MUSIC REVIEW(S): DOUBLE FEATURE!!!

I review Crash Love by AFI and Beggars by Thrice and let you know how it is,because that's how it is.

First up, AFI's latest effort entitled, "Crash Love". Let me tell you a theory I have. I've been a long-time fan of AFI. Since the "Very Proud of You" days. I've listened to their evolution from the get go and I've caught myself hating their sound because "it wasn't supposed to sound like this" to loving their sound because, "I hated this? This is soooooo good, how could I have written this off?" Black Sails in the Sunset threw me for a curve ball the first time I had heard it. After Shut you Mouth and Open Your Eyes, I expect more intense hardcore. And we all got it, just not the way we expected. I distinctly remember listening to the fist song, which isn't even a song, more like a chant, and wrote off the whole album. Not upset, but disappointed. A week or so later, I hope in my car with the drummer and we head up to Provo from St. George UT. We both kind of had been itching to test out the AFI waters again, and so we "borrowed the CD" from a roommate and pretty much listened to it all the way there... It's a 4 hour drive, the CD is only 35-45min long. I couldn't fathom how I had let this piece of art sit, unlistened to for weeks. Since then, I have never written off an AFI album. I always give them a fair listen and haven't been let down. They have been evolving since...

Back to the theory: AFI associated themselves with the fall season quite heavily during the Shut Your Mouth ~ Art of Drowning years, but even more so with their Major Label debut, Sing the Sorrow. Their next album, DECEMBERUNDERGROUND, honestly, feels frosty. My theory? They are conceptually writing the four seasons, and Crash Love is the Spring album. Now, this theory may be floating around on the internet and so I make no claim. But I have not been involved with any discussions (online anyway) about AFI's music for a long time, probably since Art of Drowning, and so I didn't really have any outside influence to the theory.

OK, now you know all of this, so what? Spring time is usually a happy time, or at least more cheerful. The gloominess of fall/winter is over, the sun is out, bird are singing, etc, etc. AFI made a less depressing album. And on the surface, I was against that. I like an AFI that is screaming. No screaming on this album. What's that? Yes, no screaming. Period. Either Davey's vocal chords can't handle it anymore or my theory is in play and Spring time isn't for screaming... or maybe he just could find anything to scream about.

Alight, alight to the point. This is a great album. It has grown on me. I really enjoy Davey's voice, I even listen to his and Jade's BlakqAudio album and I hate electro music. But Davey's voice, which refines with each album, just strikes a chord and it's enjoyable. This album is definitely more poppy. Some songs, man, I just couldn't believe they were on an AFI record, they were too poppy. But it all meshes good for me. I've learned to accept it and really enjoy the ride. The guitar work is great as all the instruments are. There are a couple of things that do bother me however.

One, the lyrics just don't see as deep or subtle as previous albums. I really enjoy that aspect of AFI and so I was let down in that department.

And Two, as I mentioned before, this album could be much harder. I like AFI for the heavy, more intense songs, and this just doesn't have a lot of them

Yes, I am bias toward AFI. But I really do like this album, it does have a lot of good songs, and I don't really dislike any of them. I would recommend a listen before purchase however, but if you are like me, you may need a couple to fall in love with CRASH LOVE.

Three stars outta Five.


>Next up, Thrice's latest effort entitled, "Beggars". I really really really REALLY like Thrice, and after they completed their concept album "Alchemy Index" I was wondering, "Where do they go from Here?" This is where they begin. Beggars has redefined Thrice. They have taken all of their strengths and side projects and meshed it all into this. And it is glorious.

Besides the music, which is very good, the lyrics and themes expressed in previous albums really drew me to Thrice as a band and Beggars really expounds on the things I love about Thrice. It is emotionally driven, awesome-core with moral/biblical themes that can be applied to anything in this world. Being kind to one another, humbling yourself, avoiding selfishness, being a better person to better your environment. It's all about self improvement for the sake of self worth, and helping others on the same path.

I really love this album. It's phenomenal. No swearing, no innuendo, just great music and intense energy. How some bands nowadays can put so much intensity into their music without moving at the speed of sound, I'll never know. Buy this album. Thrice is sooooo good.

Four and half stars outta Five

Late!

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News-Waiting...

Just finished reading "Millenium Falcon" by James Luceno. Really easy read and fun adventure in the Star Wars Universe. Basically takes place 40 years after the original film, yeah there are a lot of stories after the movies. Anyway, it's good stuff and sets up some of the event leading into another 9 book story arc called "Fate of the Jedi" starting in April. I'm really looking forward to that.

So I finally started a facebook page. Kinda weird searching for childhood friends and thinking "that's them" but I'm not to sure about "adding them to the list" so to speak. I have a hard time staying in touch with old buddies. I know I suck, and I want to be the guy who has "friends from way back" but marriage and kids kinda take up all the time. Maybe this will afford me a better way to stay in contact... if they would just accept my adds.

I'm thinking of selling my Gibson electric guitar and Ibanez bass with my Peavy Amp. I really, really, really don't want to, but I have no place to play (Town Homes don't lend to loud amps) and I have little interest in playing electric guitars acoustically. I would like to get an acoustic, but really, I could just use the money. This is an epic struggle for me. I have one other guitar, my first chery red no-name electric, that I will keep no matter what. And I probably won't end up selling, but it's on my mind... and it hurts.

I've been listening to the music that I made during a stretch from 2000 up to 2004. I got a collection of about 50 songs. I recorded them complete with drums, guitar, bass, and vocals. I haven't recorded anything in 4 years. But listening to these songs really makes me want to start up again. Having little kids around in a small house makes it tough, not to mention the time required, but every time I drive home and I'm blaring (yes, blaring, I likes my musics loud) stuff that I actually wrote and am still amped on, I really just want to lock myself in my room and start up the studio again.

I've also been listening to a lot of Thrice lately. They released a live album back in December that is pretty rocking, kinda retrospective of all their albums. Really good. I also picked up an acoustic album written by the Thrice's lead singer. It's really good. I like that it's some haunting lyrics, based on moral dilemmas and bible themes. It's only 8 songs, but I'm pretty stoked on them all.

I'll have some other news on Friday, a lot of people already are in the know, but it'll make it official. But that will have to wait.

P.S. I recently moved my Ubuntu server to a different box. Due to not planning right, I had to install Ubuntu 3 times on 2 different machines. What can I say, practice makes perfect, as now, I think I can do the install without notes or help. w00t, me.

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Thrice on Conan last night...

Well, there I was ready to go to sleep. I had Conan O'Brian going and he was just finishing his opening monolouge and I was about to turn off the TV and then he announced that Thrice would be performing. Crap... So I stayed up way past my bedtime and watched an awesome performance. They played "Come all Ye Weary" off of the Earth disc and did an exceptional job. But I am really tired right now. I'm hoping to go see Iron Man tomorrow. I'll probably write about that too. Late.

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Thrice - The Alchemy Index (Volume III & IV) Wind and Earth

I got the chance to listen to the new Thrice album comming out on the 15th. For those that have no clue who Thrice is... well, you have the internet at your fingertips, why not use that.

Anyway for those in the know, it's the second part of the Alchemy Index, and it's made of pure awesome. Seriously, this is a transformed Thrice and I, for one, am on board. This is bluesy and instumental. Very moody and I think they did an awesome job. I look forward to picking this up on the 15th and completing the Alchemy Index. I feel entirely comfortable pimping this band. More on or around the 15th.

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