Voyage: Music

Hello all. This post is going to be over some particular pieces of music that got me through my time at TAMU.

1. The Used- Freshman year I was obsessed with the Used. I went to a show of theirs in San Antonio and met with them at their bus, (kind of chotches). I really enjoy their first 2 albums. Then their stuff got a bit weaker I feel. The first album, Self-titled, is definitely the best. Great driving music.

2. Muse- All I am going to say, is that I think I saw this band more than any other band in my life...I love them. Have all of their albums and will always sing along when their on the radio. Absolution is my favorite album of theirs.

4. L.A.X.- Then towards my sophomore year I met Aaron. He introduced me to LAX, a local Austin band. Their House-Electronic, dancey vibes are alot of fun to jam. Great sunny day music. They put on a good house party too, but that is another story :P.

5. Daft Punk- Shortly after Daft Punk, I got into more electronic music. Obviously I then found out about Daft Punk. I will see them play live before I die. Fun beats, crazy melodies, and an overall good time.

Biggie Smalls- Best rapper of all time. I got into Biggie the last part of my junior year. I dont like all rap, just good rap. And Biggie is definitely good rap... (so is Wayne).

The next installment will be over the movies that I watched in college that provided entertainment as well as gave me different outlooks on life.


-Scott

Voyage:Games

So I know it has been way too long since I last posted, but I have been busy finishing school.

I dont really have much to say related to new and upcoming tech, but I would like to take a voyage back in time. Through all of my days in college at Texas A&M. I'm going to make a list of the gadgets, games, and gizmos that helped me get where I am now...

These next few posts will explore the different games, movies, artists, and electronic devices that were a part of my time in college.

Today's post will be over the top 5 video games that got me through college.

Games

1. Guitar Hero series (PS2/ XBOX 360) - one of the best multiplayer party games invented. I can still remember the countless nights I stayed up playing it.
2. World of Warcraft - What college student hasn't heard of someone being kicked out of school because they devoted their lives to a fake life in Azeroth? Well I'm graduating lol.
3. Halo 3 - Wow. Spent more time playing this game than anything else. Still remember the night I got it. Stayed up all night, but thanks to my NAT, I couldn't play with friends yet lol.
   
4. Geometry Wars 2 (XBL) - Nothing goes better with a Ratatat album better than GW2. End of story. PB&J Bitch
   
5. FIFA 10 (PS3) - This is a newer addition to my collection, but I feel that it was instrumental in forging new friendships over this past year.

The next post will be over the music that got me to where I am today.

Until then,
Scott

Austin City Limits 2009

Im back!! and posting!!!

So I lucked out and got to go to ACL this year with my friend Shane. Last year I had free VIP 3 day passes, but my sister was coming to see me in college that week, so I couldn't go. (But thats another story).

Going into it, the bands that I was most excited to see were Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Girl Talk, The Dodos, Bon Iver, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They were all very good btw, but Ill get to that in a bit.

FRIDAY OCT 2
I got to the festival just in time to see Phoenix at 4:30. Besides being vexed at having to pay $8 a beer and a $4 ATM convenience fee, Phoenix amazed me. I had just heard them a couple days before the show, but the live show made me a fan. From their very catchy tunes to their retro "Members Only-esque" style, the performance was fun.

After Phoenix, we went and saw Bassnectar, who was alot of fun. It was a big dance party for the most part. From Bassnectar, we saw Andrew Bird, who was good minus the annoying whistling. After Andrew Bird, we went to get a good spot to see The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O. KILLED it. Her high energy kept the crowd on their feet and dancing. From her crazy wardrobe to her nearly shoving the mic down her throat, the performance was short of dull moments.

SATURDAY OCT 3
It rained all day long. Seeing as I didnt have a poncho, this made it very difficult to enjoy myself. I like to consider myself a hardcore fan, but being cold and wet (right after being sick) just wasn't sounding like a fun idea to me. Before we left, we did get to see Grizzly Bear. This performance made my trip. I was most excited about seeing this band. Fortunately, they brought their A game. This rivaled for one of my favorite performances of the trip. After GB, we went to see Bon Iver. Going into Bon Iver I wasn't sure how it would sound live. They have a very different sound, and I wasnt sure that a live performance was going to do it any justice. They destroyed it as well. The band played very well, and the harmonizing vocals were done very well.

Shortly after Bon Iver, We left.

SUNDAY OCT 4
If Saturday was named the Rainy day, then this was the aftermath. Sunday was the Muddy day. There was mud everywhere you looked, but that wasn't going to ruin my day of good jams. Shane and I got there just in time to see the end of the LAX show, which was alright.

From there we ventured out to see The Dodos, who played a very upbeat and fun set. The lead singer looked absolutely nothing like I thought he would look. From there, we went to see the B-52's which were a whole hell of alot of fun to watch. Actually the crowd was more fun to watch. The older people jamming and dancing to an old hippie band was a sight to see. They didn't play "Rock Lobster" or "Love Shack" until after we had left, which bummed me out big time.

After the B-52's we watched the Arctic Monkeys, which put on an alright show. The lead singer seemed a little bit cocky, but it made for good entertainment. In the middle of their set, we went over to get a good spot for Passion Pit. They put on a GREAT show. Although the vocals were not loud enough, the synth made up for it. That guy can jam. (Note to self: get good at playing, then buy a Moog). After Passion Pit came Girl Talk....Epic. This was truly a dance party. The VIP guests on stage were all dancing around his DJ set and he was tearing off clothing. It was awesome. This wouldve been one of my favorite shows, but the annoying sweaty bitch dancing all up on my back with her nasty elbows bugged me all show.

Overall, the experience was a great, but expensive one. I look forward to seeing the lineup for next year and saving up a little more cash until then.

Weekend Gaming: TF2

This Sunday I purchased The Orange Box for my new PC. As you probably know, The Orange Box come with Team Fortress 2, Portal, and the second episode of Half-Life 2. I had previously played Portal on my Xbox 360 and hadn't beat HL2 yet, so I decided to get started on TF2.

To start off, if you are looking for a life-like FPS similar to Counter-Strike Source, then TF2 probably isn't going to be for you. Valve went a different route with this game. The characters and game play are very cartoonish (but attractive/appealing). The visuals were actually what got me interested in the game in the first place.

Don't be fooled by the playful graphics though. Underneath the surface is a FPS unlike any other that I have played. Of course every team-based, online game has to incorporate strategy...TF2 just does it in a slightly different way. There are 9 characters to choose from and each character has a purpose. You have your offensive characters, your defensive characters, and your support (There are 3 of each). Mixing and matching different characters can completely switch up the strategies of the game. It isn't just a run and gun. You have to think about who you should be, and where you should be in relation to your team mates.

One of the most prominent features of the game is the upgrading of weapons and attributes. There is a list of about 240 achievements to earn. These are class-specific and general achievements. The more you earn, the more weapons and upgrades your character can unlock. Playing against someone who has leveled their Scattergun (Scout class's shotgun) to level 10 can quickly create jealousy and a drive to earn the achievements to avenge your death.

Overall I am fairly impressed with Team Fortress 2. If you are looking for another first person shooter to play in your spare time, you should check it out.

-Scott

My New Rig

I am officially done building my new computer!...Hold your applause until the end please.

So, my first venture on building a computer was when I was a Junior in high school. That was back in 2005. I figured it was definitely time for an upgrade. The 1 GB of RAM and the olllld IDE drives I had installed were just a tad outdated when compared to today's gaming machines. The new system is configured as such:

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition (3.2 Ghz)
Motherboard: ASUS M4A78T-E
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTS 250 1GB
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB
ODD: Samsung SH-S223Q w/ Lightscribe

So now pretty much all I have to do is get a monitor that can utilize my new machine. As for now, I dont think I am going to be running into any computer games that will slow my machine down too much hehe. WOW, CS 1.6, and TF2....here I come.

-Scott

Michael Jackson

The "King of Pop" is dead. Sure he may not have been the most normal human being, but that doesn't change the fact that he was one of the biggest music icons of all time. Some people are saying that its no big deal or that it is one more creepy "child lover" off of the streets.

To those of you that feel that way:

You are entitled to your own opinions, but how can you be so heartless? He was a man that had family and friends just like you do. How can you stand there and make these judgmental comments? Can you honestly tell me you have never tried to moonwalk? Can you honestly tell me you have never wanted to be in the music video for Thriller? MJ may not have fit in with the crowd or have followed what everyone thought was the "normal" path, but that doesn't mean he should be discredited. He changed dancing, music, and added a spice to the pop industry that people still try to emulate to this day.

Rest In Peace Michael Jackson. The music industry and the world were changed because of you.

You will forever be remembered as a true icon. The King of Pop.

-Scott

Veckatimest

It music discussion time folks. This installment will be about the folk, experimental band Grizzly Bear. Now I wouldn't call myself a die-hard Grizzly Bear fan... until now. The first time I listened to their albums I wasn't that into them. It wasn't until I listened to their albums 2 or 3 more times before I began to notice the little things that they do that completes their sound. Its amazing and almost indescribable at times

Grizzly Bear put their latest and 3rd full album out on May 26 of 2009 called Veckatimest. This album takes you through a journey filled with the eerie vocals of Daniel Rossen and gang. The happy keyboards, echoed melodies, and catchy guitar tones make you want to smile and roll your windows down to share the good news with the people next to you at stop lights and street corners.

Tracks to be noted:

1) Southern Point: The album's opening track goes from a simple guitar to a chorus filled with so much energy that you almost catch yourself anticipating it each time it comes up. The vocals are so strange that they almost sound peaceful at times.

2) Two Weeks: This is the followup to Southern Point. All I can say about this song is keys. The piano simply makes this whole track. Lovely. The background vocals also make me smile. (I catch myself trying to harmonize with them :P)

Grizzly Bear is blowing up, with magazines like Entertainment Weekly, Spin, and Wired mentioning them. If you haven't heard them, I definitely recommend letting them fill the space in between your ears with a sound that can hardly be put into words.

Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead is also a big fan of them as well...Just saying..

-Scott