For those about to rock...
Friday, September 26, 2008
Since it's been quite a while since I posted anything that supports my claim to former near-rockstardom, and thanks to a suggestion from a good buddy on a new record to pick up, it is with pleasure that I give you my musings on the newest effort by the one and only, Metallica.
Before I get started, it should be known that I was hesitant to actually pay money for this album. First, because Lars Ulrich is a prick and a douchebag for reasons that will go unspoken in this blog. Second, and more importantly, because the last four Metallica studio albums have essentially blown goats. But I have enormous respect for Reverend Humpy's musical taste and overall judgement, so I dropped my ten bucks on iTunes and gave Death Magnetic a digital spin.
Alright, the happy stuff:
Now, for the not-so-happy stuff:
In choosing Rick Rubin to produce the record, Metallica has fallen victim to the biggest trend (and many would say biggest tragedy) in major label production, overmastering. This record has had every last bit of dynamic color squeezed out of it in an effort to make it the loudest goddamned record in your playlist. While being loud wouldn't traditionally be a bad thing in metal, the net result of the hot-master-squeeze is an almost complete loss of dynamic nuance and a steady (loud ass) volume that eventually leads to ear fatigue and a record that can only be rocked to for four or five songs in any given setting. Need proof? Mosey on over here and look at the difference between the dynamic range of a typical "...Justice..." song and a typical "Death..." song. It's sad to see. It hurts my heart. And I'm hoping Metallica will grow a pair and release a remastered version of the album at some point. At least digitally.
With the exception of the above complaint, this record rocks. It's the best thing Metallica has done since 1999's S&M (which, for the record, rocked my pants off...a few times), and the best studio record in twenty years. Sadly, that above complaint is a REALLY BIG fuck up of an otherwise wicked album. Is it a masterpiece? No. Could it have been? Hell yes.
Remaster, gentlemen, remaster.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Metallica - Death Magnetic
posted by Dustin @ 11:37 AM,
Citizen of the Planet.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Alanis Morissette - Citizen of the Planet
posted by Dustin @ 2:52 PM,
Floods, Rock and Roll, and Uncertain Itineraries...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
As previously mentioned, much of the state of Arkansas is currently underwater. While we knew this to be the case, we've now taken two trips to the lake only to discover that said lake is essentially unrecognizable. I tried to find some before/after pictures to show those of you unfamiliar with the lake what I'm talking about, but failed miserably. So instead, the picture shown above is of a shed that sits about fifteen feet above normal lake level right at our marina. Yes, that would be the lake that rises almost six feet into said shed (wow, poetry). Alas, the Army Corps of Engineers estimates the lake will hopefully be back to manageable levels by the Fourth of July weekend. And the shoreline will be a mess long after that. But a drop of five feet should be enough to turn power back on at the dock, at which point we're able to get the boat down from the lift and cruise about a bit.
In other news, I’ve got some friends in Toronto that have a wicked little thing going on called Die Mannequin. Its a three piece with a chick lead singer/guitarist and she’s a force to be reckoned with (I normally don’t dig chick rock bands). I highly suggest picking up their new album, Unicorn Steak, on iTunes, Amazon, or whatever. It's both cheap and badass. And click the link at the bottom to see their video that's not done too poorly on MTV Canada. Sweet.
Finally, it's looking more and more likely that I'm heading back to India in the extremely near future. Its one of those clients with the money and the motivation, but the calendar and the balance sheet determine exactly when a project gets funded. If our suspicions are correct, which they will be, funds will be released and it will hit hard and fast. Kind of like "Hi Dustin, happy Thursday. We need you in Bangalore on Monday." Hopefully not quite THAT dramatic, but not too far off. S'pose I should go ahead and start my visa renewal paperwork, eh?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Die Mannequin - Unicorn Steak
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 9:26 AM,
Ghosts.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I just got the new NIN release, entitled Ghosts I-IV. I would like to point out three important facts before encouraging you to check it out.
1) Ghosts I-IV is NIN's first entirely instrumental project. It is 36 tracks of perfectly-crafted Reznor-esque "music".
2) Ghosts I-IV is not an industrial rock album. If you're familiar with other NIN work, this is more like the intros and outros and transitions you find between the tracks on a typical NIN record. Only more badass and definitely more strange.
3) Ghosts I-IV is NIN's first release post-Interscope split. They have gone the way of Radiohead and released it independently, and in part free. So even if you don't want to shell out a couple of bucks, you can get the first nine tracks for nothing or the full 36 in digital form for $5.
Okay, that said, this is cool stuff. It's the kind of stuff you have to be in the mood for (kinda like She Wants Revenge, but that's another story for another time), but when you're in the mood, nothing else will fill the need.
Go. Get it free or cheap. What have you got to lose?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to NIN - Ghosts I-IV, natch.
posted by Dustin @ 2:30 PM,
Reunions, Classic Tunes, and San Francisco...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I'm totally psyched. Tonight we're all heading over to The Pink Lady's house for a much needed get together. And the absolute best part is that our friend Sheridan is in town. Sheridan used to live here in Memphis and work with The Pink Lady (Amy, for those of you not in the know) at St. Jude as child life specialists. Almost exactly two years ago, Sheridan was unable to shake a bout with pneumonia which ultimately turned into some pretty serious medical issues. Serious enough that she ended up going to the Mayo Clinic and immediately thereafter moving home to Maine to be closer to her family as she fought to get well. She's a tough cookie and is still fighting, but our little group of friends never got a chance to so much as give her a hug before she left.
Anywho, it will be really, really good to see her tonight and give her that big hug that's been a long time waiting. Love her like crazy. And I guess it'll be okay to see the rest of "them bitches" too *rotfl*...
And I've been listening to alot of Elton John lately. Forget not that this is the man who gave us "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", and "Your Song"...This is one badass motherf*cker. If you've never had the privilege of exposure to his old stuff, get thee to iTunes and pick up "Rocket Man - Number Ones" and get educated. You'll not be sorry.
Finally, I'm back off to the Bay Area on Sunday for a Monday meeting. I'd love to get home Monday night but Tuesday is likely. I'm hoping to fit in another sushi run, as the last one was the best sushi experience of my life. We shall see. I'll bring my camera this time and get some pictures if I see anything interesting.
Cheers.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Elton John - Sacrifice
Labels: All Posts, Friends and Family, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 10:14 AM,
Weekend Creativity...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Howdy. I was feeling a bit creative this weekend after returning from Portland. So there's a new demo track on myspace over at www.myspace.com/dustincann called "What's it Gonna Take". As per usual, it is a demo, so no talking shit about the recording quality. Enjoy. Or don't. Whatever.
Cheers.
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 9:02 PM,
Jealousy and Fear of the Dark.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Reverend Humpy just scored tickets to Iron Maiden. I'm jealous. Indescribably so.
On a side note, read his list of 25 of his favorite artists of all time. With the possible exception of Fear Factory, I agree on all accounts. Not that Fear Factory is "heinoo" or anything. Just not to be grouped with the others, IMHO. I would quickly and succinctly replace them with Jellyfish.
Rock'n'Roll.
Labels: All Posts, Culture, Music
posted by Dustin @ 4:14 PM,
Speaking of Queen...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The new Queen+Paul Rodgers single/video, "Say It's Not True". Personally, I've struggled with new Queen material. Nothing against Paul Rodgers, but it just feels weird. Anyway, no doubt it's a good song, and Brian May and Roger Taylor sound as badass as ever. The first part is pretty low key, but hang in for the big-effing guitar and drums about two and a half minutes in.
Just thought I'd share it and open the floor for your thoughts. Enjoy?
Labels: All Posts, Culture, Music
posted by Dustin @ 6:27 PM,
Boats, India, BMWs, and the godhood of Brian May...
Friday, March 14, 2008
Even though my last post was just over a week ago, it feels like I've been "away" for some time, so here's a few updates:
Two weekends ago the temperature around here was hitting mid 70F's. It took all of my super powers to resist dewinterizing the boat then and there and hitting the lake straight away. But alas, The Weather Channel was telling us to prepare for more below freezing temperatures. That seemed impossible. Fast forward to last Friday evening, when the drive to Arkansas was derailed two hours in when we hadn't made it as far as we normally would in a half an hour due to the blizzard to end all blizzards. In March. In Memphis. Good thing the boat was still put up. And here we are, a mere week later, and it's currently 70F.
You Republicans out there still think there's no such thing as global climate change?
Anywho, we're heading back to the lake tonight so these guys can dewinterize the boat tomorrow. Hopefully in the next few weeks it will be warm enough to take it out. After that, you'll know where to find me every weekend till November. Snap.
And it appears I may be heading back to India in short order. I'm not sure of the timeframe or duration, or really even the location. I have a strong suspicion this client will be based in Gujarat, a fact that only makes me nervous because of it's proximity to the Pakistani border. From what I gather, Gujarat is more or less safe, but it is indeed quite close to a country that is currently flirting with turmoil. But I'll be cautiously optimistic. Besides, I love India. I'm down with another (moderately) short (meaning 3-4 weeks) trip. I just wish it was back in Delhi or Mumbai. C'est la vie.
Tim bought a BMW 328i on Wednesday. I haven't taken a picture of his yet, but the one above is pretty close. I won't spend much time on this topic except to say I made him buy it to mitigate his ever-growing obsession with having one. Many hours were spent looking at car-porn on the internet in the days leading up to the big jump. He is now free to drive his very own beemer to his heart's content. Or at least till he gets sick of paying sick amounts for gas and goes back to mostly driving my Prius. Then I get a beemer. Woot.
Finally, and most fantastically, I've been listening to alot of Queen lately. Lest anyone forget, Brian May is tied for the prize of best-fucking-guitar-tone-ever with David Gilmour, a prize that must be shared between the two for reasons understood by at least myself, and probably more than a few others out there. I would characterize my style of guitar playing as "a hack trying to play in the style of David Gilmour with the tone of Brian May and the badass delay addiction of The Edge". While I consider myself to be a decent enough guitar player for my needs, note that the operative word in that characterization is "hack", for in comparison to these legends, I am more like the completely non-musical video game nerd who thinks the ability to kick Slash's ass on Guitar Hero makes one a virtuouso.
Back to Brian May. He is a god. He is the reason I own a Vox. He laid down some crazy shit before studios could digitally quintuplicate one's guitar prowess. So dust off your old Innuendo record, and if you don't have one, get thee hence to iTunes and remedy that fault inmediatamente.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Queen - Killer Queen
Labels: All Posts, Music, Toys, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 1:04 PM,
R.I.P. Jeff Healey
Monday, March 3, 2008
A great talent has passed. Jeff Healey, an incredible blues guitarist (who happened to have been blind since age 1), died yesterday due to complications from a very rare type of cancer.
Some of you may remember his 1988 hit "Angel Eyes", but likely missed out on everything that happened after. His radio tunes were a little cheesy, but his guitar skills were unquestionable. I had the privilege of seeing him perform live about two years ago at his club in Toronto, and let me tell you, it was one of the most entertaining and intriguing performances I've seen in a long time.
His first record in eight years is due out later this month, and he's survived by his wife and two young children. I'm a little bummed.
Anywho, I thought he deserved a mention. Cheers, Jeff.
Labels: All Posts, Culture, Music
posted by Dustin @ 8:48 AM,
Because it Makes Me Chuckle...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 10:20 AM,
On the Ground in Dublin......California, That Is...
Monday, February 4, 2008
After seven hours of travel time, made much better by First Class upgrades, Kevin Smith's "My Boring-Ass Life", and a few Pink Floyd records (Dark Side of the Moon, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and the second disc of Echoes, to be exact), I'm in Dublin, a suburb of Oakland, California.
Quick moment of geekiness: I was seriously jonesing for some Floyd, and have to say that I think I love the old stuff almost as much as the not-so-old stuff. Example: Bike is from Piper at the Gates of Dawn, back when crazy-ass Syd Barrett was trying to out-weird the Beatles. While I certainly miss David Gilmour's ridiculous tone and Roger Waters' unbelievable poetry, songs like this still hold up. Granted, its totally effed up, but who said that's bad? It gets a 10 for creativity and an 11 for insanity. I'd still rather listen to Shine On, Fletcher Memorial Home, or Learning to Fly on a regular basis, but the old stuff should not be forgotten. Okay, moment of serious musical obscurity that only myself and the good Reverend Humpy will appreciate over.
So I'm in Dublin. Actually, I'm in Pleasanton, but will be in the office in Dublin all week. So whatever. And I'm watching a Mythbusters marathon. So I'm happy. G'night, then.
Currently in Pleasanton, California
Currently listening to Mythbusters
Labels: All Posts, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 12:10 AM,
Baby Steps Toward Rockstardom Remixed
Friday, January 11, 2008
Okay, so i know I just posted a link to that new song (So Much Better) like a week ago, but I've cut some different guitars, added a synth, and done some other crap to it. So if you're curious about the new mix:
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 4:10 PM,
Babysteps Toward Rockstardom....
Friday, January 4, 2008
I added a new demo track to myspace, iffen you're curious. Click Here, and its the one called "So Much Better".
posted by Dustin @ 2:55 PM,
Oregonian Sushi, Musical Incontinence, and Drunken Puggies...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Since my last post I did indeed make a brief journey into the Great Northwestern city of Portland, Oregon. I think it had been eight years or so since I'd last visited, and under much different circumstances. The previous trip had been in a caravan of shitty vehicles that were constantly overheating, a trailer without working shocks and packed to the gills with guitars, drums, keyboards, lights, and a really crappy Canadian-made sound system (no offense to Canadian products in general, just to Yorkville, the Peavey of the North), and a handful of fellow wanna-be-rockstars and would-be-roadies that with few exceptions, smelled of cabbage, curry, and pickles and snored at night. Yes, I am referring to the adventure that is a ghetto-style tour with a mediocre rock band. But I digress...
Last week's trip was for work. Things went very smoothly and the client is seeing the value in having us onsite, which is always good. Aside from a very cool little dive of a sushi bar near the office, there's not much to tell for people who aren't officially dubbed "Talent Acquisition Geeks". If you're one of us, well, plenty of stories to drink to in the event that we meet up.
Just prior to leaving for Portland, I was bitten quite hard by a bug that has more or less been comatose, or at least in hibernation for the last several months. 'Twas the songwriting bug. And the bite is visible. Within a few days I had written ten new songs, a feat by my standards. And alas, for the first time in many years, the songs all seemed to be within the same genre. For those of you who know the levels of my creative attention deficit disorder, you'll note that previous writing sprees have generally ended with an industrial metal song, a couple of country tunes, three exceedingly queer dance tracks, a song that is impossible to categorize, and a couple of pop rock tracks thrown in for good measure. Here we have songs that could actually, conceivably end up on a project together. *Insert GASP here*.
Anyway, I got back from Portland and found a nice, big box under (or rather next to) the Christmas tree with my name on it. Since I'll be going to Washington for Christmas and my guy will be going to see his family, we had our Christmas early. For the record, I've got the best guy ever. For what did I unwrap? I extend to the court, Exhibit A:
Oh but yes, I got a new Vox AC15 for Christmas. I was/am giddy. I sold my old one not too long after quitting my last band. I wasn't playing it much and I really wanted an acoustic guitar but didn't want to spend any cash to get one if I could manage. So I sold my baby and bought a killer little Larrivee. Anyway, long story marginally less short, I immediately wanted my Vox back and just haven't found the opportunity to get one. Again, love my guy.
So, a plethora of new material, a gorgeous new amp, and a recently purchased sequencing software for the studio have led me into a stage of musical incontinence like never before. And I'm quite okay with it. For anyone who cares, one of the scratch tracks I've been working on can be heard below. For anyone who doesn't know what a scratch track is, its an unmixed version of a song that has certain components (primarily the vocals, in my case) roughed in, but final (and hopefully better versions) are to come.
Finally, as the title of this post suggests, we are dealing with a sickly pug (yet again). Miss Honey has another cough, and this time the doctor said it wasn't in her lungs, but merely a swollen larynx or pharynx or uvula or some other medically ambiguous term. Anyway, so in addition to a round of antibiotics, he's prescribed a tranquilizer to help her rest, hoping that will stop her from incessant coughing that only serves to make the swelling in her throat worse. One of the both amusing and heartbreaking side effects of said tranquilizer is a seriously drunken Pug. I'd mortify her if I posted video of her in this state, but I'll leave you today with a picture of her stoned little ass sleeping next to my desk. Cheers.
Currently listening to The History of Howard Stern
Labels: All Posts, Culture, General Bullshit, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 9:35 AM,
The Way Things Were.....
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I'm nostalgic...... *sniff*, *sniff*
Labels: All Posts, Culture, Music
posted by Dustin @ 8:39 PM,
Poor thing...
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Hope that Brit can get "it" back is waning...
*sigh*
Labels: All Posts, Culture, Music
posted by Dustin @ 9:11 PM,
UK Popstar Crush of the Day
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Loving Mika. He's a little bit Rufus, a little bit Scissor Sisters, and a hell of alot of Freddy Mercury. Enjoy.
Currently listening to Mika - Grace Kelly
Labels: All Posts, Culture, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 3:32 PM,
Multiple Personality Disorder
Monday, January 8, 2007
I swear, I'll never be an actual rockstar. Why, you ask? Because I have musical multiple personality disorder, or at least ADD. For real, I absolutely can't settle on a genre. Pop Rock today. Hard Rock tomorrow. Yesterday was techno. Last week was Country. Metal for most of last month. At any rate, here's a preview of what I've been working on most recently. Whatever.
Currently listening to Spymob - Sitting Around Keeping Score
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 11:12 AM,
Oh....My....God....
Friday, January 5, 2007
Oh my god. Britney Spears has never looked more tragic. This pic is on the cover of today's New York Post, under the title "Bleary Spears".
Our angel has fallen from grace (K-Fed), then repented (FedEx), then fallen again. *Sniffle*
Currently listening to Britney Spears - Stronger
Labels: All Posts, Culture, General Bullshit, Music
posted by Dustin @ 1:56 PM,
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