Iain The Destroyer's Top 10 (or so) albums of 2008

In no particular order...

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Ayreon - 01011001

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath

Protest the Hero - Fortress

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Sun Kil Moon - April

Thrice - Alchemy Index Vol 3 and 4

Foxy Shazam - Introducing

Russian Circles - Station

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Demians - Building an Empire (being my overall favourite of 2008)

Honourable mentions...

Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
TV on the Radio - Dear Science

2008 was a fantastic year for music, and already having listened to a new release of 2009 already (Animal Collective's 'Merriweather Post Pavilion'), I'm hoping 2009 will just be as good!

Finally free...

So, I'm finally in Raleigh, North Carolina! I've been pretty busy since Sunday, so that's why I haven't been online much to talk to people. Anyway, thought I'd run through what I've been up to this week, beginning with the flights...

Sunday - Woke up at 7am, well, stayed awake until 7am because I couldn't sleep. I was so excited, and I was also rather anxious about the flights, and the duration of them. I got breakfast, and did some last minute checking that I had everything I needed, then got changed and ready for the trip to the airport. It felt so weird driving the usual route into Belfast, knowing that it would be my last time going on these roads for at least a year. My dad and I realised that, again, we left far too early and that I would have to wait for a while in Belfast International, as if my 7+ hr journey and 5 hr wait in the connecting airport wasn't enough...but, actually, I didn't have to wait too long at International.

Check-in seemed to be a bit awkward, I had to put in all the details of where I was living etc, when thinking that checking into customs when I arrived would be enough for the US to know regarding where I was staying. Anyway, I wasn't really in the mood to complain about it.

I said my goodbyes to my dad, and went through security, where some woman proceeded to run through my laptop with a wipe...I assume it was to check for anything suspicious, but why would a wipe pick that up? Anyway, I appreciated the clean she gave it regardless. It didn't seem too long before I was boarding my plane, and the beginning of my journey began.

The flight itself actually went by pretty fast, Continental had some amazing screen on the seats of planes, where you could play loads of games, including in-flight Texas Hold Em, with other people on the plane! Such a cool idea. So, I had plenty of stuff to keep me occupied. I wasn't so keen on my row neighbours, both old people who refused to move an inch of their legspace when I needed past them both (I had the window seat), so getting up to move around was frustrating, so I only got up once the whole flight. I tried to get a little sleep, but I didn't get any despite trying. I guess flights and sleep just aren't for me.

I kept the blind over the window most of the time, but touching into America, I decided to open it and it really was a wonderful view...going into these crazy mountains and very rural areas into suddenly hitting downtown New York and then Newark, before touching down. Seeing the Empire State Building brought a smile and sense of excitement to my already tired face. Customs and immigration control was a joke - the line and general process lasted well over an hour, when I expected it to last maybe for 20 minutes max. After getting my bags, I then went to the connecting flights line, which was shorter but pretty confusing. They asked where I was going, and asked me to drop my bags off at this very dodgy looking area with other workers - they said they would handle it. This had me panicking the whole time at the airport, and on the plane, that I would never see them again and some random guy could have stolen them.

Anyway, I was meant to meet a friend of mine from 5/8, but unfortunately I couldn't leave the airport and had to proceed through security, so I had no company, again. But, it was OK. I kinda got used to being on my own at that point. Luckily my time flew by pretty quick, where I ate 2 HUGE slices of Pizza from a place called Sbarros, and then went to the "Caliente" Mexican bar and grill, and got my first alcoholic beverage, a Heineken Light! It was actually really nice, and very easily drunk.

I also got to watch my first "game" on TV - Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers. Was fun to watch - but the amount of ads on were ridiculous, but a lot of them were hilarious too. So, this also killed some time. My flight boarded, and I was yet again stuck beside an old person, this time one who was clearly drunk and kept trying to swallow ice cubes but failed so many times, to the point of serious aggravation. The flight itself seemed so short, and then I was off the plane, and finally seen Colette, who I hadn't seen in almost 5 months!

It was so odd that I was finally in America, and seeing the crazy highways was exciting and interesting at the same time. It made me think that I will have take a long time to adjust to the roads here when I learn to drive.

Since arriving, I've been taking it easy, mostly...visited some of Colette's family, and went to a few malls. I still haven't fully recovered from jet-lag yet, but I'm getting there. I've also re began my addiction to Mountain Dew! One thing that frustrates me is that prices in stores say, $19.99, but when you get to the check-out, it costs an extra few dollars because of tax, but I don't understand why they can't put the tax included price on too...like in the UK, because then you know exactly how much you're paying.

I haven't trekked it to a bar yet, so I can't say what bars here are like, but I'm sure I'll be able to review that pretty soon!

I'll update this whenever I have something to update it with.

Iain

Album of the month, and one album that changed my life - December 2008

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

The Fall of Troy - Phantom on the Horizon

As with last month's album of the month, I only got a hold of this album literally a few days ago. Since getting it though, I have listened to it a lot. November for me was not a big huge month of discovering new music, I simply re-listened to a lot of albums I already love, or haven't listened to in a while. Up until getting this album, I was seriously thinking that I would be listing an old album as an album of the month. But, no!

I was anticipating this album for many months, knowing that they could definitely top Manipulator, which, in my humble opinion, is The Fall of Troy's best work. Many fans and critics would disagree, and think that Doppleganger was their best effort, simply because of the sheer technical ability displayed on that album. Anyway, in summary, I think Manipulator offers better songwriting, with the technical ability still there, but kept in context with the music, and not just random fret and tap wanking. I was also consistently checking their site, and the Wiki page for updates. 

When I noticed that the album was going to be classified as one whole song separated into "tracks", I instantly thought "this is going to be like Colors, Frances the Mute and maybe even like Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence." And, despite the music not exactly being like any of the previous albums mentioned above, it still has a lot of epic parts which are very frequent in those albums.

Compared to last months album of the month, "Introducing" by Foxy Shazam, it doesn't really have a little something for everyone. But, most crucially, the album is balanced; something I've always felt has been lacking in all of their previous albums. Perhaps that quality being a trademark of theirs, writing unpredictable, mathmatical music. Despite being one whole song split up, all the segments link nicely together, with a seemingly musical motive and direction implemented throughout.

I don't see any "single" material for any of the parts in the song, something that The Mars Volta gained with "Widow" from Frances the Mute (which arguably is their most recognised song now). But, for a band like The Fall of Troy, who have received a lot of attention recently thanks to Guitar Hero 3 having F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. as a playable song, this maybe isn't a bad thing. They are deemed still as a very "underground" band, and singles definitely aren't their scene, or something they probably desire either.

Another thing about this album that appealed to me greatly was that it actually had a story behind it - something they had not done before, and again was greatly inspired by those albums mentioned previously; especially Frances the Mute (and, it could be said, some of the solos in this album sound ever so slightly like Omar Rodriguez's own solos, and guitar effects...but still with that traditional FoT sound). The story behind it is of a Spanish galleon ship, meeting a ghost ship from another dimension. And seeing as I am a firm believer of multiple dimensions, this story interested me greatly.

If I ever had one criticism of The Fall of Troy's sound, it was their production. I always thought they had a very weak sound, and that overall they didn't sound very powerful, and that the vocals were far too low in the mix. This album seems to regain a bit of good production, with some interesting panning effects and a lot more powerful sound, the vocals, I feel, still need a lot more work and energy...maybe I'm not a huge fan of Erak's voice, but instrumentally they sound a lot better, and most importantly, tighter. Despite this small criticism, this is still my album of the month.

AN ALBUM THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

Faith No More - Angel Dust

What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said? Faith No More made, in my opinion, one of the boldest moves in 20th century rock history - going completely against their previous albums success, showing their label and their tag-along MTV crowd a massive middle finger salute to their expectations of their follow up album to The Real Thing. Granted, this was the first album they wrote with significant influence with Mike Patton, who, prior to Faith No More had Mr. Bungle, a band who mixed many genres and experimented in the most odd ways.

Still, if the band didn't want that, they would have said so. Frustrated with "Epic" becoming such a huge hit, they wanted to return to just writing music they wanted to write, rather than what became successful for them. This is something I cannot admire more than enough.

Regarding how some of the lyrics were written, Mike Patton underwent a sleep deprivation experiment, toying with caffiene, and late night TV, and reading fortune cookies and scientology analytical tests. Compiling all this information together, "Land of Sunshine" and "Caffiene" became the bands opening songs on the album...and, is definitely the best way of saying "this is how we're going to write our music. You wanted Epic Part 2? Too bad." I also think this is very dedicated commitment by Patton to write something different and new, if I heard that album in 1992, I would have been completely blown away, and today in 2008 I am after every time listening to it.

A lot of the songs are such a reflection on society, take "RV" for example, an accordion version of the theme from "Midnight Cowboy", and not to mention their 2 big hits "Midlife Crisis" and the cover of the Commodores song "Easy", that, despite being completely against what was happening musically at that time (Grunge), were still hits, simply because they were written well.

Musically, the album is so good - some amazing bass and guitar passages, Mike Bordin's drumming being complementary yet tasty too, and what can I say about Mike Patton...easily my favourite vocalist of the modern rock world, so many diverse styles and ideas. Again, the album is not always easy to listen to, some songs being a bit odd (take "Crack Hitler" and "Jizzlobber" for example), and some being rather pop-like rock songs ("A Small Victory" and "Be Aggressive"), but one song that stands out is "Malpractice"...which, to me, sounds like demented death metal, from a band who are not death metal in the slightest...but can still pull it off.

I advise any open minded, decent music listener to get this album, or at least listen to it.

Iain

"Listen to the shit they pump into your head, filling you with empathy"

READY TO GET THIS SHIT PUMPED ONTO YOU?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7745137.stm

So, taser guns are being introduced in England and Wales, and they're being tested (and used) in Northern Ireland too. Some people might think "great, a good way to get rid of guns", and those who are sensible will think "this thing PARALYSES you, and CAN kill you, as there have been documented deaths in the US from taser attacks". On top of that, the media is pumping it to us that it is SAFE, and will only be used on criminals, and that it is a far better alternative to guns, and will keep the police safe. The police shouldn't need to feel "safe", if they weren't corrupt, and therefore given the respect by people that they deserve - of trying to uphold the law.

Orwell must be rolling over in his grave. The big brother state is looming near us more and more each day. I just do not understand why people can't see that it is being used on criminals, so it looks like it cuts back crime - but in a few years, once the government begin imposing freedom restricting laws and acts, and when people become restless, expect to see the taser guns be used on the public, just to make them comply. 

"You're out past 10pm, that's the curfew" 

"No, I was just walking home from my friends house"

"You need to be at YOUR house for 10pm"
"Come on, I was at a mates, what's the problem?"
*taser*

That's all they will need. And, it scares me that people are so OK about these being introduced. Seeing people being tasered on the BBC was just frightening, the sheer velocity of the shots and how peoples bodies twitched was just scary for me to watch...knowing that it will be the general public very soon, unless people just say NO. But, again, the media is putting wool over everyones eyes, and manipulating reports to make it sound like it's a good thing. In fairness, the BBC did show a small clip of a drunk US woman being continually tasered for no reason: but surely this should make people see just how dangerous they are, and how it gives the police SO much power. "Don't do as we say? We'll taser you."

I think we're gradually moving towards the shift of public opinion - inevitably some harsh freedom restricting laws will be introduced soon to combat terrorism, the financial crisis, and other government planned actions. I just hope that people don't fall for the medias tricks during these hard times and just think that it's OK for them to take away our HUMAN rights - we should be able to live without fear.

Iain 

Bah, musical writers block.

I have officially hit writer's block. I haven't written one musical note in several weeks, and I haven't even touched my keyboard. This time last year I wrote my best pieces (in my opinion), simply because I had uni, and general life there to inspire me. At home, I have nothing but my house to inspire me - I rarely go out, mostly because I don't feel like it, but also because I can't afford to often. Life without student loans is weird! Back to the matter though.

Even when I did compose something, I just felt unhappy, it felt uninspired, and I was forcing the ideas, rather than letting them breathe and develop naturally. My 'View From an Astronomers Backyard' album is currently on hold, I want it to be my 'Chinese Democracy', it's an album with a grand concept, and I don't care how long I take to finish it now (it's not like I have a label breathing down my neck for a release date) - I did have some dates of release in mind, I was almost finished with it around February this year, but I decided to pull some songs as they weren't sufficient quality - maybe "B-side" material at best, I'll probably scrap them altogether in the end. The story itself is remaining the same, I just want the music to incorporate my solid story, and so far I only think about 4 of the songs will make the final cut, with many corrections added I'm sure.

What I was working on was a short-song album, entitled 'Collectable Collectibles', and the idea was that I would try and link them together in some way, so that it isn't just random songs. However, after speaking to my good friend Ruaidhri, he mentioned that it might get a bit stale, if I was working around a tonal centre, or keeping the same theme in mind - in the end, it is a bunch of random short songs compiled together. Still, I have songs from maybe 2/3 years ago on my laptop, all mostly unfinished, and with a little bit of work I could have them as complete short songs.

The annoying thing is, I have loads of compositional ideas in my head, but the motivation to actually DO them is just not present. For one, I want to write an electronic orchestral piece, i.e. using a bunch of synths and string/real instrument samples, pretending that it's an orchestra, and using them as such - for example, getting a synth sample, that isn't ACTUALLY a timpani, but I influence the sound so that it sounds similar, or has a same effect musically - again, it'll take a lot of time to achieve what I want, and to actually go ahead with it...but I think once I do get the motivation, it'll be a huge project which I will most definitely release as an album; preferably over an internet record label.

I've been listening to Brian Eno's 'Music for Airports' album a lot, and just the ambience created in that album is something I've striven for for a few years now - beautiful, dreamy musical landscape with subtle melodic themes, but it is perfect background music. His philosophy behind it is great too; he wrote it to go against what happens in airports, i.e. stress, lots of loud noise. I think it's played in LAX airport (Los Angeles) on repeat, which I think is a great idea...it's probably like one of those white noise generators, that is in the background, but can relax you so much.

Roll on December 14th, so I can get out of here, and feel inspired again (hopefully).

Iain

"...I don't think that bands should keep going past 33"

The above was said by Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay...announcing that Coldplay will split up after their tour ends next year.

I've had a really odd relationship with Coldplay - for one, I see them as one of the true musical acts of the past few years that have actually gotten better with each release...Viva La Vida being probably in my top 10 releases of 2008 so far. But, I also dislike the majority of people who follow them, almost religiously, and the amount of bands that rip them off, plus Martin's almost Bono-esque "god-like" personality of changing the world...still, he's a lot more tolerable and genuine than Bono is. I guess I hate to love them, but I think since Viva La Vida was released I've officially become a fan. And, this news today makes me puzzled: I completely respect them for doing such a bold move after a fantastic album, yet I feel that they have at least 1 more album in them before calling it quits.

I've written previously about how I think Dream Theater, if they are to still continue, to at least put effort in, rather than churning out releases just to please the fans - here, Coldplay are wanting to pack it in because they're getting too old, in their eyes. I certainly understand this view, because a lot of musicians reach a peak and then fade - perhaps Viva la Vida being their peak. But, I think another shot at an Eno influenced album would not go amiss - I think they still have the drive in them to create great music, but that's their choice. At the same time, I am kinda glad they are giving up - because what if they didn't actually create a good album, and then fans wanted more?

Moving away from this example, however, Martin's view on bands continuing past 33 really interested me. Does, or should, age be a factor on performers continuing to play music? I look at bands like The Rolling Stones, who have been around for over 4 decades, and they all, on stage, still put on a relatively fun show, but they are in reality, a bunch of old rockers playing the hits to make some extra money (as if Jagger et al needs more money anyway) - despite that, they must be given respect for sticking it out so long and still being passionate in their performances. Of course, no musician can always have that initial, almost naive approach to their music as they did when their music career started, simply because they get experienced and see the shit the music industry and fans do to them. 

Another example that comes to mind is Aerosmith, who have been around for over 3 decades, and they haven't released any new material in a number of years, yet they still tour for the extra money, and to me, they probably have lost their passion, and since "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" got so big, I doubt they feel like they need to release another single or album.

And, don't get me started on bands that "reunite" - sometimes, I feel that some bands broke up, JUST to get back together again in a few years and do a big reunited tour and earn more than they were making, simply because they had, again, reached their peak, or the label weren't interested or fans found a new band to adore. I exclude Rage Against the Machine and the 'Pumpkins from this list though, as they both simply could not work together after a while, with egos getting in the way - and I'm very glad both reunited.

Still, when is a good age to stop? I wouldn't say 'age' per se, more like "when do I realise that I have reached my musical peak and accomplished all I've wanted to achieve?" Perhaps Martin's age excuse was a subtle way of saying "OK, we released a great album, we can't top it but our pride says we can't admit it".

The classic line "it's better to burn out than fade away" comes to mind right now.

Iain 

Decisions decisions...

I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about my career. Or lack of, at this moment in time. One thing I've always hated in the music business is the lack of money artists get at the end of the day for making the music that sells - the fact that it goes to record labels, distributors, publishers, agents, managers etc before it even has a chance to pay off to artists is, quite frankly, sickening. At the same time, I'm beginning to think that maybe music performance isn't for me. I mean, I love playing drums, but after these few years of doing gigs and most of the time playing to friends and band members family/relatives, it just frustrates me a lot that all the effort that I have put in over the years has done nothing. I know that I can't just expect it on a plate, and I need to put the effort in first before I begin seeing money, but right now I'm considering packing performance in altogether.

I've been thinking this past week or so about maybe getting into the business side of things - but do it in a way that benefits local artists and musicians. Similar to an agency, where I would hire bands or artists into my agency, get them work/gigs, promote them, do their business dirty work as it were, let them focus on performing, and take only a SMALL cut, provided the job is good enough for a small cut to be respectable for both sides. One thing I've always thought of as a problem is local bands, not necessarily in Northern Ireland, but anywhere, having difficulty of getting anywhere: maybe they don't know how to work the field of promotion, or they don't have the right contacts, and I've been there myself plenty of times with bands. And I just feel like I would love to help bands who have the potential to go somewhere. Eventually, it'd expand into something bigger and be more than just a promotion based agency.

Just running thoughts in my head.

Iain

1 month to go...finally!

Today, the 14th November, means I have 1 more month to kill before I move over to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA! It feels so weird to think that it is now going to happen, for real. Rather than thinking and procrastinating about the thought of moving over to the states sometime in the near future, it's actually happening for real in 1 month.

Wow.

Iain

Obama's elected: now what?

For the first time ever, I stayed up most of the night to watch the US election results unfold - like many, I felt like I was living through history in the making. Once it hit 4am my time, Obama was confirmed as the president of the United States. It didn't really fully strike me until I was going to sleep: Bush is gone in 100 days, Obama, the first African American president EVER will be in charge - again, I do not wish to jump on the news and media bandwagon, but I agree with them when they say that it is a moment in history, and 40 years ago the idea of a black president would have been unimaginable. I felt excited about the chance of a prosperous, improved America...and it especially rings true

As I mentioned last night, Obama seems to have a cult of personality around him - similar in the vein of JFK, and, dare I say it, Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler. Watching his victory speech made me happy and excited, but also rather concerned. I was closely analysing his body language, his general speech nature and how he got the crowd going. When he started talking about "yes we can", ending every sentence with it, one was reminded of a black Baptist preacher doing the same thing, instead "praising the lord" or whatever he is doing. Sure, he might be influenced by black preachers, that's only natural deeming from his religious and racial background, but, he has the charisma of the aforementioned. I just, at times now, question WHY people voted for Obama - I'm sure a lot of people voted for him because of his policies, perhaps his race, and because he seems young and refreshing, compared to Bush.

But, I also think that his campaign was very well funded, the largest US campaign budget in US history - and it makes me worry; with a high media presence and money, the people might be voting for him because he was everywhere, and might not even be aware of his policies - and if it takes money and media presence to get people to do something without fully thinking about it, think about what power this might have for future presidential candidates, and of course Obama himself.

Obama's backdrop during his victory speech at first reminded me of a Nazi conference speech - big outdoor park, thousands of people in attendance, and flags everywhere behind the leader. I also noticed during Obama's speech that he paused a lot, which again reminded me of Hitler's speeches, where he would make a big point, and pause...not just because of his applause and cheering. Of course, it'd be ludicrous of me to compare Hitler with Obama, but at these early stages of Obama basically winning by a landslide and having a big backing and media campaign, almost to the point of propaganda, one has to be suspicious a little.

Still, if Obama is as true as he says he is going to be, I wish him luck for the future - it was fairly obvious where this election was leading, especially after McCain alienating independent voters with the nomination of Sarah Palin as his VP. As I will soon be an American citizen, I can say right now that I will gladly vote for him if he does not mess up, do anything freedom restricting, and does not turn into another Bush, just because he'll have the same sort of people that Bush had around him.

A new generation of politics I feel is about to begin, I just hope that everything is not being over-hyped and that Obama brings about real change to the United States, and the world.

Iain

Some pre-election result thoughts...

First of all, I think that this is easily one of the most important elections in US history, and definitely the most important election of the past 20 years. Both candidates have their credentials, their strengths, and their many, many faults. However, I feel that this is one of the first elections where both candidates can get their message across many mediums; the usual, TV, newspaper and radio ad's, along now with a bigger emphasis on internet promotion - Obama especially using the likes of Facebook and YouTube...something that wasn't around, or at least not used very much, when Bush and Kerry were running for office in 2004.

Something scary strikes me about Obama. His election campaign, media hype and almost god-like status amongst some voters reminds me of JFK's election campaign in the 1960s. And we all know what happened to JFK at the end - Obama has a lot of opponents, not just those of the Republican party, but those who want to assassinate him - one Republican even said on Fox News that there were plans to assassinate Obama. A lot of people see him as a light at the end of the tunnel, at the end of the day, he is just another politician, who will provide promises and most likely not provide them. Despite these faults, I think that Obama is America's best choice.

McCain, I feel, is really physically incapable of being president. The guy is old, and yes he is a war veteran, but I really think the guy, if elected, will not last long in the office, whether it be due to death or realising that the stress is too much, and Sarah Palin, the woman who sees Russia from out her window, would therefore take over. She does not have the experience I feel that is needed to be a president, or vice president, and definitely has said and done some extreme things that would deem her mentally able to hold such a high position of power. I also fear that if McCain is elected, taxes would be raised, more wars declared, and immigration control tightened, along with more freedom removing laws being passed. Of course, Obama could very well easily pass these freedom removing laws, as they are both for the same agenda anyway...so, it really doesn't matter who wins, as in the end, we will probably lose out.

I think America has had enough of Republican rule, and seeing an obviously aging slightly senile old man run against a young, fresh, forward thinking opponent, it's kinda obvious who SHOULD get the vote. America decides in a few hours. I hope the right choice is made, not just for America, but for the whole world.

Iain The Destroyer presents: Album of the month, and an album that changed my life - November 2008

Album of the month:

Foxy Shazam - Introducing

I only got a grip of this album last week, and since hearing it, I've loved it. I've always been interested in hearing "original" sounding music, and this honestly is the most refreshing musical experience I've had in a long time. It almost felt like a musical hole in my life has been somewhat filled - I've been a sucker for big poppy choruses within well structured music, provided that musically the rest provides. I mean, I can't really describe their genre at all: it's very soul and blues inspired rock, with a lot of pop and progressive parts, along with some pretty damn heavy parts too.

Lyrically, I think they're great too, from the weird lyrical content of "Ghost Animals", to the "I told you so" lyrics of "A Dangerous Man", to the spacey lyrics of "The Rocketeer", there's something for everyone lyrically. I think as well that the album is very appealing to all kinds of music listeners; there's some very nice almost classical-esque piano passages, to the poppy vocal melodies and hardcore screams and high falsetto singing to appeal to the rock listener. It's a very odd mix of genres, but somehow it just makes sense. By the end of the album, I just want to play it again - and that is something I very rarely ever do - it could well be because the album consists of 3 - 5 minute songs.

Whilst I haven't seen them live, they are said to put on a good show, and based on the videos I've seen, they seem to get completely into it, which for me shows they really are passionate about it; which makes this offering even better for me. Instrumentally, they bring a lot of interesting textures, key changes and are able to blend the different musical styles to perfection.

Despite being a short review, I really can't say anything about the music, because it's such a well executed blend of genres - but I highly recommend this for everyone. 5 stars.



An album that changed my life:

Deftones - White Pony

This was the 2nd Deftones album I heard (Adrenaline being the first), I was 15 at the time, and it just made a connection with me. The first thing I noticed was that it was a lot more mature than Adrenaline and the song matter and content was very dark, along with Deftones typical heavy rock and interesting rhythmical ideas by guitar and drums. This album not only completely influenced my drumming (Abe Cunningham rocks a lot in this album; his grooving in the songs "Digital Bath", "Korea" and "Passenger" have to this day stuck by me as big influences on my own grooving), but it also inspired my songwriting, and this album led the way for me to explore other albums and bands. It's one album that I still listen to on a regular basis that I did listen to when I was younger.

I didn't fully appreciate the music as much back then I don't think, but when I listen to it now with an enhanced musical ear, and deeper appreciation for mature songwriting, it just clicks with me. Right now, I would say that it is at least Top 5 of my favourite albums of the 21st century, just everything about it works. Chino Moreno's vocals are so emotional at times, and send severe chills down my spine - Change (In The House of Flies) and Teenager are 2 songs that come to mind.

I was glad to see how they broke away from their "nu metal" tag, which I do think was undeserved, it was just by chance that they broke the scene the same time Korn did, thus branding them "nu metal". But, they definitely removed all sense of "nu metal" from this album, and instead were branded with a more respected "mature alternative metal" tag. Whilst this album might not be everyone's cup of tea, whether it be because it's a little too heavy or not heavy enough, I think that it is, on record, one of the most balanced albums of all time - from trippy, spacey, electronica inspired tunes such as "Teenager", and pure balls to the wall "Elite", "Korea" and "Knife Prty", and other great offerings, this album is just, to me, one of the most perfect albums of all time.

Halloween Shmalloween

I'm not a big fan of Halloween. Never have been. To me, it's just another pointless "holiday", which is now not based on the ancient Celtic Samhain celebration, and similar Pagan celebrations, but is just a commercial holiday now: a chance for companies to get in some cash from customers right before Christmas time. It's also an excuse for people to dress up stupidly and get stupidly drunk, just because "it's Halloween". Don't get me wrong, I have done both at one time, and do not condemn it, I just don't see the real POINT of doing it. I guess it's because it's a public celebration, and people get "in the spirit" of it all. I just get disgusted by the whole thing; I don't see it as a fun day, rather, a commercial, corporate excuse to earn money from gullible people who think it is a worthy holiday.

I also dislike the fact that many kids think it is a good time of the year to throw fireworks and cause general havoc. In my area, eggs have been thrown at houses, and other stuff, and it's not even the official beginning of the holiday, as it "scares" people, and Halloween is a "scary" holiday, because the fireworks scares the witches in the sky...come on, it's the 21st century. Wise up, people.

In Iain related news, I am officially moving to the States on the 14th December, for good. This decision came after I didn't get the job here at home, so I've just decided to give up altogether and just move to the States, where I will hopefully find a job and just be happier too.

Iain

An open letter to...(edition 3)

AN OPEN LETTER TO...
Edition 3
by Iain Watt

DREAM THEATER

When I discovered Dream Theater back in 2003, it was nothing like I had ever heard before. The first album by them that I ever heard in it's entirety (I Limewired/obtained songs from friends before that) was 1999's Scenes From a Memory, arguably one of their greatest works, if not their greatest (my personal favourite is 1992' Images and Words). Anyway, the music was exactly what I always looked for - technical music with heavyness, and decent vocal melodies, and good overall production...and most importantly, virtuosity from all players. As I myself was a learning drummer, I needed a drummer who was both accesible yet played difficult parts - and Mike Portnoy was the perfect guy for that, for me, at that time. I was so fascinated by what he did, and at the time, I thought it was impossible for me to play - now I can play a lot of DT's catalogue on drums - he was just that accessible for me, that I was WILLING to learn from him. Before DT, I didn't have a lot of "technical" drummers as an influence, I was listening to mostly groove and heavy metal drummers.

From there on, I discovered other bands who were similar to DT, or who inspired DT or were inspired by them. And, the chain continued on, and still does. Anyway, this open letter is not about that. This is about how Dream Theater have went from being an inspiring band for musicians, writing original music with a passion, and doing something different in each album, to being an uninspired, rip-off other bands band, with obviously no desire to do something great anymore. And it's very sad to see that happen to a band I have stuck by and been almost obsessed with for so many years (5 this year).

I remember Mike Portnoy saying in an interview that they feel like they've done everything now, and so now are just making music for the money, and for new fans, basically implying that they're done trying hard, and trying anything new. And, a few years ago, Portnoy said that he never wants to write music that is the same to other albums, and just keep going on the trend of "if it works, keep doing it". Sure, they could have written songs similar to their only commercial hit "Pull Me Under", and they didn't, but that was back in 1992...if they did a "Pull Me Under" in 2007, I can guaran-damn-tee you that they would have been doing their next album similar to that song, just because they are so uninspired.

If you listen to 2007's Systematic Chaos; the first track "In The Presence of Enemies (Part One)" sparks a lease of life, it just immediately opens up and makes you think that this album could have potential to be good - it's the strongest song off the whole album, and has definitely hints of the old DT there, only with a more modern metal sound, and raspier, slightly more matured voice from vocalist James Labrie. The rest of the album is pretty much a train-wreck - from it's obvious rock radio/MTV/Scuzz songs ("Forsaken", "Constant Motion", "The Dark Eternal Night"), to their already ridiculous attempts at political songs ("Prophets of War"), a rip-off of an Opeth/Porcupine Tree style ballad ("Repentance"), and another song that has potential but just ends up as pure music wank ("The Ministry of Lost Souls"), it is just not the DT that I grew to know and love.

And, it's not even just this album - since Scenes From a Memory, they have been on auto-pilot really - whilst the other albums have DEFINITELY had amazing moments, to me, the music has just been uninspired and not original at all really - the best song they have written, in my opinion, since 1999 is probably their 25 minute epic "Octavarium", which is beautiful at times, melodic, heavy at times, and just a well written and structured song. There are close contenders though, but I think it's their best overall song since 1999. And, interestingly, since SFAM, Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci have been the producers of the albums, that way, not allowing outside influence to give them suggestions. And, that's something they definitely need. With a new album being recorded, here are my...

SUGGESTIONS FOR DREAM THEATER

1. Get an outside producer

Portnoy, I know you hated most of the producers who produced your earlier albums, and I know you think the people who know their music best is the people who make it...but come on. You've made mediocre at best albums the past 9 years, why not get a new ear to hear what you guys are doing? You're good buddies with Steven Wilson (frontman for Porcupine Tree), get him in on the action, or just a well known producer who will give you mostly free reign, but will suggest to you ideas to make your songs as awesome as they were back in the old days.


2. Slow down

2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 - Studio albums
2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 - Official live albums

I know that you feel like you need to please your fans with this amount of material, and you feel like you're on all systems go, but guys, take a serious break. Like, 3/4 years break at least. I think the fans would appreciate you taking a break, then coming back and writing an awesome album, because you feel musically and physically refreshed and ready for action - rather than "oh, it's that time again, let's write another album". Metallica, who are obviously a far bigger name than yourselves, have had a longer career than you, and written the same amount of studio albums as your band, just because they have taken time off to recuperate. And, it will get to the point where fans will think it's just becoming overkill.

3. Try and do something new, stop ripping other bands off

Train of Thought (2003) was meant to be a pure metal album, with obvious Metallica and Black Sabbath influence, and that's fine if you guys wanted to write a pure metal album...just to fulfill your needs. But, come on, the past 2 albums have had such an obvious Muse influence, and countless other bands, just because you "like them" at the time. That isn't YOUR own music then if you just take other bands formulas...recreate your formula, be influenced, sure, but don't blatantly rip them off.

4. Demo your songs

Since SFAM, you have not demo-ed songs, and just went into the studio, jammed, written song structures on a big board, and recorded on the spot. Before SFAM, you jammed, wrote song structures, recorded a demo version, listened to it, and made any changes necessary - coming out with probably a better song (with the exception of one song where the demo was better than the recorded outcome). Please go back to this again, please? The fans aren't, and shouldn't, expect you to write albums in a few weeks. Take months, even a year...make sure it is just the best album you can possibly make...one that is inspiring, and INTERESTING.

I know you guys are only getting older, but I think you still have that spark in you, please prove me wrong, and make a better album this time around. Sadly, I don't see that happening.

Iain Watt

"12pm and my dusty telephone rings."

So, the clocks went back this morning...and I got quite confused waking up this morning. My computer said 9:38am, and my wall clock said 10:38am, as did my phone. Now, my parents usually change all the clocks in the house the night before, but they didn't touch mine...and my phone normally updates itself with the right time. But no, my computer was right! It felt weird being up so early despite being out the night before.

That seems to happen quite a lot to me, I would do a rather average amount of drinking then just feel wide awake at 8/9 in the morning. Regarding last night, I had an awesome night out...something I hadn't had in a long time. Caught up with old friends, and drank more than 1/2 pints for the first time in weeks. It also felt more nostalgic for me, seeing as I might be leaving my old friends and everybody else behind in Northern Ireland in literally 6/7 weeks. I mean, I'm happy to start my new life in America, and very excited that it is FINALLY going to happen after mucho complication. I was thinking to myself what I would be doing with myself post-graduation if I didn't have Colette. And, honestly, I couldn't tell...I knew that I probably would not be living at home, but as to WHERE I would be would have been a bigger question. Anyway, no point about thinking about what COULD have happened.

So, what I've been up to recently - nothing much, as always. I had a pretty surreal week there last week, from selling my drum kit (sob sob) to buying Colette's engagement ring. Selling something I loved to buying something for the one I love...weird, huh? I also had my job interview which went OK, not sure if I will get it or not. Guess I will find out this week or next. I also went to town yesterday, met Adrien, walked around, bought an awesome new leather jacket with hood, then got a pint, went to Amy's, drank some more, then went to Auntie Annie's for Hollie's birthday - and I had a really good time! First time I had been on a night out in a long time, but I enjoyed myself a lot.

As for this upcoming week, have nothing planned - Halloween is coming up, and I am tempted to just stay at home, to save money, and also because I don't like Halloween anyway. Plus, my American friend from last semester, Kelly, is in Derry visiting, so I might just have to go up sometime this week. And that's really it! Luckily have no dole signing this week, no more weekly dole signings now! Just fortnightly.

"Giving a license to terrorists to kill people"

The above was said by the British Travel secretary Geoff Hoon, regarding today's news that mobile phone and email conversation records are to be MONITORED by the government, saying it in the context that if this was not enabled, then the above would happen.

Let me put it in this simple context. "Terrorism" is a buzz word in the media, it invokes fear into the general population, and the fear of a terrorist strike keeps one who is uninformed on edge - people therefore are willingly allowed to give up their freedoms just so that "terrorism" does not affect their life. The only terrorists in this world are those who are in power, enslaving the world, spying on us, and gradually bringing what was once "freedom" in the Western world to a gradual demise, just so those "damn terrorists" don't get to us.

BUT, IAIN, WAIT! THEY'RE ONLY KEEPING A RECORD OF THE TIME AND DATE AND SUBJECT HEADING IN EMAILS? SURE, THAT'S NOT TOO BAD, IS IT? IF IT KEEPS THOSE MEDDLING TERRORISTS AWAY FROM ME, THEN FINE!

That's what they tell us, if you believe every word the British Brainwashing Corporation tell you. Oh, sorry...Broadcasting. For a start, it is absolutely none of their business what we send to people in our private life, and when. Also, where is the line drawn in emails between a potential terrorist conversation from a normal conversation? In that case, in suspicious titles, they WOULD have to read them. Basically, we are now going to be a nation of phone-tapped conversations, monitored emails just like if I was in a job.

The government are beginning to enslave us, take away what little freedoms we had, and if people can't see that, then quite frankly that is disgusting. "But, as long as the X Factor is still running, I don't care!"

I eagerly await the government's next move, and the populations reaction. This shit needs to STOP NOW.

Iain

"Time flies when you're having fun".

I honestly have no idea who said that, but despite not exactly having any form of the word "fun" in the past few months, time has flown by so quickly since I left uni in June. Sure, I've been on 2 holidays, which lasted for a few days each, and I had my birthday party, and did a few gigs; and attended some unsuccessful interviews, and that really is all I've done since leaving.

More and more, I've been beginning to feel that Belfast is now just a waiting room, because I'm still waiting on moving to North Carolina. And, I think it's looking more likely that I will move in December, rather than in May - which is obviously great news for me. But, there is still a lot of confusion and paperwork that needs to be sorted before I can do that, legally of course. I'm really not willing to risk anything at this point, so that I can safely get a permanent residence once I'm married to Colette - rather than having to fight for one and risk getting deported. Hopefully I'll sort that all out this week.

With regards to what I've been up to the past few weeks since last updating, well, not much. I've been in the house mostly, due to the fact that I'm really not wanting to spend any money at all, so I can save some money for when I go to the US. So, I'm usually by the computer, just reading things and researching about moving to the US. It's all I can do really, especially if there's no point in me looking for jobs anymore now.

And looking ahead, I have a job interview on Wednesday, which I have a good chance of getting simply because it's the same place where my dad works. So, that's leading to another dillemma - on whether I should apply for a 6 month visa to America, with possibly not getting the chance to work, or just simply work at home, earn money, and wait a few more months. But, at this stage, I really feel like I can't wait any longer.

Life is complicated.

Iain

An open letter to... (edition 2)

AN OPEN LETTER TO...

Edition 2

by Iain Watt

GOOGLE EARTH

I've been a big fan of anything Google brings out; I feel that they are slowly becoming the most innovative company in the world. They have provided us so-far with an excellent internet browser (Google Chrome), a desktop utility which can be customized for the user's needs, a spacious and fast and reliable email service, and very soon a mobile phone operating system. And, I remember when Google Earth came out, there was a big hype surrounding it; everyone and anyone in the world could view anywhere in the world, from landmarks to everyday areas. It has many benefits, sure...especially for those who are wanting to move house and see the surrounding area that they are moving into.

This year, Google Earth (and Google Maps) have brought out a new feature called 'Street View', where, rather than just viewing a birds-eye picture of an area which was taken by satellites...you are now literally able to take a virtual walk along any street, almost. And, I thought it was a REALLY cool feature, I could see where my girlfriend lives for example. And I was able to walk along her street and see her neighbouring houses. I didn't use it very often, as I didn't really see why I would NEED to see a person's street, and I would have purpose for that information. The only purpose I may need for 'Street View' is if I was to view a house/apartment when I move to Raleigh, NC. And, honestly, I don't see what anyone needs this information for, apart from that aforementioned idea - but, they can get pictures I'm sure from their estate agent.

I didn't pay much attention to 'Street View', until I seen one of Google's cars with the big cameras mounted on it's roof drive past me. That's when it hit me. They're getting this far now, and taking pictures of what one could describe as a "rural" part of Belfast. And, they've been driving around everywhere it seems. Google has all this information at their fingertips, and even though it's pictures, I'm worried about the future. Please note, that this open letter is not a post-1984 response, or paranoia. This is a very real, and possible situation.

The future, I feel, is that Google Earth will soon have live 24/7 surveillance of EVERYWHERE in the world - anyone could just simply type in your street or city, and a satellite would transmit to you the going's on around there. Obviously, this would take a lot of money and general public support, something that Google is not lacking in already. Looking away from the future, and back to now, just realise that ANYONE can view your street and see your area. For now, it's not live pictures, but what if it was? Google Earth seem to be invading people's privacy, and going into areas where they are not welcome.

We've went from atlases, outlining countries and their borders, to people being able to publicly view exactly where you live. Does that not bother you a little? I'm more worried about the future for now though - imagine seeing a camera or satellite getting right into your face, zooming in on you because someone from anywhere in the world wants to see it. Scary, isn't it? I think Google Earth need to stop with Street View, and particularly cease any future initiatives regarding live feeds...these feeds could be viewed by the wrong people, and lead to serious crime and spying.

Iain Watt

Tuesday morning: 1:11am 2008

Current location: in my bed, listening to J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1...in Belfast

an average Tuesday morning: 1:11am 2005-some of 2008

Location: IN THE UNION GOING WILD AND GETTING PLASTERED! Derry.

(and usually listening to 'Manic Monday' by the Bangles)

Something is not right with the world of Iain. I dunno, I guess I still have the urge to be a student. And I begin to question myself as to whether I lived the student life to it's fullest. And, I think I did a good enough job at that - plenty of partying, a few messy nights, learned new skills, met friends who I will have for life, met a girl who I will be with for the rest of my life, and had plenty of fun, and self-reflection...and, most importantly, a LOT of growing up.

As a naturally curious person, I feel that my time at university is not over yet. I still feel I have a lot to learn, the degree I received I feel did not adequately challenge me or push me to my absolute limits. I just love to learn - and a post-grad degree is looking more likely for me in the future (and possibly the near future). I may apply for universities when I live in the US, but then again, I might just wait until I come back to the UK or Europe. And hopefully, I can get a bigger challenge (and perhaps a better job).

Tiredness ensumes.

Iain

Ministry of Defence - WHAT IS GOING ON?

I'm not one for posting twice in one day, but...

Another data storage device has been "stolen" from the Ministry of Defence, this time containing details of 900,000 former and current RAF (Royal Air Force) staff and personnel. The information was contained in 3 USB hard disc drives, which seemingly were snatched. Or, so the MoD are saying.

The BBC have really not made a big deal out of this at all, with the US banking bail-out (another un-necessary action if you ask me)...it's like when 9/11 occured, it just so happened that taxes were brought up a lot, but just think about it. Almost 1 million people's details are now in the hands of thieves, or have been handed to some other possible "agencies" who could well do with this information, just for spying purposes, and who knows what else.

The whole fact that it happened LAST WEDNESDAY and has not been reported until now, is, at the least, shocking. I'll say it again; that's almost 1 million people's details now in the hands of people who really should not need the information, and will not use it for good effect. And, it gets a few paragraphs mention, as if it's just a minor event. If it was the first time that it's happened, then fine. But, it's not.

During the summer, there was a lot of news regarding thieves stealing laptops on underground trains and in other various ways - and this was a bigger risk to the public, as some of them were social security details, which in turn would have banking account numbers. If you look at the "See Also:" section of that news report above, you can see that within 2 DAYS there were 2 different pieces of information stolen, and then in June more "secret" information was stolen.

As a person whose eyes are relatively more open than what they used to be, I honestly feel that standard thieves would absolutely not need this information - the only info they'd need if they wanted to be effective was banking details, unless they're planning a mass robbery of over 1 million people. So, I feel that this is not a standard job. I think that this is a "passing over" of information from the MoD to some form of secret government agency, and to make it seem more of a "dangerous" threat to the UK people, saying that it was thieves that took it.

I remember watching on BBC News when one of the laptops was stolen from a MoD worker on a subway train, that their message was "not to panic". Remembering of course that they (the BBC) are a government-run and tax paid media group, that's the most obvious thing that they are going to say in a crisis like this. TOO much information has been "lost", with absolutely no signs of them trying to retrieve it. The MoD said they would take this "breach of security very seriously" - it's very easy to something like that and not mean it when you know the real agenda.

I fear for the UK population right now. With an unelected PM, a terrible economic crisis which has all obviously been pre-planned by the Rockefeller and Rothschild families just so they can create their next step towards a one world government, and the complete acceptance of our human rights being taken away gradually through stealth, I feel that the UK will be one of the first countries to be run by the police state. If you look around you in a city right now and just count the amount of security cameras watching your every move, do you not even feel a little uncomfortable? They say they're for our "protection", and I'm sure they've been useful in some instances of crime, but that's not what they're for. They're watching our every move, preparing us more and more for the Big Brother state. 

We need to say NO to these corrupt bastards, and tell them we don't want to be slaves. Unfortunately, the government and media have completely put wool over a lot of people's eyes, and they are unaware of what is unravelling right infront of them, despite it being almost near obvious (at least to me) what is going on. Why are people accepting the fact that information that could possibly be held on them be used against them in the future? Could this info be put into RFID chips, which are looking more and more likely to be on their way...with The Sun readers wanting pedophiles RFID chipped? As long as the government don't tread on their money and lifestyle and get personally involved in their business (for now), and let them watch TV, that's alright for them. This must stop, right now.

Iain

New US TV Seasons rock! (so far)

After watching a pre-aired episode of the new season of Dexter, I had high hopes for the rest of the other opening US TV show series, which were re-starting in the next few weeks. And, so far, I've yet to be disappointed.

The first "official" season that re-started that interested me greatly was 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". They opened with a double bill episode (something which I found uncommon, but great all the same), and even though to me the first episode was not the best ever It's Always Sunny ep, it was still good. And the second episode was just classic. And, the third and fourth episodes aired last night, and they are both instant favourites for me already. I'm under the guess that this season will be their best, after all they have a new found confidence in them after being renewed for a few more seasons, rather than hoping they would get renewed after the end of each season. I greatly recommend this show to anybody who likes a good comedy.

Robot Chicken has been great, as always. A must for any Family Guy or spoof/satire fans.

The next season that interested me was Heroes, which resumed on Monday. Season 2 for me was short, and a little uninteresting at times...and I think the producers and director knew that's how a lot of Heroes fans felt. Again, they opened with a double bill episode, and how episode 2 ended is just an absolutely great way of setting a possible scene for the rest of the season to follow on from. With a show like Heroes, it's hard not to say anything and spoil it for everyone else who hasn't watched it (that is, most people in the UK as it doesn't air here for a few weeks yet). But, what I will say is that I think it's going to be a possible Season 1 beater.

I've almost finished downloading the new season first episode of The Office (US), which I'm excited about. I never really watched it until I met Colette, and it is rather funny!

Some other seasons I'm looking forward to starting:

• Desperate Housewives - Colette got me back into it again...despite it being a mostly "girlie" show, I really like it!
• Brothers and Sisters - as above, only I never watched/heard of it before meeting Colette
• Family Guy
• American Dad

And, currently that's all I can think of. The summer of boredom is finally over...I have PLENTY of shows to keep me entertained.

Iain

There ain't no cure for the summertime blues.

Being 6 days away from the end of September has given me a shocking realisation. I've been living at home since 3rd June, and have been seeking a job since then, but more heavily so after my 2 holidays with Colette, with the last one ending on 18th July. And I have yet to find a job - it's not like I haven't been applying - it just so happens that my job searching is "selective" - I'm no way in hell going back into retail after the misery I went through with my other jobs in retail. I'm, at the minute, solely looking for office work, word processing, admin, that sorta thing. It's not going to be my career path forever (hopefully), and it's really only a money-making scheme for me right now, to save for moving to America in May.

In all the jobs I have been in, despite enjoying 2 of them to an extent, I have always felt that it's just not the right environment for me; the set hours, the "politics" within the team and the obvious favouritism shown to certain team members. And it's for the obvious reason of that I want to just be my own boss - doing what I want, when I want, and where I want. And, that's just my ego of being a musician...I still feel under-valued in all jobs I have been in, when I have quite obviously been one of the more skilled members of each team (especially in one job), and it's all because I keep out of the politics and keep my mouth shut and just WORK. I tend not to associate with work colleagues after work; as I find it hard to separate work from my social life, as they tend to contradict themselves, and meeting work-mates out of work to me just seems awkward. I've only ever sparked a few half-friendships from places of work; and I don't really speak to those people anymore really.

Anyway, without going off on a tangent about work politics (which may become an open letter sometime), I just feel that in all jobs, I just am not suited for that kind of work. And, I really hope that when I go over to Raleigh, that I am able to sustain myself financially just by playing music; whether it be at a session musician level, a band level, or even at a teaching level. And, I know myself that I will probably have to go into a similar job in an office at first just to get immediate financial stability, and in the process look for bands/artists needing a drummer, and then take off from there.

Gradually over the summer, I've been feeling more frustrated with job hunting and being without Colette and also, in a way, depressed. I've graduated, with a grade that I was expected to get, and I'm happy that I got it - but I still miss Derry so much. This week has been hard, classes resumed and it just felt weird that I was not a part of it again; going to class, and then chilling for lunch at the union cafe, and then either going to class again or just relaxing for the rest of the day - and I had that freedom to do what I wanted, rather than working at 9, and ending at 5, with a few breaks inbetween. 

Monday night was the worst - my dad and I were looking for where a potential job interview was going to be held, and I realised the time - it was around 8:30pm. And, if I were in Derry...I'd be in Sainsbury's at that time, buying some food and more alcohol to get me started for another crazy Manic Monday night at the Union. I always loved that feeling on Monday nights, because basically everyone went to it, and it was always just a really good fun night. And there was always a really cool atmosphere in the student village, just one of positivity and partying; one memory and atmosphere which I truly, truly miss a lot. I felt...trapped, and in a place where I do not want to be.

I've had little to no fun in Belfast since I've came back, and 99% of the time here I've been in my room, just on the computer doing whatever I have to do. Whilst I am content enough doing it, I just feel trapped, and feel like it's a waiting room for another place where I want to be. I'm grateful for the free rent and food, as that helps me a lot with regards to saving money, but I don't have the social freedom or the ease of travel as I did in Derry. There's no point in me moving out now because I'm moving in May, and basically going to be in the states for a whole month, so I would have had to pay rent for a month of not even being there.

I have no motivation to practice drums either, I have little room to play them and it's always just awkward practicing in a garage with neighbours around. Whereas, in Derry...I didn't always have time to practice due to practice room being booked or I was busy with other things, but when I did practice, I always felt motivated, it was never a chore...more like just something I wanted to do.

One thing that has been keeping me going is my recent practicing of DJ'ing. And I hope to show everyone my skills tomorrow night in Masons, Derry. I uploaded a mix to Rapidshare, and it's pretty good, for an amateur..if I do say so myself ;)

I still can't believe I don't have a job after all this time. I need one soon, for various reasons.

Iain

An open letter to...

Following from my "What's Hot and Not" lists, I have decided to add more personal feelings into this blog, on more serious, or light hearted issues, probably more serious. And, these feelings will be directed in a form of an open letter. I already have some ideas for more open letters...I don't know how often I'll do them, my best answer is that I will do them when I feel like it.

AN OPEN LETTER TO...

Edition 1

by Iain Watt

An open letter to...

YOUTUBE SONG COVER MUSICIANS

I am not going to include specific examples of users and videos when criticising, because then that would be singling out one user. And before I begin, I want to assure you that I have no beef with YouTube musicians who bring out "original material", only those that cover songs and put it on the net.

I am quite for the use of technology to "network" people from all around the world, I have met some fantastic friends from different parts of the world who I probably wouldn't have otherwise met, I have discussed, joked about and debated with some like-minded musicians on various issues on a fantastic forum that I post on regularly, and I of course am able to keep in touch with real life friends far easier, no matter where they are living.

When YouTube was first brought to my attention quite a few years ago, I thought of it as a very exciting prospect - almost anything could be uploaded, and anybody from around the world could watch it, and subsequentially share their talents and thoughts. I'm also rather uneasy with "vloggers", but I'll leave that for another open letter. I typed in, say, "Steve Vai", and I seen loads of live videos, whether recorded on TV or by users who were at a gig - and I finally thought that the bootleg culture finally had a place to settle. I typed in names of my favourite drummers, and up came lessons, live drum solos, recorded drum solos, whatever...I found it, and learnt a lot from the videos. 

My initial curiosity as a progressing drummer was to search for songs, and see other users cover them. Initially there were some fantastic submissions, I recall seeing a video of a user playing a Dream Theater song on ALL the instruments...and showing him play each part, on basically the same set-up that each of the members of Dream Theater had. I was very impressed, by his talent. And then, I remember seeing some other users submitting some excellent renditions of songs, and original compositions too. I finally felt that the average Joe could submit anything to the world and anybody could view it, and I was positive that it would have a positive effect on music and that it would give some people hope, that you can play an instrument and get noticed.

But, as with anything that gets more popular, the more inundated and over-done things become. And this is where my main beef lies, and begins. Type in, say "Master of Puppets Guitar" on YouTube, and you're expected to find hundreds (if not thousands) of users who have submitted their take on an already over-played and over-done song. And just watching it, it's most likely to be:

1) Of bad quality, both audibly and visually

2) Not performed to a high standard on a guitar/drums that their parents bought them for Christmas 

3) Replicated note for note, with no signs of originality or their own musical ability and talent, especially during solos

I understand WHY people want to put videos up on YouTube, to show what they're capable of. But, if you're going to do it, do it right, and with the right equipment to make your presentation look and sound good. I also understand that that is a problem for some people, due to financial restraints. But, most importantly, everyone's heard these songs before, so why not add something new to the song? It literally is a case of "anyone can play this, if they learn and practice." And the sad thing is, most people don't comment on the performers, they comment on how the band suck, or defend the band..whatever side of the fence they're on.

I just view these videos as a "look at what I can do". Sure, some songs are technically challenging, but until these musicians begin playing music which is their own, I will continue to pay no attention to the musical output. And, what annoys me greater is the "linked" videos some people do - where they find other users who played the song they played on a different instrument, and then link their performances together. This usually causes a horrible sound mash-up, due to different sound recording environments and quality, and it's basically a covers band, without the users coming together to play as one unit. Cool concept in hindsight, but again usually makes the song worse rather than better.

Here's some words of advice from me (let me say at this point that I do not feel as if I'm "better" than them)

1) Write your own songs, put them up on YouTube, get other users to add their instruments to your song (via you sending them the mp3, or putting it on a site such as Rapidshare for download), then get those people to record their performance if possible on video AND on recording software such as Cubase or anything with a microphone(s) and save it as an mp3, and send it back to you. Then, compile all the parts and make one whole recording...replace the audio from the videos that they recorded with the mp3 file that you made, and upload THAT to Youtube. If that recording solution is not possible, then settle for the mash-up of different user recordings, but for the sake of mine and everyone elses ears, please edit it and upload it in high quality.

At this point, you might think "but no-one cares about original stuff anymore"...well, I'm sure no-one cares about you playing Master of Puppets, like a million other people...at least you're doing something that's your own, and that you can be proud of.

2) If you enjoy covering other bands songs, fine. But, at least do something original with it, with the reasons I've mentioned previously. If you're feeling creative, why not orchestrate a song you like for different instruments rather than a standard rock set up? And then you could  perhaps do the same idea as in point 1.

3) Please, please record your videos somewhere other than your room. Please. I've seen some awesome videos of guys playing outside and stuff like that. I understand that might be impossible for some people, but again, it's original. Nothing for me makes the videos more awkward than a user quickly turning on their camera, adjusting to their instrument quickly, and then the music comes out usually blaringly far too loud or far too quiet. Which leads me nicely into...

4) Get. Headphones. You can hear the track better. Remember, you can always overlay the actual track into any video editing software (including Windows Movie Maker).

5) Maybe get a friend to record you doing it, so the camera angle could change, and perhaps zoom in on parts that are technically difficult...rather than the same angle of you, your bed, and a wall.

As I've already said, I refuse to watch anymore videos of people playing a song that I'd rather hear the original artist do for many reasons; until people begin uploading original compositions and/or doing cover songs with an original take on it, in the ways mentioned previously.

I recently watched Lars Ulrich (drummer for Metallica) thanking Metallica fans for covering songs on YouTube and uploading them. I didn't know if this was a good or bad thing - a lot of people might think "OMG LARS MUST HAVE WATCHED MY VIDEO!"...I'm sure he wouldn't want to hear a song he's played hundreds of times live played by hundreds of other people, albeit less professionally or better done - and then a domino effect of more people uploading videos in the hope of Lars or other members of Metallica (or other bands) watching it. But, what can the guys in the band say? "Thanks for playing our song". They're hardly going to praise them for covering their own song, or ask them to play drums/guitar/whatever for them for one gig. If they did, that'd be great - but that's not the world we live in. And besides, they wouldn't have time to watch everyones rendition. But, it is good that at least the band are showing that they are paying attention to their fans, and what they do to appreciate their band (despite it being unoriginal and a blatant carbon copy).

Anyway, I feel like I'm going round in circles, so I will stop my open letter here.

Iain Watt

The summer break is over...

And I'm still unemployed. I guess on the positives, I have applied for plenty of jobs, and attended 2 interviews with another one on its way in a few weeks.

This week has been odd for me. I have been in the knowledge that Duncreggan (student halls) re-opened it's gates for students on Sunday, and I feel so odd not being up there with the rest of them. The first week back was always a great, fun, satisfying week for me. I knew all I had to do was enrol and attend a brief welcome back/induction talk, and the rest of the week was entirely up to me. I don't know if everyone feels like this, but the thought of a completely clean slate of a room, completely ready for your own personal customisation (within reason) is one of the most enjoyable feelings ever. 

Just being able to put all your stuff into a room that has obviously been pre-occupied is exciting for me: I felt as if I was putting my own personalised stamp to each room I lived in. The pleasure I recieved each year of going into my room and turning on my computer and speakers for the first time, playing a damn good song up full blast was incomprehensible - it was just a feeling of "YES! And here begins another year". First night was always fun too - that initial positive drive, meeting some old friends and some new ones was always good. And of course, going back to the pubs that you missed dearly over the summer.

It makes it equally frustrating for me that apparently there was SOME funding left for those who wanted to do a Masters course in Music. My intention was to do a Masters, for the reason of that I feel that I have the necessary talent to do it, and also because I love being in Derry and the Magee campus so much. There is such a fantastic "community" feeling there, almost everyone knows everyone else, and you get to meet a vast amount of people...who are all out for a good time (there are some that spoil this fun of course by going too far). And, now that I'm home, I feel that I miss that. I have a handful of friends at home, nowhere near amounted to the amount of friends I had in Derry...but for one reason or another, it's hard for us all to find a night that suits us all to go out; prior commitments, lack of money etc. And, it's just too damn expensive in Belfast! 

Living in somewhere like Derry, where a taxi at most cost £3.50, and drinks being considerably cheaper also, and everywhere good was within easy walking distance, a night out was much more feasible, and more likely to happen; and, for me, enjoyable. At home, I have this constant feeling in the back of my mind that I have to go home to my parents, and that I can't be drunk at all. That said, I have came home drunk quite a few times...but waking up next morning to my parents asking me loads of questions and just unaware that I'm hungover is what I don't get in Derry. Don't get me wrong, I've had some pretty good nights in Belfast, but I miss the bars and atmosphere in Derry. And let's not go into the amount of time it takes to get a taxi, and how much it costs for me to get home.

I mean, a simple solution for me would be to move closer to town, but that's just unreasonable right now for me. I'm moving to the states in May, and I need to save every penny I can - and free rent is obviously a big advantage for me. And, I've had a bad enough time with landlords as it is...so I'd rather stay at home, where they wouldn't give me wanky treatment (much!).

I hope to be able to come up to Derry again for a proper night out. I am DJ'ing this day week (25th) in Mason's, where I hope to see as many of my Derry friends as possible! Hopefully with a job on it's way, I should be able to come up for a weekend of pure madness. And, I will definitely be hoping to go up to Derry before I leave for the States for an absolutely epic night.

Moving away from lack of Derry and job stuff, think it's time for some positive thoughts!

So, the new TV season in the US is kicking off very soon. Sunday week to be precise. But one show is coming back TONIGHT! The new season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is kicking off, and I'm really excited. I've been watching past season episodes to get me in the mood. And, it's definitely one of those shows that are initially funny, but with each watch you hear/see something that you didn't before so clearly and it just makes you laugh so much more; as well as the obvious jokes too. Pity I'm not in the States to watch it as it goes out, I'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning and download it. Ah well, one can wait.

Now I'm tired, miss Colette and Derry.

Iain

Beautiful sunrises for meeeee...

Ladies and gentlemen, it has taken me a long time, and a lot of uneasy listening, but I have finally found the worst band in human history: I bring to you, the band Complete.

Playing their worldwide hit Beautiful Sunrises, IT'S COMPLETE!

If that didn't bring a tear to your eye, nothing will.

Iain

Remember when you were young...you shone like the sun.

I did not hear the incredibly tragic news of Richard Wright's passing until this evening. This has shaken my day, and I'm finding it hard to come to terms with the loss. So much so, that my usual evening music listening session is not even being held, as I can't feel that I can listen to music right now.

For those of you that do not know who Richard Wright was, he was a founding member and keyboardist/pianist for Pink Floyd. He died yesterday, of an as-yet unspecified form of cancer. He was 65 years old.

Richard's role within Pink Floyd is very important to me because it reminds me a lot of my own role within a band - subtle, precise, in the background, but still an important (and founding) member..without them the band would be flawed incredibly. I'm not saying that every band I've been have relied on me, I'm simply saying that I feel that I added something significant to every band I have been in, despite not getting the majority of the "attention", that other band members did receive. And nor am I jealous of that; I like my roles within bands that I have been in, and hope to play with in the future. But, the biggest similarity we both have is that we are both self-taught on our respected instruments.

Looking at the work he did within Pink Floyd, whilst it wasn't anything "virtuosic", it was most certainly beautiful and very complimenting to the music that was happening. Anyone listening to the introduction to "The Great Gig in the Sky", or the keyboard madness/ambience of "Echoes" or "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", will recognise just how brilliant this man was. Pink Floyd's music is certainly one of "mood setting", but I don't feel that this could have been as effectively if the keyboardist was not Richard Wright. 

It's even harder for me to comprehend his loss, considering that Pink Floyd are one of my all-time favourite bands. Now, 2 of their founding members and certainly original musicians have passed away, and it's made it impossible for a reunion of a Waters era Floyd. I am still very thankful that they reunited for Live Aid a few years ago; and I did get to see a glimpse of them performing live (not in person but on TV of course), something which I did not get to see as the Waters era Floyd broke up in the late 1970s or early 80s, a few years before I was born. 

I would love if the Waters era Floyd did reunite for a memorial gig for Richard; in aid of charity...perhaps to a cancer research fund. Essentially, it would be very odd without Richards presence there to deliver some great sounds and aiding chord sequences and subtle backing vocals; but then again, there have been George Harrison and Freddie Mercury memorial concerts...it's just a shame that Richard was not at "that level" of fame like those 2 men were. I just hope Waters and Gilmour can once again resolve their creative differences and do something that would please the fans, and most certainly please Richard himself. 

Too many good musicians and composers have been lost this year, and in the past few years. I never got to meet Richard, but I always got the impression from him as being a kind, gentle man. I don't know what I'm going to do if other important musicians and composers die this year.

Enjoy the great gig in the sky, Richard. You will be missed.

Richard Wright - 1943-2008

RIP

Iain Watt

Does music taste link to personality?

It seems so, according to this BBC report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7598549.stm

I've also been very curious to this question. As I've said on so many previous occasions, music is the only art-form I feel which actually speaks to people, and can bring joy or sadness to a person, whether it be within the music itself, or in the words/lyrics of the song. And, it's amazing how 2 pitch intervals can represent "evil" to some people (mostly in the past, particularly in medieval times)...that being the tri-tone (augmented 4th...or, for example, playing the notes F# and C), when in reality, they are just notes which have no significance whatsoever..it's all just because the ear made people THINK that it sounded evil. It's now a frequently used interval by metal bands (the most classic example being in Black Sabbath's self titled song), but is not too uncommon in some pop and R&B music also.

I like the fact that people who like dance/indie music are seen as "not gentle" - as the MAJORITY of people who listen to this kind of music, from my personal experience, are not very nice people anyway, and this survey seems to have confirmed that. It's funny as well that Country music listeners are viewed as "Hardworking", and then has a picture of Dolly Parton. Classic. (for those who don't get the joke..."working 9-5..")

As for rock/heavy metal fans like myself (it's funny also how big media groups don't even consider other kinds of rock and metal), the personality traits are "low self esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, at ease". I would agree with a few of those, regarding the link to my personality - I generally have a low self-esteem, I'm creative, I work hard when I need to, but I generally relax, I am not as outgoing as I used to be, and I'd consider myself gentle and very much at ease. But, being such a musicophile, I also enjoy many other kinds of music, including classical and jazz..which seem to contradict the rock/heavy metal traits. 

I also like how the conductor of this research, Dr Adrian North, suggests that those who like classical and those who like heavy metal are both creative and at ease but not outgoing." Moving away from the psychological aspects of these 2 music forms, there are a lot of similarities I feel between classical music and heavy metal...both are very virtuosic and require a lot of technical skill and concentration, and some classical music (such as the music of Bach) sounds like heavy metal without the instrumentation - if Bach were alive today, he would have been a fantastic composer. Let's not forget also Paganini's 24 Capricces, which are some of the most challenging pieces of music for violin, and have been played on the electric guitar by the likes of virtuoso Jason Becker - again, music well ahead of it's time and has been performed by metal musicians. And of course, the virtuoso guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen, who is very heavily inspired by classical music, to the point of him composing pieces for himself and an orchestra.

In the report itself, it mentions how a lot of music listeners are given a stereotype, in particular "heavy metal" fans - as being suicidal, and a danger to themselves and others. A lot of "heavy metal" fans I know and are friends with, are not that at all - it's simply because people don't understand it, and the "scene" that surrounds it - they don't like their look or their attitude, so they assume they're suicidal and craving attention when that's really not the case at all (of course, some of them are, but it's a swift generalisation). You never see heavy metal fans get in random fights in bars, but you would with a lot of dance music fans.

Another research which I might do in the future is assessing what "class" listens to what kind of music the most, and how it might affect them, such as crime-obsessed youngsters who listen to unbeneficial and unhelpful music (in my humble opinion) such as Gangsta Rap were to listen to other kinds of music, they would "open up" and perhaps become a better person.

The research and questionnaire I feel does have some flaws - there is no mention of other world musics, and no mention of fusion forms of music - such as Jazz Fusion and Rapcore (rap and rock music). I guess it is a general test for "general" people, not really for the music lover and obsessive like myself. I took the survey myself, and it did not ask what sort of music you liked, rather, it asked you what level of musical experience you had.

Anyway, I'm glad that some people notice how important music is to a persons life as much as I do.

Take the test!

News from home...

Well, it's POURING down right now; very heavy winds also. My parents are getting a new car today...and, that's about it. Oh, and I really want the game Too Human as well, for X-Box 360...played the demo and was blown away. Any game relating to Thor and Valhalla is good enough for me!

I'm also moving to the states on May 9th.

Iain