The Donkeys have San Diego, and from that environment have woven a fundamental ease in their music – a rock, a roll, a sway, a slide – you could even call it a breeze. On Ride the Black Wave, The Donkeys continue their easy rolling, classic vibrations, but add a mystery and tension that make this record their most lyrically and instrumentally compelling.
Hello, Axixic. Your latest album is Dancing On The Moon. What significance does the title hold for you? It’s a metaphor that I carried around for years to describe two contradictory ideas: living in the moment -or- doing one thing when you really should be doing something else. When I came to Mexico to write and record the album it seemed to describe what I was doing so I decided…
The world of free online first person shooters is a bleak place, full of oddly cartoonish games with slow paces, goofy weapons, and an overall feeling of awkwardness. As poorly as many of these games stack against their non-free competition, you have to give it to the developers for trying, and sometimes they make a gem. One of these few and far between beauties is called Urban Terror.
Oh goodness me, what do we have here? Okay, this is actually sort of an older deal, but I recently discovered idoser, which is a website that makes some pretty brash claims all based on sound waves. In short, idoser is supposed to get you high using audio frequency. The science actually has some validity to it all, but without getting too much into complexities lets just say that it…
If you have read any of my reviews of Facebook games you may have noticed that I typically do not like them. Personally the majority of them seem like nothing but graphic versions of pen and paper RPGs (such as Dungeons and Dragons) minus the imagination and social stigma and after playing so many of them my patience has been worn out. To call them video games is something of…
Social network games tend to be something of a breed all their own. Truthfully, I can barely tolerate the vast majority of them. However, I am aware that my opinion is the minority when it comes to this subject, and I cannot deny that these pseudo video games have a big market. The newest of these games Space Empires: Battle for Galactic Supremacy, sticks to familiar formulas and really doesn’t…
When I first saw Puzzle Agent, I had a good feeling. Coming from the same studio that gave the world the generally loved Sam and Max series (TellTale games), Puzzle Agent is a point and click adventure game designed around the graphic novels of Graham Annabelle. This first episode is a pilot, and from here Telltale will decide whether or not the series will continue. Perhaps the games biggest challenge…
I first discovered Toribash about 2 years ago and I have loved it ever since. The game has gone through some changes since then (and even more since it was first released back in 2006) but the basic framework remains untouched and even after two years I still find myself firing up this little known indy gamin gem a few times a week. It’s rare that I would use words…
Rock Paper Sumo is a new Facebook game from Firm studios, in concept the idea is a great one and sounds like it would be a blast, the execution suffers from similar problems to most Facebook games though. What problem is that? To put it plainly, not much happens in RPS. Unless of course you count clicking things that have no instant effect, and waiting.
The people at OGPlanet seem to be trying hard with Hockey Dash, but that might be the problem. Hockey Dash is a new (officially launched on June 9th) online multiplayer hockey game, and I have to admit, it looks really good. Typically, I don’t expect much from online video games in terms of graphics. Most MMO’s are capable of being very pretty, but unless you have a very expensive machine…
Well, you jump, and that’s about it. Doesn’t exactly sound like that intense of a gaming experience right? In fact, at first glance Canabalt looks more like a rejected Atari title than the incredibly innovative and fun little gem that it is. I stumbled on the game about a week ago, and since then have been playing it quite a bit and I have to say, this is one of…
On Tuesday, June 22nd, the Music City community will unite to assist victims of the floods that ravaged Nashville and Middle Tennessee NASHVILLE RISING: A see earlier this month. “Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery,” will take place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. It will feature performances by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who are spearheading the event, and numerous other artists. See below for a list of performers and special guests…
Topshelf Records (Defeater, My Heart To Joy, Pianos Become The Teeth) are excited to announce a new release from Aeroplane, 1929, as well as the addition of Castevet, Everyone Everywhere, Into It. Over It., and Lion Cub to their roster. Two years after The Holy Ghost, Aeroplane, 1929 return with their strongest release to date and long awaited full length, Attic & Cellar. Absolutepunk.net claimed The Holy Ghost to be…
Iron Age – Constant Struggle / 2006 Youngblood Records / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/youngbloodrecords / Reviewed 01 April 2006 It was not an accident that Iron Age makes their actual CD for Constant Struggle” look like an eighties CD. The style put forth on tracks like “We’re Dust / The Violator” looks back to bands like Megadeth and their ilk for influence. Still, the production values of “Constant Struggle”, as…
A second Los Angeles area show has been scheduled in Anaheim on October 25th at the Honda Center along with 6 additional dates for the Live Nation produced tour including stops in Chicago, Oakland, San Diego, San Antonio, Dallas, and Uncasville. More dates to be announced soon. Tickets for the newly announced shows go on sale on May 14th at LiveNation.com. Shakira North American Tour Dates September 17 Uncasville, CT…
Ion Dissonance – Solace / 2005 Abacus / 10 Tracks / http://www.iondissonance.com / http://www.abacusrecordings.com / Reviewed 16 November 2005 While it is hard for me to typically appreciate the style of technical hardcore that bands like Converge play, I feel that Ion Dissonance moves beyond that sound in trying to put the hardest type of music down on disc. Individuals may say that this is just a chaotic mess, that…
Celebrated UK trio KEANE will embark on a headlining US tour this summer in support of their new album Night Train, out tomorrow on Cherrytree/Interscope Records. The tour kicks off July 20th in Oakland, CA and sees the band traveling across the country, wrapping up August 11th in Minneapolis. Tickets go on sale May 14th. Tour dates below. Supporting the tour will be Travis frontman Fran Healy and Ingrid Michaelson.…
Opera News announces the launch of its new, redesigned web site at www.operanews.com, which boasts a dynamic, image-rich look, new and expanded content, and improved navigation and search tools, making online exclusives, favorite sections, and new material more accessible than ever before. Meanwhile the world’s premier opera magazine takes on a southern flavor this June, with a cover story profiling Louisiana’s bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, and numerous related articles, featuring Charleston’s…
The Invisible Eyes – Laugh In The Dark / 2005 Bomp! / 16 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/theinvisibleeyes / http://www.bomp.com / Reviewed 09 December 2005 Psychedelic seems to be the major fuel that drives bands in 2005. Between the Invisible Eyes and The Coffin Lids, there seems to be a single-handed resurrection of the style by Bomp! bands. The Invisible Eyes are more sedate than The Coffin Lids, tending to be more…
On May 18 L.A.’s Chapin Sisters release “Oh, Hear The Wind Blow” digitally and on vinyl (being sold at their live shows). This EP was recorded live in the studio and features three songs from their “Lake Bottom LP” and two of the compositions that will appear their second full length release “Two.” “Two” was recorded in rural New Jersey in the Summer of 2008 with co-producers Jesse Lee (Gang…