands of records and have even had some mainstream success in the latter part of their career. Many fans were upset the evening of August 5th.

With Alexisonfire calling it quits, music got a little suckier. With that being said, there is no point in really dwelling on this loss. Through their decade long run, Alexisonfire became one of the great Canadian bands around today (my opinion obviously), especially in the genres of alternative and hardcore (or post-hardcore) rock. As the saying goes: with the closing of one door, another couple inevitably open. Alexisonfire may have been one of my favourite bands, but they are in no way the only band making good music today (there are a few others out there, you just need to know where to look). While it is sad that Alexisonfire is no more, this leaves room for other bands to emerge and fill the void. If anything, I can find solace in the fact that while the break-up wasn't completely amicable, the band didn't dissolve due to a major fight or anything serious like that. These artists simply felt that they gave all that they could to Alexisonfire and wanted to expand their horizons. Dallas Green will go on with City and Colour, Wade MacNeil will continue with his band Black Lungs and is also joining Gallows (the move that decisively ended Alexisonfire), and George Pettit assured fans that the remaining members of the band will go onto something new. There is also talk of Alexisonfire doing one final "goodbye" tour, as well as a special album release in celebration of their 10-year anniversary. If either of these things become something substantial, I'll be the first one in line.

An audio-visual history of the band:

Music video for "Pulmonary Archery" off of 2001's Alexisonfire

Music video for "Accidents" off of 2004's Watch Out!

Music video for "Passing Out In America" (Moneen cover) off of 2005's The Switcheroo Series: Alexisonfire vs. Moneen

Music video for "This Could Be Anywhere In The World" off of 2006's Crisis

Music video for "The Northern" off of 2009's Old Crows/Young Cardinals

This summer's Silver Screen.

Last night I caught a screening of Cowboys & Aliens which was the last film I needed to see on my "summer 2011 must-see movies" list (the other four being Thor, X-Men: First Class, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger). For a nerd like me it has been a great summer for movies and instead of writing about each film individually, I decided a while ago that I'd write my thoughts about each film (and rank them by my preference) in one big post. So this is that post. The way I rank and discuss these movies is my own opinion and is therefore obviously open to criticism. I should also note that I think all these films are good, this listing is just a matter of personal preference in how I enjoyed the films or the priority in which I might recommend someone watch these movies. My rankings will be in descending order and I'll try to keep my opinions on each film as concise as possible while avoiding major spoilers (but I'll let you know if one is coming up).

5. Cowboys & Aliens

Ever since the first couple of trailers for this movie came out, I have been excited for this film. The premise of having cowboys and aliens fight it out seemed so ludicrous that I had to check it out. The direct mashing of two film genres (western and science fiction) was also a selling point. While I am a huge fan of science fiction films, I am not so acquainted with western ones. So the prospect of having a movie that would at the same time be familiar and new was very appealing. Overall the movie was decent enough. Decent action, decent effects, fun premise, etc. Seeing Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford do their thing on screen was also really great as they both seemed to really enjoy their roles in the film. Despite all of this however the movie ultimately fell somewhat flat in my opinion. The film was a little too familiar with respect to each film genre and it didn't challenge me (the viewer) in anyway. The plot was predictable, the characters were one-dimensional (for the most part), and while the film had some fun with the ridiculous premise, I felt like it could have taken the fact that these were COWBOYS fighting ALIENS to a higher level. The tone of the film never seemed to hit the mark with me and I couldn't help but notice some nonsensical plot holes (noticing and pointing out holes in the plot or premise of any movie is my Achilles heel when it comes to if I enjoy a film or not). Overall this movie is a good popcorn flick and will provide for an entertaining couple of hours. It is in no way a bad film, but in the same respect it is not one of the best that was released this summer.

My rating: 3/5

4. Captain America: The First Avenger

When I heard that Johnny Storm would be Captain America I was not happy.

When I first heard they were bringing Captain America to the silver screen I was excited. Then when I heard that Chris Evans was going to playing the dear Captain I got really nervous. Not that Evans is a bad actor or anything, I just couldn't picture him fitting the role. To me Evans plays secondary characters, usually as an outlet for comic relief. Also, he played Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films and it just didn't make sense for him to play another Marvel superhero (canon continuity is really important to me, and the folks at Marvel Studios thankfully avoided the Johnny Storm-Captain America-looking-like-the-same-guy issue by not including said Fantastic Four movies into the current Marvel film "universe", which is a good thing as both FF movies were awful). Upon seeing the film, I realized that my initial fears about Evans were misplaced as he did a superb job and is probably one of the best things in this movie. Really great acting on his part. Like all the recent Marvel movies, Captain America was fun. It's a good time. Action, comedy, romance (although a bit downplayed) all working together to make a completely sizable summer film. The film also scores points simply due to the fact that it is contributing to the previously mentioned Marvel film universe, whose culmination in next year's Avengers is going to be epic and probably the super-awesomely film event of the year for me. If you're a fan of Marvel comics, Captain America, or the new Marvel Studios take on superhero films, Captain America is a must see. I did have some issues with the movie however. This film suffers from what I like to call "Stormtrooper syndrome", as in all the run-of-the-mill bad guys at no time pose any obvious threat to Captain America and he mainly just steamrolls through them. This drains the action scenes from tension as you know Capt. will make it through any and all obstacles in his way. The motivation of the bad guys was a little too unbelievable for me as well. I expect a little bit more out of my villains in modern cinema than what Captain America had to offer. Also Captain America (or his civilian name Steve Rogers) is very one-dimensional as a character. He remains the absolute good guy throughout the whole film and this makes him somewhat boring (he has no character ark, he doesn't learn anything through his trials and tribulations). My biggest grief with the film though (MILD SPOILER ALERT) is that the "end fight" scene, the culmination of all of Capt.'s efforts where he confronts his villainous nemesis the Red Skull is totally lame. There really isn't even a fight between the two of them. I wanted to see a fist-to-fist brawl between these two enhanced beings (the film even makes a point to demonstrate that like Capt., the Red Skull also has stronger-than-normal strength. Just nothing ever comes of this demonstration). For me, this lack of an epic end-battle between good-versus-evil really hurt the film. Despite these qualms, Captain America is a great film for any comic book fan and again is a must see for those eagerly awaiting The Avengers like myself.

My rating: 3.5/5

3. X-Men: First Class

I didn't really know what to expect from this film, and to be honest I wasn't expecting much. The X-Men as a film franchise was severely hurt by 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand and was wholly destroyed by 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the initial trailers for First Class didn't make the film seem all that interesting to me either. However once the film came out and the initial critic reaction turned out to be very positive I just had to see it, and I am happy to report that I quite enjoyed myself. Great story, action, characters, and comedy (when appropriate). Like most of the recent Marvel movies, First Class was simply fun. Seeing these super-beings flying all over the screen using their powers was awesome and the special effects and scale of some of the action scenes was top notch (the culminating scene of First Class hit that "grandiose" mark that I was waiting for in Captain America). My only real complaint with this film is that it features the stereotypical characteristic moment that some films that have (and suffer from). In First Class, it is (spoilers) the black character who is the first to die (and in not even a dignified way). The film is in no way racist (or at least I don't believe so, I have read things online that would disagree with me), but the fact that the film took this route with this character was disappointing. Another criticism I have is that a lot of the supporting characters (mutants) don't really get fleshed out as well as I would have liked, but I understand that this film is primarily about the relationship between Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Eric Lehnsherr (Magneto) and the film does the exposition on these characters and their relationship superbly. See this movie if you can.

My rating: 4/5

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

I have already discussed my initial reaction to this movie previously on this blog and as explained before, my relationship with this film is somewhat special and therefore different from what I had when anticipating viewing the other films on my list. I can't recommend or even discuss this film without talking about Harry Potter's entire story and plot, as I really feel that anything Harry Potter has to be viewed within the context of the universe as a whole and how said universe makes you feel. The Harry Potter universe is one of my favourite fictional universes and this film isn't something I can merely recommend. If you like Harry Potter you don't even need to be told to see this film. You will see it. With that being said, EVERYONE should be a fan of Harry Potter and if you aren't, then you should be. It really is as simple as that. I was eagerly anticipating this movie, not because I thought it was going to be some grand masterpiece, but because I enjoy Harry Potter. The film itself was good enough to fulfill my expectation as a rabid Harry Potter fan and that's all that really needs to be said (although I will note that it generally received good reviews as a film in-and-of-itself).

My rating: If you like Harry Potter, you'll enjoy this movie. If you don't like Harry Potter, you should like Harry Potter.

HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER

1. Thor

I really liked Thor, and it is the movie I liked the most out of all the films I had wanted to see this summer. I've said it before in this post when discussing the movies that came out this summer, but Thor is just fun. Crazy fun. Thor is a movie that really anyone can enjoy; if you like movies, you'll find something to here. This movie had everyhing: an epic fantasy story about ancient gods duking it out for inter-dimensional superioirty, action-packed fight scenes, cool special effects, great acting (Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Idris Elba Heimdall really stealing the show), a romance subplot (in which Natalie Portman plays a dorky, typical "everygirl" who falls for Hemsworth's Thor who is totally buff and runs around half naked most of the time - a role-reversal in typical cultural portrayal of male-female sexual dynamics that I appreciated), an over-the-top premise that knows its limits but excels within them, a cool "end-fight" scene, a moral lesson, sneaky (but totally awesome) revelations into what 2012's Avengers may have in store (adding to the continuity of the Marvel film Universe), it really just  has the whole package. Thor is in no way a masterful movie, one that will greatly affect me or change my life, but it's a damn good film and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it (well, not every bit, I feel that Thor's companions the Warriors Three could have been fleshed out a bit more, but I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them in future sequels). I think the reason I liked Thor so much was because I had a real fear that the film would be disastrous. Of all the major characters in the Marvel Universe, Thor is by far one of the quirkiest and weirdest. He's an ancient Norse god who lives in some far-away fantasy world, who speaks in Old English and fights giant monsters across mystical plains of existence and gets magical powers from some higher (but never identified) magical (divine?) source. If done improperly, this film could have been terrible. Luckily for us all, not only was the film good it was really great. See it.

My rating: 4/5.

This is more than entertainment.

To anyone who reads this blog with even odd regularity, you will know that I am a big music fan and really feel that it can contribute to one's life in ways that no other medium can. I make these assessments based off of my own experiences with music and the attachment I develop to certain musical stylings, artists, and messages. This post is going to be about how music has been a major impetus for me to become aware of and engaging in social and political causes. I am going to discuss my association with punk music and the bands that I identify with the genre. 

Like any term, word, or idea, "punk" is open to individual interpretation. I define punk music as a rhythmic  style and lyrical composition that deals with issues and topics not normally found in the normal (or mainstream) music scene. Punk music deals with themes, ideas, emotions, and issues not typically heard on the average radio or television station. The genre can exercise these qualities within any given political, social, or cultural context, but usually it comes from more leftist and socially conscious artists. It is created by those artists who are not afraid to be different from what is popular and accepted by the norm and in indeed many hope to demonstrate how what is accepted is not always what is best. They find value in deviancy and social critique as without it there would be no way to know if our society is a good and moral one. Major themes or ideas of the punk music I listen to include: anti-corporate control, anti-government hegemony, anti-war, pro-social services, pro-environmental protection, pro-education, and pro-equality, and pro-human rights (among others) all under the call for individuals to play an active role in their society so to bring about positive change. At its core, being punk is about being true to yourself and not accepting the norms and standards being imposed by others, while oftentimes advancing a particular social/political ideology or worldview. I feel that this broad definition of punk fits well within the contemporary punk music scene as demonstrated by all the various subgenres that have emerged since the term "punk" became a way of describing music in the mid-1970s. Being punk and punk music can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people and like any art form it can be expressed and interpreted in many ways. 

Punk music (in some form or another) has been a part of my music scene ever since I was able to make independent decisions about what kind of music I wanted to listen to. I became introduced to punk music through one of it's subgenres, the type of music commonly referred to as "pop-punk". Like many others, some of the fondest bands of my youth were pop-punk acts like Sum 41 and Blink-182. Sum 41 in particular played an important role in the development of my affinity for the genre. I loved (and still love) their 2001 album All Killer No Filler and it was the first album where I had eventually memorized the lyrics to every song.

Cover for All Killer No Filler. One of my all-time favourite albums.

90s/early 21st century pop-punk is all well and good, with some of my favourite bands having emerged from this era of music but it wasn't until my mid-teens when punk took on a new and arguably more profound meaning for me. It was at this time when I began listening to music for more than mere entertainment or emotional outlet. It sparked an awakening within me and allowed me to find an way to express - or in the very least reflect on - all the daily issues of the world that seemed so horrible that the idea of lasting, meaningful resolutions was always out of reach. This music offered a different interpretation of world events from what I was being taught in school and through the news media. The importance of this music is that it not only brought a new awareness to world issues, it offered an outlet for socio-political identification and activism. By offering a different perspective of the world, this music effectively changed my world view and moved me to act on this new awareness. This transformation all began one typical high school day in an Applied Technology class when a friend of mine recommended I check out the album For Blood and Empire by a little band called Anti-Flag.

Anti-Flag.

Broadly speaking, For Blood and Empire was an album heavily criticizing the then 5-year long War on Terror being waged by the United States under President Bush. Political criticism in music was not all that new to me at the time (Green Day's American Idiot had released two years prior and blew up in popularity for all music listeners, mainstream or not) but what made Anti-Flag's album different (and therefore more appealing) to me was how many of the songs were devoted to more than just criticism of American foreign policy. The album contains songs about the failure of modern journalism as an adequate source of unbiased news reporting, unfair immigration policies, the ever-growing corporate power in modern America, neoconservative political agendas, the financial cost of America's wars, the World Trade Organization, CIA operations in countries that don't agree to the (then) global U.S. economic hegemony, as well as rock-anthems about how we need to and can change this current (and ever-worsening) situation.

Anti-Flag's For Blood and Empire. One of the most influential and important albums I've ever come across.

Through the album and its music I was able to learn about these issues, something that I'm not sure would have happened otherwise. Anti-Flag can be tied directly to my awareness of and association with the socio-political activist organizations Democracy Now!, PETA, Military Free Zone, and Amnesty International, and like a domino effect these groups led me to similar organizations (many of which I continue to follow to this day). While Anti-Flag wasn't the only musical catalyst that spurred the social activist within me (I also began to really get into bands like Rise Against around the same time) there is no doubt that they've played a major role. 

I currently have an extra 5 years added onto my life since I first heard about Anti-Flag, and while my world view has developed further and changed during that time, I still agree with many of the social and political issues advanced by the band and bands like them. I might express these views differently today (as opposed to being the first itching to go to a protest I might write a nice political paper) they still are at the core of my political and ideological beliefs. While I am not sure if it was the music of bands like Anti-Flag that definitively stirred me into my current view of the world or if I latched onto their music as an affirmation of views previously held, I am happy to identify myself as someone who listens to and enjoys punk music. The scene, the messages, the ideology, and ultimately the bands have all played an important role in how I've developed as a human being and for that I am thankful and appreciative.

Watch:

Music video for "This Is The End (For You My Friend)" off For Blood and Empire

Music video for Sum 41's "Fatlip" off All Killer No Filler - a blast from the past for Sum fans!

Listen:

"Entertainment" by Rise Against - inspiration for this blog post

Jets unveil new logo.

Yesterday a friend informed me that the Winnipeg Jets had unveiled their new logo, and seeing the logo I have to say that I'm quite happy with it:

The logo is simple enough, no flashy colours or iconography. It represents Winnipeg by appealing to the city's connection with the Canadian Air Force (via the jet) as well as representing the team's Canadian identity (via the background image of the maple leaf and the overall compass-looking design, pointing north). 

Too often team logos have seemingly very little do with the team name and I am glad that True North was able to so nicely incorporate the image of the Jet into a logo design.

Logo for the NFL's New York Jets. Can anyone tell me what this design has to do with jets?

I'm also quite happy they didn't stick with the original logo. Not that it was bad or anything, but the franchise is keeping the name of the old team so the connection to the past is there, but with this new logo we are reminded that this is a new team that will hopefully have a better outcome in the NHL than its predecessor did. 

Make Some Noise.

Because I don't really watch music television anymore (Much Music or MTV or whatever other stations are broadcasting music) I don't get the chance to see many music videos (granted "music" television nowadays is notoriously known for not even playing that much music anymore). Recently however I came across an awesome new music video for the Beastie Boys's single Make Some Noise off their latest album "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two". Make Some Noise is probably one of the best music videos I've seen in a while. Any movie or television geek will love the video for all the celebrity cameos that appear in it (and essentially it is these cameos that make the music video so special). The video can be found below:

The set of this video reminded me of another cool music video I saw a while ago. This video (released in March) was for LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem and it spoofs the film 28 Days Later. The Party Rock Anthem video can be found below and is worth watching in its own right: 

That's all that's on the docket today folks! Just a couple cool music videos I felt like sharing with you. If the music industry hopes to have any continued relevance on the televised medium entertaining music videos like the above two are necessary.

Blog changes (again).

In my perpetually impossible attempt to have myself be content with this blog I have once again changed the template and other things for this site (as you can see).

There are a couple things I wanted to note with these changes. All of my old posts will now contain links that are in yellow as opposed to the new link colour I have chosen. I have changed some of the links in my older post to this new colour but I really don't feel like going through all my old posts and doing it (although who am I kidding, we both know that I'm going to do it eventually).

I also wanted to note that my previous comments on my posts have a fragmented "error" as my image due to some confusion I had upon initially analyzing Google+ (I accidentally deleted all the images from my blog). Also on this note it has come to my attention that some of you are having difficulty posting comments on my newer posts. I don't really know how to explain this or why it's happening but if your trying to post comments and it's not working just know that it's Blogger's fault, not mine, in all likelihood.

Every day I come closer to having 1000 all-time views. I'd once again like to thank everyone who reads this blog and I'm trying my hardest to make them less boring (admittedly something I have failed to do with this entry).

See you soon!

An Eventful Night.

Tonight two very special things occurred. One dealing with the end of something, another signally rebirth. Both are very important to me as they have greatly influence who I am, and both are prominent fixtures in the popular culture of my generation. I could write two whole blog posts about these things individually, and I probably will, but for now I aim to write in the moment.

First the end.

At midnight tonight the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released to the general public, marking the supposed end of Harry Potter as a franchise in its current incarnation (I say "supposed" and "current incarnation" as I am a firm believer that we are not done with Harry Potter quite yet. There is simply too much money on the table with regards to the Harry Potter franchise that someone in some way will continue with the franchise. The storyline dealing with the character Harry Potter may have ended with this final film, but I am sure that the Harry Potter universe will continue to exist in one way, shape, or form. Indications of this are already present with J.K. Rowling recent announcing of Pottermore, and only time will tell what lies in the future for this beloved franchise, but I am sure it has a future). I, like many of my generation, am a huge Harry Potter fan. Ever since I began reading the series at the age of 11, I have grown up with the books and, like many others, feel a strong connection with the story and the universe. Whenever I think about the fact that the Harry Potter universe is a fictional place, one that doesn't and will never exist, always out of reach despite it feeling so close, I actually get saddened. The fact that the Harry Potter universe doesn't exist in reality puts me into slight despair. No other fictional entity has done this to me before and I think this notion adequately demonstrates my love for Harry Potter and all it is and represents. I don't really know how to convey my fandom for the series anymore than this.

I doubt it will ALL end.

With that being said, the final movie was not a life-defining moment for me. I was not one of those in the theater crying throughout the film (a reaction I understand, there are some out there who are even more attached to the franchise than myself, in many cases a lot more) and the ending of Harry Potter marks the end of a cultural-phenomenon. A piece of my generation is now over (again, for the time being). For me, this feeling was more prevalent during the release of the 7th and final book back in 2007, so the movie was a nice extension of the Harry Potter universe, but it was not the end of it. The film itself was decent enough, probably the best Harry Potter film since the Deathly Hallows Part 1. If you're a fan of  Harry Potter you'll thoroughly enjoy it, and if you're not a fan of Harry Potter then you should be. There really isn't anything more to be said about it. You pretty much have to have been sold on Harry Potter in some capacity (either through the books or the films) to enjoy this movie (and you definitely have to be familiar with the last film in order to know what's even going on in this one). Finally, despite this being the end of a storied franchise, it featured a lot of personal firsts. This was the first time I went to a midnight screening of a movie, or at least I think so, I may have went to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith at midnight but I don't really remember (I drink), but this was definitely the first time I waited outside the theater for a movie for more than 20 minutes (our screening was at 12:30, my group got to the theater around 9:30). It was also my first time seeing a movie in 3D, so that was exciting as well.

Onto rebirth.

Tonight also saw the release of Blink-182's new single "Up All Night" which is to be on their forthcoming album to be released sometime later this year. Blink-182 is one of those bands (like many I write about on here) which I consider to have had a major influence on my youth and therefore on who I am today. While I have never been an extensive Blink fan, only really getting into their music from Enema Of The State onwards, Mark, Tom, and Travis have always held a prominent spot in my CD player, my computer playlist, or my iPod. They're a part of  that mid-90s/early 21st century group of pop-punk bands whose music dealt with the lifestyles and attitudes of white suburban teenagers (so pretty much my exact demographic). In their popular music leanings a lot of Blink's songs are catchy and easy to listen to at any time, while the punk genre is present in some of their more meaningful songs and in Blink's attitudes towards society, relationships, youth, and life in general. I could go on to discuss which songs in particular meant a lot for me and why but I won't bore you with that here (I'll save it for another post). Ever since the band went on an "indefinite hiatus" back in 2004 I have followed the acts that came about - Mark and Travis's +44 and Tom's Angels & Airwaves, but the music scene really did not feel right without Blink proper. In 2009 Blink-182 announced that they were getting back together and with the release of this new single, the fact that a new Blink album is on the horizon is readily apparent and highly exciting.

Blink-182 circa 2001's Take Off Your Pants And Jacket. A couple years after the album's release was when I really started getting into their music.

"Up All Night" - despite having an ironic title: it being 4:30am as I write this - is a pretty catchy tune. It reminds me of Blink's 2004 self-titled album in sound and style, with obvious influences by Angels & Airwaves in the guitar riffs, breakdowns, and background ambiance. It's a solid track, and I am happy that Blink-182 is back. I have the privilege of seeing them play live in August, an event I am very excited for. I am hoping to get a better taste of what their new album may have in store at the concert. Having Blink back is like renewing a relationship with an old friend. He may have changed a bit in style and appearance, but at the core it's the same person. I welcome Blink back into my life. In a lot of ways they have never left.

Edgefest.

Yesterday I attended Edgefest for the first time and had quite the experience. As I write this I am exhausted, smell like smoke (cigarette and otherwise), possibly suffering from heat stroke, and a couple hundred dollars poorer, but it was all worth it. Going to Edgefest this year shook me out of a lack-of-concerts funk that I've been in over the past year or so, and I am happy to be back. Edgefest is my second music festival experience (the other being 2008's Rogers Picnic) and attending the event reminded me of why I am attracted to these big events.

Toronto generally doesn't get too many big music festivals. I find this odd as other comparatively sized/culturally prominent North American cities do (Montreal's Osheaga, Chicago's Lollapalooza, and San Fransisco's Outside Lands to name a few). Toronto, with 2.5 million people in the city proper and 5.5 million if you include the GTA, should be home to a big music festival. The population is definitely there, and as the line goes, "if we build it, they will come". There must be some bureaucratic reason why Toronto cannot hold such events and it's a real shame as these events - which usually last for multiple days featuring some of the biggest/emerging names in rock and alternative music (and all their sub-genres) - seem like a good time and would provide for an amazing experience. 

But onto what we do get - Edgefest. 

The main stage.

It was amazing yesterday. Two stages, tons of people (I heard that they were expecting about 15 000, and it was definitely packed, the space allocated for the festival wasn't all that big. All the bands I wanted to see put on terrific shows - those being the Arkells, Tokyo Police Club, and Rise Against - and the rest of the acts I caught were great as well - The Weakerthans, A Perfect Circle, and Hollarado being the ones I distinctly remember. Tokyo Police Club really impressed me, probably the best set I've seen them play - this was my 4th time seeing them live - and Rise Against impressed as well, but that was expected (yesterday was my 2nd time seeing them). I had never even heard of the band Hollarado until their set on the XM Side Stage yesterday evening and they put on a terrific show and can consider me a new fan. 

Edgefest is an event made for bigger groups. While it was fun going with three people (myself, my girlfriend, and my cousin - it was his first concert and he was treated to quite the show. My first concert (with friends, i.e. away from mom and dad) was at The Phoenix many years ago (I think I was 15) where I saw A Static Lullaby and the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (plus others), a decent show in it's own right I suppose but nowhere near the epic scale as offered by Edgefest), it would be awesome to go with a big group next time. At least 5 people or so, that'd be ideal. Although granted throughout the day we met up with others so our little group grew and shrank as the day went on.

One thing that surprised me about the event were the number of people who smoked. I am not oblivious to the fact that - despite the repeated warnings and education about the potential hazards - people still smoke (many of my friends do, and I on occasion feel like I would like to) but I was surprised at the amount of young people that were smoking, especially the younger women. I know people attended Edgefest to have a good time, but I would've thought that - in today's age - the general attitudes towards smoking would have affected some change in people's habits. People were also smoking other (less legal) substances, and I'm generally fine with that. It was just the sheer amount of cigarettes in people's mouths is what surprised me. 

I also found the litter everywhere highly ironic. This year the law in Ontario changed, allowing people to take their alcoholic drinks with them wherever they go at concerts (as opposed to being restricted to beer "tents" or "gardens"). This led to the ground being littered with discarded plastic cups (among other things). The irony is that the headlining and most popular act - Rise Against - are steadfast environmentalists, and I couldn't help myself but wonder what'd they think about people's disregard to keeping the Earth clean. 

Rise Against.

Overall Edgefest was a great experience and despite being hesitant about attending initially, in the end I'm quite glad I did. It couldn't have been held on a more beautiful day, and it had all the fixtures of an epic rock concert (two stages, tons of people, crowd surfing, $8 beers, mosh pits, a few fights, etc.). One of the funnier/more annoying experiences I had was when a couple guys near me were trying to mosh to Tokyo Police Club's "Your English Is Good". It reminded me of people trying to mosh at an Angels & Airwaves concert I went to awhile back. Just not the type of music. There is a time and place for everything. I guess alcohol will do that to people. 

I didn't take many pictures or video of the concert, at least when compared to when I was younger. As I've grown older, and had gotten more and more concerts under my belt, I have simply grown tired of constantly having a camera in my hand, holding it up as the band I want to see plays. I want to see the band, not worry about getting a cool photo or full video (although when I do, it is pretty awesome). However if you'd like to see the pictures I did manage to take, you can see them here.

Edgefest 2011 was awesome. Definitely a highlight of my summer thus far.

Happy 144 Canada!

Today is Canada Day! Time to grab some beers, chill with good friends, and light a few fireworks. In honour of Canada Day I'd like to share with you all a video made my one of my favourite Youtubers, KassemG. The video is a part of his "Califronia On" series and in this installment he quizzes pedestrians at Venice Beach with questions about our Great Nation. A little insight into what some of our American friends to the south know/think about our country perhaps?

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Hume's 300th.

This year philosopher David Hume turned 300. Ever since I began studying philosophy seriously upon entering university, Hume's skepticism, critical thinking, and logical analysis has always appealed greatly to me. If you are not familiar with Hume's work I highly recommend you check some of it out. The Royal Society of Arts recently posted a video discussion on Hume and the breadth of his philosophical influence in commemoration of his 300th. I've decided to share the video with you here:

Floradora.

Today I have another drink recipe I'd like to share with all of you! It's called the Floradora and it is quite the splendid beverage. I first heard about this drink on IGN's Gamescoop! podcast and - due to praise of the drink by the fine IGN editors Daemon Hatfield and Greg Miller - I decided to check it out for myself.

I was not disappointed.

Since learning the recipe I have made the drink numerous times for a good number of people. I have only recieved positive feedback thus far so I figured I'd the post the recipe on my blog so to assist anyone else who may be interested in making this delicious concoction.

This is what you'll need.

Ingredients: 

- Gin

- Framboise liqueur 

- Lime juice

- Ginger ale

- Lime wedge

- Ice

Process: 

1) Mix 1.5 oz of gin, 0.5 oz of framboise liqeur, and 0.5 oz of lime juice (I used a mixer and mixed these three ingredients together before pouring it in the glass. Not a necessary step, but if you have a mixer on hand then I recommend it. If not, simply pouring each ingredient into a glass - with ice - is fine. I also, once again, used a shot glass to measure the ounces). 

2) Pour the mix into a glass filled with ice (preferably a highball glass).

3) Top the mixture with ginger ale.

4) Garnish with a lime wedge. 

The end result should look something like this: 

There you have it folks, a fairly simple recipe that makes quite the excellent drink! The Floradora may seem a little girly to some - I mean, look at it - but rest assured that if anyone questions it all you have to do is offer them a sip and they'll understand why you're drinking it. It's light, cool, and refreshing. A perfect summer drink!

Mess Media.

The below GOOD video came up on my Twitter timeline via Thought Bubble the other day and I feel it is an ample demonstration of how bad the mainstream "mass" media has gotten. This is a topic I have briefly written about before so I figured I'd share the video with you here:

I'd like you to watch the video for yourselves first so to develop your own opinion as to why this is being put forth as an example of how bad news outlets are at doing their job (i.e. journalism - reporting on what matters and is important to you, the consumer of news and information). Then I'd like you to head on over to GOOD's article about the video and give it a read (it's a short couple paragraphs) as I feel they sum up the issue quite nicely. 

Summer Updates.

As you may or may not know, I am a person who generally doesn't sit well very long with any one set state of affairs. I enjoy change and I try to anticipate and embrace it whenever possible. The reason I am telling you all this is because this blog will (again) go under a little change. First off, as you can see around you, I have altered the template and general aesthetics of the blog a little bit (the last time I did this was at the onset of spring, and I am making these changes as summer kicks into gear so I think I may change my blog's template so to accord with the various seasons from now on, that would be neat!). Secondly, I think I am going to post more about news stories/topics that catch my eye and that I think are important. I'll try to discuss stories that, for whatever reason, do not seem to heavily make it into the circuit of the mainstream news coverage. In recent years I have grown really intolerant and at times outright angry at what gets put forward as news in our mainstream media. The quality of journalism we receive from these outlets is very sub-par, with stories generally lacking any sort of depth and failing to ask the appropriate questions and discuss the potential consequences of the stories that are being covered. I hope to offset some of this, if only for my own personal research and gain, by writing about news stories that I think deserve more attention on this blog. I'll still post inane things about myself (don't you worry), just expect there to be more news/current affairs posts in the future than there has been previously.

Also, if you'll look to the side bar of the blog you'll notice some changes. I have put in a "Free Music Downloads!" tab offering, as the name explains, free music for you to download. I'll feature music that I think is good - or at least worth checking out (hence me advertising it on my blog) - and because they'll be free downloads there is really no loss in any of you doing so. I'd also like to note that the music I will feature here is all 100% legal and legitimate, the links provided will take you to the artist's/label's website/page where you can download the music. I generally don't believe in illegal downloading (something my wallet greatly disagrees with) so just be sure to know that all the links provided here are totally legit! The side bar is now also home to a project I am currently working on at my university. Last year I co-founded and am now an Editor (as well as the guy in charge of promotion) for an academic journal based out of Victoria University at the University of Toronto. It's a journal comprising of papers written by undergraduate students at the university, consisting of a wide variety of topics and academic disciplines. I figured I'd throw some links up to our official website and Facebook Page for anyone who is interested in checking it out. The journal is called Humanitas and we really appreciate any and all support. Our entire first issue is available online (found if you click on the "Official Site" link) for your reading pleasure!

I figure I should also give an update on my Tumblr account - something I had written about previously. There isn't much news here, ever since making it I haven't really used the site at all as I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with it. I am close to just deleting it altogether, but I have some ideas in my head as to what I could do with it so I'll refrain from deletion for now. So if you have read that post and are wondering what's up with the Tumblr (because I haven't updated it since day one) the answer is: nothing.

So that's pretty much it for now, just a brief "update" post is all that's on the docket for today. Check back soon!

P.S. This week has seen me getting back into the music of The Academy Is... An great independent rock band, who's 2007 album Santi brings back fond memories of summers past. The music is upbeat and poppy, very appropriate for summer listening! While I am only familiar with the band's work on Santi, rest assured that I'll be checking out their other albums - Almost Here and Fast Times at Barrington High - soon enough.

Dallas.

City and Colour's newest album Little Hell was released yesterday and I picked it up as soon as I could get myself to an HMV. With the album playing for the first time in the background I decided to write my next blog post about Dallas Green, front man of City and Colour and one of few people whom I would consider an idol of mine.

For those who don't know, City and Colour officially came to be on November 1, 2005 when St. Catherines-born musician Dallas Green released a full-length album of acoustic songs he was working on alongside his time playing lead guitar for Alexisonfire (who themselves are probably my favourite band ever). The album, Sometimes, featured singles: "Save Your Scissors" and "Comin' Home". My favourite tracks off the album include: "Off By Heart...", "Hello I'm In Delaware", and "Casey's Song", but really the whole album is terrific and everyone should give it a listen. Despite achieving Gold status in March 2006 and Platinum status in November of the same year, the album wasn't too much of a hit with mainstream music listeners (their loss).

City and Colour at Rogers Picnic, 2008

Sometimes was followed up with 2008's Bring Me Your Love (BMYL). This new album marked a departure from the pure-guitar and piano focused solo act of Sometimes as it introduced more instruments to the mix (such as the harmonica, banjo, lap steel, and drums) as well as more band members, resulting in BMYL having a folk-influenced sound. While I personally prefer Sometimes to BMYL, the album is noteworthy for a number of things. As already mentioned, the evolution of City and Colour from a solo act to a folk-influenced band, but also for featuring significant artists on the album. Many tracks on BMYL featured the work of members of indie/folk rock band Attack In Black (another favourite of mine, one time I got to see them play a small show in Newmarket with The Flatliners. I remember seeing some of the band members outside the venue as I was going in and I went up to them and exclaimed, "Hey! You're in the band right!?", they just looked at me funny and said, "yeah" followed by an awkward silence, I replied with "well, have a good show then" and walked off. If only I had remembered their names and played it cooler, I could have made some neat friends that day...oh well, back to the Dallas) as well as Gordon Downie of the Tragically Hip. With the support of singles "Waiting..." and "Sleeping Sickness" BMYL would follow the precedent set by Sometimes and go Platinum in Canada. My personal favourite tracks off the album include: "Sleeping Sickness" (probably one of my favourite songs of all time), "The Girl", and "What Makes Man".

With Little Hell just released yesterday I cannot really discuss much about the album in regards as to how it will act as yet another progression for Green and his music. However I can say that, after one listen, it is clear that the days of Green being the sole member of City and Colour playing guitar or piano are long gone as Little Hell's tracks all feature a full band - following in BMYL's footsteps. It's a good album, but I'll have to listen to it a few more times before I make any definitive statements about it. Although I can say that it's different from City and Colour has done before, but this is in no way a bad thing. The first single "Fragile Bird" is currently making its way up the Canadian and international music charts, and there is no doubt that this new album will only help to bolster City and Colour's career and bring them into the mainstream (as demonstrated by Dallas Green being featured on the show One Tree Hill). I eagerly await a Canadian tour announcement in support of the new album.

City and Colour at Massey Hall, 2009

There are many reasons why I find Dallas Green so appealing. For one, he's an excellent Canadian musician, capable of a wide range of musical styles and abilities (as demonstrated with his leading guitar and vocal contributions to both the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire and the acoustic/folk/alternative work of City and Colour). He's my favourite member of my favourite band ever (Alexisonfire, whom I started listening to at the age of 14). His music has been a part of my life's soundtrack for a long time now; playing in the disc tray, through my computer speakers, or on my iPod in times of a frustration, loss, joy, sadness, reassurance and all the other emotions any typical teenager-turned young adult might - and does - experience. I have had the privilege of seeing Dallas Green play live three times (twice with City and Colour and once with Alexisonfire) and he is an artist that has proven his ability in the recording booth and live on stage. He's worked all his life being dedicated to what he's passionate about (he started playing music with Alexisonfire at the age of 21 - he's now 30) and he has found success doing this (he's sold numerous albums and won many awards throughout his music career). His lyrical style is passionate and emotional, exemplified by his "angelic" (as I've heard it be referred to as) vocal abilities. He is a genuine musician in every sense of the word. I liken Dallas Green to my generation's Neil Young or Bryan Adams, and while he isn't a Canadian great yet (in terms of popular music culture in this country) I have no doubt that he one day will be.