Happy What Now?!

Happy Christmas (& birthday to me!)


From the Brianshare, Pikachu Ind & Six crew

...or just me ;o)


Six out

These are the breaks

Now my thoughts are turned to somewhere altogether different - Brighton, or to be more specific - Marine Parade! Adam Freeland's label produces some fine artists: Freeland, Evil 9, Alex Metric & Ils for starters. This will be looking at the recent (kinda) releases for the 9 & Freeland:

Evil 9: They Live. Some other works by the 9 are their debut album: "You Can be Special To", a mix for the "Y4k" series & one of my favourite Fabric albums: "Fabric 28". The overall theme for this album is horror - but more specifically Zombies (win). The tracklisting is:

Feed On You
Wait - Evil Nine & David Autokratz
All The Cash - Evil Nine & El-P
They Live
Ngempa Guzon
How Do We Stop The Normals
Dead Man Coming - Evil Nine & Toastie Taylor
Set It Off - Evil Nine & Beans
Behemoth
Born Again
Twist The Knife - Evil Nine & Emily Breeze
Luke Goss
Icicles - Evil Nine & Seraphim

The top tracks are: "Wait", "They Live", "Dead Man Coming", "Twist the Knife", & the awesome "Icicles". So if you ever find yourself (& I know I do) playing Nazi Zombies (the extra game & possibly best part of Call of Duty 5: World at War) & need a soundtrack - we have a winner here!


Freeland: COPE (& a little of COPE Remixed)

Adam Freeland's 2nd release - this time as just 'Freeland' (Adam Freeland's own band) there's a really heavy rock influence, but still showing his breaks roots. The tracks break(s) like so:

"Do You"
"Under Control"
"Strange Things"
"Bring It"
"Mancry"
"Borderline"
"Rock On"
"Silent Speaking"
"Best Fish Tacos in Ensenda"
"Only a Fool (Can Die)"
"Morning Sun"
"Wish I Was Here"

There are some choice tracks: "Do You" is a proper sledgehammer to the brain (a good thing btw), the it whizzes through the rest of the album, "Under Control" is great, "Strange Things" is ok (but the High Rankin remix is out of this world & possibly better even than "Do You") "Bring it" & "Mancry" again are good breaks, but don't have the wow of the opening track. However, then things get a little more interesting!

"Borderline" brilliant & in my top breaks for this year (along with "Do you" & "Strange things Happen" High Rankin remix") "Rock on" is (shock) very rocky, but sits well on the album. "Silent speaking" is the only other slightly weak track - too chilled really. "Best Fish Tacos", "Only a Fool can Die" & "Morning Sun" all standout tracks & get the feet-tapping/dancing-round-the-house-like-a-maniac in me going & the final track is like a perfect set closer - the beats are thick & it feel like it goes on forever (note: The Jenkinsound Remix it it's perfect partner!).

Overall - Evil 9 get a 4/5 & Freeland 5/5

P.S. Get the Marine Parade podcast - for all your British breaks needs - they put up exclusive mixes by all the label's artists - win!

Silversun Pickups - Swoon etc.

OK this has been out for aaaages (April I think) but it's still SSPU & it's still excellent & regularly played.

So I've banged on about this band before (i.e. here, here, here, here, & here), I've called them my band of 2008 but I would also call them my band of 12009 as well.

I've been lucky enough to see them twice & I can't really over emphasize how good they are live - hugely energetic & really excited to be playing - they have fun with the crowd & try to get the room dancing as well.

Anyways enough about the live win, the album itself. So it's actually only 10 tracks, but what stunning tracks they are:


"There's No Secrets This Year"
"The Royal We"
"Growing Old Is Getting Old"
"It's Nice to Know You Work Alone"
"Panic Switch"
"Draining"
"Sort Of"
"Substitution"
"Catch and Release"
"Surrounded (or Spiraling)"

On the first play I wouldn't believe the quality of the first 5 tracks - absolute stonkers & I would be hard pressed to say which I preferred most - there were elements that I liked & was reminded of other bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters & of course Smashing Pumpkins (who they are likened to, just with a happy frontman!), but it still feels very SSPU - not covering or interpreting. I think it's more a compliment to be likened to those other bands, rather than it being anything to diminish who they are.

The rest of the album sounded great...when I got past track 5 eventually that is! They songs weren't as instantly successful on my ear, but really grew on me with the last 3 sticking & getting stuck in my head on a regular basis But add to that the rather stunning "Currency of Love" & "Ne Plus Ultra" as B-Sides & you have a brilliant 5/5 album.

It is different from the first & I would argue all the better for it. You can definitely tell the band have improved, with more intricate guitar work & more integrated keyboard as well. There are still some tracks that make you want to rawk out - initial single "Panic Switch" being chief amongst them.

Overall they remain my band of 2009...let's see what they do for their (hopefully great) third album.

CoD 6 MW2...again.

An update for those of a gaming nature - the joys of CoD 6 MW2 appear so far to be boundless...

I've now completed it on Veteran & as an experiment, I signed up to XBox Live Gold for a free month (courtesy of Microsoft when they replaced my 360 due to the 3 red rings of death fail)

What it has opened my eyes to is multiplayer - it is seriously addictive though! Some people do go straight to the multiplayer & ignore the single player/co-op - a mistake in my opinion. However, the strength of this game is that Infinity Ward don't miss a trick - every aspect of the game is brilliant, including the multiplayer.

It plays like a shooter, but also offers leveling up system just like an rpg. So you start off as a complete Level 1 n00b with iron sights & everything basic. The more you play it, the more guns, sights & perks you unlock. This is where some of those near the top (Level 70) have such an advantage - they have silencers, can drop live grenades, are more impervious to explosions, etc. & you've just got a sub-machine gun & a pistol.

The challenge is very high & you will be respawning...a lot. But there is such a satisfaction in being able to get a good kill-streak & leveling up that the death-frustration is only marginal. Currently I'm at the not wholly impractical level 21, which has unlocked the 'Bling' perk - 2 attachments for guns - such a win.

There's lots of customizing opportunities & you can fine tune how your character behaves - do they need to be swift & silent - then activate those perks. Do you need to be like an unstoppable Juggernaut - then get those perks.

The leveling up of weapons & perks happens through challenges - like get a certain amount of kills or headshots, or scoped kills or shooting from the hip.

You will learn to love the sound of leveling up your character - just like that magical sound of unlocking achievements - win!

The maps are all in very different locations from within the game & near the game & are all well costumed to accommodate the different game types. Particular favorites are High Rise, Afghan, Terminal, Invasion, Skidrow & the very tiny Rust (what? I like small maps - more intense!) There's 16 maps in total, but I'm sure more will be added with forthcoming DLC.

The different match types are fairly varied & offer different challenges, depending on what you prefer. Are you a Lone Wolf - just wanting to find & kill anything that moves - Free-for-All. Like to work as a team for different objectives, Deathmatch, HQ, Demolition, etc. is for you!

You also represent different factions, such as the Navy SEALS, the SAS, etc. But also militia the Russians & shadow company, etc. to balance it off. It's always a good v bad forces theory, but still good to be either. Seeing as my nationality dictates it - the SAS is my favorite!

Once you get into the game, get to know the levels a little you will notice a patter of where the opponents are hiding out/trying to capture & it's then a raging war to capture the spots back!

Also the Spec Ops is ticking along nicely - I've got most of the 69 stars (59 at last count) & have even done one of the Echo levels on Veteran - epic!

Finally X-Play even rates this game best shooter & multiplayer in their annual Game of The year Show. So if you like shooters - you need to own this game - then it can own you!

PPS check out the CoD6 Wiki

Decembero

So it's officially winter as far as I'm concerned - first frost, out comes the ski jacket, on go the gloves - it's cooooold outside! So here's a random thoughts update for this past few days/weeks:

Have been struggling recently with what to do for Christmas & generally feeling a little too alone. I think a lack of social interaction outside of work - instead playing too many games has a certain contribution. I've put it down to trying to save up for skiing & the deposit.

It did get to a stage where I got so frustrated with having zero monies, that I transferred a little bit & got me a digital camera & enough to cover my extended weekend with Maddie.

With the whole job/accommodation issue - so far am still effectively nowhere - saving like a crazy person still & hoping that a decision about my full-time employment is reached sooner rather than later. However my potential housemate s still in the not-quite-employed enough situation as well.

On the Christmas front, I've now established that I'm working on Christmas Eve, then will head over to Woking, for Christmas with the Kings (Maddie's family).