Aberro Specus

I’ve never felt the clouds of heroin. The demons of coke. The angels gently painting the sky fuschia in a LSD-wave. Sure I’ve emptied my fair share of whiskey bottles (and your fair share too), and smoked a few packs. And there was that stint in High School… let’s not talk about that. I’m not a drug addict. I’ve been mistaken for an addict. Many times someone has asked me where  to score a dime bag, or if I could hook them up with some shrooms. Just the type of person I am I guess. I do have addictions though. I have the average “adventurer’s” addictions - give me an adrenaline rush every 30 minutes and I’d be a happy man for the rest of my life. I love a good wine or beer or scotch, I’ve explored the exquisite flavors of shisha (not the correct term, but whatever), and I have wanderlust like a hobbit of a mere 111 years (remember to pronounce that “eleventy-one”). I also have a few more “exotic” addictions - sushi, zombie movies, philosophical debate, and the point of this post - music.

I am an audiophile, and am (happily) addicted to the blessed aural sex (pun intended - if you don’t get it, say that out loud).  I can admit this happily and without shame, because I have received nothing but joy from this addiction (minus the withdrawal). While I can say that I have never felt the effects of heroin, I feel that I have felt something akin to the withdrawal from it. Being without a good tune for a prolonged period of time is painful to me. I get antsy. I get jittery. I get angry. Cut me off from music for more than 24 hours and you’re likely to have a raving lunatic on your hands, ranting about quarter-notes and syncopated machine-gun drumming… There is nothing worse than cutting a fiend off from his poison of choice, and I am thankful that has only happened to me on a few, rare occasions.

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t need to be constantly listening to music to be in a good mood. I can go without it for short periods of time. Am I listening to music right this second? You can bet your face I am. But I don’t need to be drinking listening to music in order to have a good time. Jeez… But please don’t ask me to go a day without listening to at least some acoustic rock… you’re asking for trouble. Many issues can be seen with the portable audio culture we live in today. When you’re too busy listening to your iPod to pay attention to the fact that your crossing the street… you deserve to be road kill. Though I do feel sorry about this poor woman, its a shame it happened, and I don’t think it’s her fault for listening to her ipod at the time… who expects a fucking tree to fall on them, really? If I was her, I would just hope I was listening to something damn good at the time… (P.S. - I do hope they identify her and put friends and family’s minds at ease…). But it does get ridiculous when New York has to try and pass a law about wearing headphones while crossing the street… really? I find that a bit unnecessary. If someone is going to be retarded, please by all means let them die and increase the worlds average IQ… please. But I digress…

Where was I? Oh yes, my music addiction. There are certains bands that if I hear they are  releasing a new album,  I simply have to own it as soon as possible. When Tool put out 10,000 Days I was in Ohio at the time (don’t ask why, I try to block these things from memory…) but I made a point to hit a Best Buy and purchase it. When The Mars Volta released Octahedron I went out and bought it as soon as possible after I heard about it (the next day, considering Brandon told me about it after all the stores were closed). This raises an interesting subject though…

Thrice, one of my top 5 bands (ever…) announced back in January 2009 that they were working on a new album. As of June, this new album was titled “Beggars” and in July they announced that it would be released in October (woo birthday time!). However in mid-July the album was leaked online, to the dismay of the band. In order to recover from this leak, they have decided to release the album on iTunes early (August 11th) and release the physical album on September 15th with 5 bonus tracks (most specifically, a cover of one of the few Beatles songs I like - Helter Skelter). While I am sorry that the album was leaked and that the band had to change their marketing plans to accommodate this, did I download the leaked album? Yes - but I plan on buying a copy of it on September 15th anyway. Being one of my favorite bands I couldn’t resist the siren’s call to hear this new album (which I might add is amazing, though I will wait till August 11th to write a full review, if I decide to). Is it wrong that I effectively supported the piracy and leaking of this album? Yeah probably. Do I particularly care? No, especially because I’m going to buy it anyway, so I’m not really hurting the band. I guess it comes down to whether or not I feel comfortable with this morally-grey area. Did I steal? Yes and no (the no is more my opinion but I’ll save that for a later date). Do I feel bad about it? Yes, because I know the band is annoyed about the album being leaked. Am I going to delete the album? Yes… once I have a physical copy so I can rip higher quality versions of the tracks.

It comes down to a matter of opinion. I am of the opinion that if you love a bands music you should support that band. I am also of the opinion that my audio addiction needs to be satiated so that I don’t slaughter the innocent in a psychotic rampage. So how do I solve this dilemma? Not listen to leaked music and wait till the album comes out? Not care and just download music willy-nilly? Meh… I’ll settle for supporting the bands by paying outrageous prices for concert tickets to make up for the fact that I stole their album five days before it was released…

So continue listening to music, and enjoying that lovely aural sex… I’ll catch you after I’ve listened to this Thrice album 534573457322346268 times…

~Ian

So, I’m a pretty big fan of the band 30 Seconds to Mars. I have their albums. I have downloaded some of their rare tracks and b-sides. I’ve seen them in concert (once, it was damn good too). But they’ve managed to annoy me… in a very odd way.

Let me start at the “beginning” so to speak. The song”Harder Better Faster Stronger” by Daft Punk is an amazing song. If you have never heard it, watch this video (because the song is awesome, but this fan-made video makes it even MORE awesome if that is possible). This song is from the album Discovery, which came out in, I believe, 2001.

Now, recently (2007), Kayne West (boo! hiss!), remixed this song to write “Stronger,” which I hate to admit… I actually like. Check out the music video - here. He does a good job remixing it, and it’s probably one of the only rap songs recorded in the past few years I enjoy listening to… although I haven’t, uh, “acquired” it yet.

Okay, so we have a cover of a song. Okay, some will argue that a remix isn’t a cover. But if you listen to the song, it’s a bit of both. Now we get to the mildly annoying part. 30 Seconds to Mars, while on BBC Radio 1, remixed Kanye West’s version of the song into a slow tempo, guitar driven song, omitting the swearing from West’s version. I call this a remix because honestly, West’s version sounds very similar to the Daft Punk version. 30stm’s version sounds nothing like either and if I hadn’t heard the song before wouldn’t have even connected it. You can hear their version here.

Why does this  bother me? Perfectly legitimate. Nothing wrong has occured here. But it does. In a world were nothing original seems to be created any more, 90% of the movies coming out are sequels, remakes, or based off of plays, books, tv shows, or comics, and most of the music comic out is cookie-cutter, generic crap, I’d like to see more creativity. Remixing IS creative, I wont argue that. Especially when it’s done well. And that’s what bothers me about 30 Seconds to Mars’ version of Stronger. I like it. A lot. More so than the other two “versions” of the song. But my “morality” yells at my every time I listen to it.

Moral of the story? Tell my morality to shut the fuck up so I can enjoy some good music.

EDIT: I need to do a BIT more research apparently. The “original” song, “Harder Better Faster Stronger” by Daft Punk actually samples the song “Cola Bottle Baby” by Edwin Birdsong, which is older. So the 30 Seconds to Mars “version” could even be considered the fourth reiteration of the song… insanity!

~Ian

Rise Against has a new album that just came out today - Appeal To Reason. It is excellent.

There, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I can tell you about the album. It feels much like their older albums, a driving punk album in a day and age of shite music trying to pass itself off as punk. The first track, Collapse (Post Amerika) is reminicent of “State Of The Union” off of Siren Song of the Counter Culture or “Chamber the Cartridge” off of The Sufferer and The Witness. While it may not be a new step for them, it’s a tried and true one. Start the album off strong with a driving point, and the rest of the album falls nicely behind it.

So far track 3, “Re-Education (Through Labor),” is my favorite track off of the album. It’s like a strong anthem for the unrest and discomfort rising in America almost. “To the rhythm of the time bomb ticking away, And the blare of the sirens combing the streets, Chased down like dogs we run from, Your grasp until the sun comes up.” Just screams social unrest at me, warning of a possible future where safety will mean loyalty and loyalty will mean blind obediance.The rest of the album is excellent as well, some songs jumping out at me more than others, as with most albums. Lyrically, it takes the same stance as their other albums, being a more politically and socially motivated album than most bands these days put out. The album seems to lean towards speaking out against war, which would only make sense these days. Songs like “Long Forgotten Sons” and “Kotov Syndrome” seems to support this, and “Hero of War” being pretty blatant.

Over all I would say it’s a powerful album from this band who has yet to dissapoint me with a release. If you are interested in punk music, or just sick of all the “rock” bands that sound the same these days, go pick up Appeal To Reason, or snag it on iTunes (there is a handy link right on this page to the iTunes store… hahaha).

If you would like a preview of the album, You can go to their myspace page here.

Also, they are currently touring with Thrice, Alkaline Trio, and The Gaslight Anthem. Thrice is one of my favorites, and Alkaline Trio and Gaslight Anthem are pretty excellent as well.

~Ian 

2005:

Richard Pryor
Rosa Parks
Pope John Paul II
Hunter S. Thompson
Arthur Miller

2006:

Syd Barrett
Billy Preston
James Brown
Ahmet Ertegün

2007:

Kurt Vonnegut
Luciano Pavarotti

2008:

George Carlin
Bo Diddley
Harvey Korman
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Thomas M. Disch
Heath Ledger

RIP all y’all. What a sad 4 years.

- B

P.S: Yes, I know Charlton Heston and Mitch Hedberg aren’t on the list, but Heath Ledger is. I’m currently caught up in The Dark Knight buzz, and frankly I think Heath Ledger was a batter actor than Charlton Heston could ever hope to be. Add on to that the NRA stuff, etc. I’m also not a stoner, so I don’t “get” the huge frenzy around Mitch Hedberg. He was a funny guy who made me laugh for a bit. I thank him for that, but he doesn’t get on the list. Also, some will probably notice I left off Robert Jordan. I hear he’s fantastic, but until I read some of his stuff, he doesn’t get on my list either. (Ian you can feel free to add him if you want).

So, I watched possibly the most terribly awesome movie tonight. Bug. Came out in 2006, Ashley Judd, touted as a Horror flick.

It sucked.

Until the last 20 minutes.

And then it made the entire movie awesome.  If you like really fucked up movies about weird shit… watch it. Don’t buy it, rent it. I don’t think many people would appreciate it’s brilliance. It definitely helps if you know that it’s based off of a play, because it feels like one. It starts off very slow, like an artsy play.  I think it would work a lot better on stage. If anyone hears about it being done somewhere on the East Coast let me know… I’d drive to go see that.

Watched 30 Days of Night again too. Definitely works better on the big screen, but was very good the second time around nonetheless.  I need to go buy it…
That’s about all for now. I’ve been working a lot and trying to get some stuff sorted out. Playing guitar has replaced writing for the past couple days, I’ll write more soon though.

Till later.

~Ian

P.S. OH DEAR GOD THE BUGS THEY ARE EVERYWHERE GET THEM OFF! Hehe.

Well, I’m done with college.

Okay, not 100% done yet, I don’t have my diploma in hand. But no more finals, no more reading, no more papers. Everything is done.  However… I didn’t realize this until earlier today while I was going about Boston with my mom and Brandon. I was listening to them have a conversation and thinking and walking and it suddenly hit me. I’m not an undergrad anymore. Wow…

So yeah, I know I got an A in two classes (waiting on confirmation on one of those, but there’s no way in Hell I didn’t… so) and I’m fairly positive I passed both my other classes (and I only needed one of those to be done). So yeah… done.

The dirty little details:

I’m moving out of Boston on Monday, which… kinda sucks. I can’t afford to live here anymore now that I’m done at Northeastern, and I don’t know what I’m going to do job/school wise now (I will probably end up going to Grad school, but I want to take a year or two off first). So, I’m moving to Delaware with my parents for a while (save the jokes). It will be fun, but, with all my friends here basically… and Delaware sucking… it will be interesting.

I’m going to California.  I’m going to head out to the West Coast sometime this summer. July probably. If you live out there (and read this) and want me to visit, let me know. I’m going to San Fransisco, and probably up to Oregon and down to Santa Monica I hope. Probably… three week visit. It should be awesome, we’ll see.

Life. I need to figure it out. That’s about all I can say on that matter right now.

Other than that… I’m hanging out in Boston for the next few days, finishing packing and just relaxing. If you live here and want to see me before I go (don’t worry, I’ll be back to visit, probably be the end of the summer) call me or e-mail me or whatever.

In completely unrelated news check out the band Red Sparowes. They are badass. Similar somewhat to Isis. Very similar to Tides. I’m really enjoying them right now.  I encourage you to check them out too.

Anyway, I’m out. I’ll update again soon!

~Ian

“(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew

What? You disagree? You think “Endless Love” or “Every Breath You Take” is better? Okay… “Every Breath You Take” is bloody awesome, because honestly, who can beat Sting… But seriously, no, out of the miriad of songs released in the 1980’s, IJDIYAT is by far the best.

Why, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

It’s sappy as hell. The hook (”I just died in your arms tonight”) came to the singer while he was having sex with his girlfriend (death being a euphamism for orgasm… which if taken literally is pretty nasty, “I just came IN your arms…”). Seriously, does a song get anymore romantic than that? (Don’t answer that). So, beat that Sting! (Okay, so you did, nevermind). (Click here for the info on the whole sex thing…)

Now. Musically you might say “Oh, the songs not that good, it’s actually kind of crappy.” But, I disagree. If it had been anymore musically complex it would have detracted too much from the important message in the lyrics (Being, “Hey, I just came in your arms”… wait… And of course who could forget the amazing line “the curtains are closed, the cat’s in the cradle.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep my cat in a cradle, I let him wander of his own accord. Unless of course you don’t want the cat jumping up on the bed while you’re screwing, in which case maybe putting it in a cradle is a good idea (more like a cage, as I don’t know many cats that couldn’t just jump out of a cradle).

But seriously, besides that one line I’m not too sure about, it’s a rather well written song about… fucking someone you love. I approve. Hey, maybe it doesn’t match up with “Every Breath You Take”… or pretty much any of the songs written by Queen or Pink Floyd or a few other bands from the 80s… but it’s still an awesome song. For some reason it comes on the radio almost every time I walk into 711, and I get strange looks when I start singing (loudly) along with it. Plus there have been some awesome covers (okay not really, almost all the covers of the song suck) and AMV’s made from it (I’m thinking specifically of the very short AMV set to Cowboy Bebop in AMVHell 3, watch it, it’s awesome). And lets not forget the music video. Hot girl in lingerie? Check. Stereotypical looking 80’s band? Check. Graveyard? Check… wait, what? Observe!

Watch the video, it kicks ass.

So as I was saying. It may not REALLY be the best song of the 80s, but it is awesome. And it was #1 on the charts for 2 weeks when it was released in the US… not that that means much.

Btw, if you are wondering what spawned this random rant…

Now go listen to more power ballads!

~Ian

Brandon and I are watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas“, and the song Jack’s Obsession came on.  Now, I TA Existentialism and Brandon is taking it this semester, so while listening to the song it kind of kicked both of  - this works REALLY well with taking the class.  So without further ado, here is the altered version of the song which he and I came up with.  If you don’t know the song… click here.  Also, here are the original lyrics.

Jack’s Obsession (B&T version)

CITIZENS OF BEING:
Something’s up with Jack
Something’s up with Jack
Don’t know if we’re ever going to get him back

He’s all alone up there
Locked away inside
Never says a word
Hope he hasn’t died

Something’s up with Jack
Something’s up with Jack

JACK:
Being and Time is buzzing in my skull
Will it let me be? I cannot tell
There are so many things I cannot grasp
When I think I’ve got it, and then at last
Through my bony fingers it does slip
Like a snowflake in a fiery grip

Something’s here I’m not quite getting
Though I try, I keep forgetting
Like a memory long since past
Here in an instant, gone in a flash
What does it mean?
What does it mean?

In these words of Greek and Latin
A secret’s waiting to be cracked
These lines and pages confuse me so
Confound it all, I love it though

Simple phrases, nothing more
But something’s hidden through a door
Though I do not have the key
Something’s there I cannot see
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Hmm…

I’ve read this blasted book so many times
I know the words and I know the lines
I know the German phrasing all by heart
My skull’s so full, it’s tearing me apart
As often as I’ve read them, something’s wrong
So hard to put my bony finger on

Or perhaps it’s really not as deep
As I’ve been led to think
Am I trying much too hard?
Of course! I’ve been too close to see
The answer’s right in front of me
Right in front of me

It’s simple really, very clear
Like music drifting in the air
Invisible, but everywhere
Just because I cannot see it
Doesn’t mean I can’t believe it

You know, I think this Being thing
It’s not as tricky as it seems
And why should he have all the fun?
It should belong to anyone

Not anyone, in fact, but me
Why, I could make Heidegger see
That there’s no reason I can find
I couldn’t handle Being and Time

I bet I could improve it too
And that’s exactly what I’ll do
Hee, hee, hee
Eureka! This year, Being will be… MINE!

Enjoy! Hee, hee hee.  And remember…. BUNNY!

~Ian & Brandon

Well, something I probably should have mentioned in my last post - I celebrate Yule (in my head at least) - my parents celebrate Christmas. SO, we do the traditional tree, presents, etc, etc. Which I enjoy (who doesn’t love presents, seriously). And I got some awesome ones, which I figured I would share.

Best gift - Mandolin. My parents got me a mandolin. I had sent my mother links to a mandolin and violin on MusiciansFriend, because they are having an awesome deal on some cheap ones.

The violin can be found HERE as well. I’m not sure if that is a full sized one, but here is the slightly more expensive (and the one I actually asked for) model - Doreli Model 79 Violin.

While I didn’t get the violin, I’m extremely happy with the mandolin, and have been working on learning Battle of Evermore (Zeppelin) and some Dropkick and Flogging Molly songs.  Battle of Evermore is actually pretty easy, while Flogging Molly is insane, mainly because it’s fast (but awesome).

Also, if anyone has been looking (to no avail) for mandolin tabs. I found Battle of Evermore here, and a big list of Irish tunes here.

Other awesome gifts… Animals and Atom Heart Mother on vinyl (two Pink Floyd albums I was missing), as well as In The Court Of The Crimson King, King Crimson’s first album, on vinyl.  All three are in mint condition, and I’m fairly positive my mother spent a small fortune on them.  I may be getting some more Floyd, in particular Division Bell, soon too, which is awesome.

Other than that I got some fun stuff, a really nice hoodie, some movies, books, etc.

Fun was had by all.

Now I need to go hang out and listen to one of my dad’s new CD’s - Cybernauts.  It’s a David Bowie tribute concert done by two of the guys from Def Leppard (my dad’s favorite band…) and 3 of the guys from the Spiders from Mars.  It’s actually pretty good. It’s a recording from a concert done in 2000. I wasn’t expecting much because… well… no one covers Bowie well, but it’s good. Off I go now…

Oh yeah, also for anyone who cares, I quit Barnes & Noble… They suck ass.

~Ian

The time is coming (January 29, 2008 as of this moment) for The Mars Volta to release their newest album, “The Bedlam in Goliath”. With the time rapidly approaching, the preliminary song and video releases have begun. This is, of course, common news. This is also the only common thing about this upcoming album.

I discovered earlier today, on the main page of The Mars Volta’s website,  a post from November 5th of an early review of the album. The really awesome part is it also tells the full story of all of the oddity and bad mojo surrounding the story and recording of this album. We’re talking about mojo so bad, that even the review itself contains (what is commonly thought to be) a cleansing ritual at the end. I won’t ruin any more for you, as this review is too well done for me to do it justice.

To download the review, click here (courtesy of The Mars Volta).

You may want to go buy a bunch of salt and white clothing in preparation.

Ciao,

- B

The Zayin Division— A Second Stage Burial

I. I am the simian martyr’s bullet-borne deliverance.

II. Ideomotor effect. Forced cryptomnesia. Your shroud returns stale whispers. Ropes tighten at each limb.

III. He half-woke to a wild leopard, to blood-pregnant air, the smell of his courted collapse. Laurel twigs crossed her hidden tools.

IV. The holy glyph floats close, its gray light angles suffuse the bones now dust, flesh now jelly. Every cell shakes loose its viral code. Supernus pacta sunt servanda.

V. Its hands swept through in the crooked mandible, the chemical lobotomy swung blind, the monoxide possessions. All of it annelid territory.

VI. Sandover light shone symbiotic until you saw it swallow-shift. Your retractions granted final grace.

VII. I will not follow your collapsing oblivion.

—Jeremy Robert Johnson, October 28^th, 2007, Portland, Oregon (First print copy interment)