Cerebral Pop

Shuffled #26: The Other Bands Edition

2012-02-02T00:29:00.000-08:00

When I go to a concert to see a specific musician, I try my best to see all the other bands playing the same gig. It's a great way to discover new sounds, while at the same time a chance to expand my music library. This episode of Shuffled is a playlist dedicated to some of the openers and headliners I've see over the past year. To narrow it down, I limited myself to bands and musicians who are connected to the interviews I've done so far (with a random little ditty at the end of the show).

Track List:

Radio Control - Hot Audio (from Hot Audio)

Buy the MP3 or the album

Dan Baker - 365 Days (from Sad Song Junkie)

Buy the MP3 or the album

The Dukes of Funk (formally Ratfynkt) - Crystal Isle (from Bare None Extended)

Buy the MP3 or the album

Rod Picott - Rust Belt Fields (from Welding Burns)

Buy the MP3 or the album

No Joy - Still (from Ghost Blonde)

Buy the MP3 or the album

Profugus Mortis - Scarlet to Snow (from Another Round)

Sorry, there is no digital option to purchase this album. From my CD collection.

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Check out Ser Flash's albums at smpmusicproductions.bandcamp.com

What the Movies of 2012 Can Learn From Those of 2011

2012-01-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

It hurts to admit this, but I went to the movie theater less in 2011 than I ever have in the ten years since I started working and could afford to go whenever I wanted. It wasn't necessarily the quality of the movies in 2011 but more the lack of ambition. I just didn't feel like I needed to go and see that many movies. With that being said, I will use my favorite movies from last year to illustrate what I would like to see more of in 2012.

5. The Muppets

One could argue that it was merely nostalgia that got audiences in their late-20's and mid-30's to lavish praise on The Muppets and that is partially correct, but the only reason that nostalgia worked is because The Muppets successfully tapped into everything that made Kermit and his pals such a hoot to watch in the first place: self-aware jokes, corny one-liners and plenty of can-do attitude to Put On A Show. It was the pure spirit of what makes Jim Henson's creations fun distilled into one feel-good hit. 2012 could use more reboots and revivals of forgotten franchises that don't try to be TOO hip and TOO modern but stay true to their roots.

4. The Adventures of Tintin

I never could have imagined that Spielberg would be able to pull off the charm and humor of the original comics while making it exciting to watch. Tintin sometimes comes off as a little too hyperactive but I can't fault them for trying. I consider this probably the most well-rounded version of “Entertainment” that I saw all year. It had everything. If we could only get everyone involved with motion capture animation to take notes and learn from the master, I'm sure we would start to finally see some worthwhile action-adventure movies that are fun for the whole family. It wouldn't hurt if we could also get Andy Serkis in more movies. That man is brilliant.

3. Midnight in Paris

It's not a perfect movie but it does its job so well that by the end you wonder why you haven't seen romantic comedies this lighthearted and sweet more often. Woody Allen's films seem to effortlessly blend fantasy, subtle romantic yearning and witty banter in such a way that you hardly notice the underlying message that warns us against romanticizing the past. If there were even three romantic comedies next year that come close to this level, I might not write off the entire genre as hopeless.

2. Our Idiot Brother

Paul Rudd stars as the most endearing, good-natured, honest and sweet human being who has never existed. I had a blast and so did the four other theater patrons who shared the experience I had that night. I can honestly say that The Weinstein Company botched the marketing of this movie so horribly that it looked like they were trying to keep people from seeing it. The trailers were so entirely misleading that you might imagine Paul Rudd was mentally handicapped or just looking to get taken advantage of. I want more comedy leads like Paul Rudd (or how about giving Paul Rudd more work?) who make a character so incredibly likable that you can't help but want them to succeed. Too many comedies have been filled with buffoons and assholes. It's time for more kind-hearted gentleman.

1. Drive

Drive was the ballsiest movie of the year. The only safe bet they made was casting Ryan Gosling and making sure he was in every shot of the trailer. Nicolas Winding Refn crafted a neon-noir ode to style as substance and it absolutely works. It is riveting and touching and tragic. Not something you expect to get a nationwide release, much less succeed like it has. If even two movies in 2012 manage to take the lessons of 70's-style indie film-making and try to recreate half the fun of Drive, we'll all benefit.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Assassin's Creed Edition

2012-01-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

The first in the series of third-person neck-stabbing games, Assassin's Creed mixes paranoid conspiracy theories, pseudo-science, and history to make one of the most interesting worlds of recent blockbuster games. Musicians share a fascination with some of those themes, so enjoy a playlist of spoken word, folk, soul, and more all about Assassin's Creed.

Track list

The Old Man Of The Mountain -- Bill Laswell -- (Buy the MP3)
Stab Your Back -- The Damned -- (Buy the MP3)
Assassin -- Dan Bull -- (Buy the MP3)
Back To Eden -- Black Sabbath -- (Buy the CD)
The Templar Knight -- Maddy Prior -- (Buy the MP3)
3rd Crusade -- Cowboy Junkies -- (Buy the MP3)
Running Away -- Roy Ayers -- (B uy the MP3)
Leap Of Faith -- Etta James -- (Buy the MP3)
Assassin -- Asian Dub Foundation -- (Buy the MP3)

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Sophist Radio Episode 57: American Pie Presents: Hobos Invade Beta House

2012-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

This week the crew teams up to talk movies, great TV, and yes, videogames. Before they can begin to look ahead to 2012, the Sophists take the opportunity to look back on the year that was 2011. Harold, James, and Aaron do their best to cover every game they had the chance to play, wanted to play, and didn’t get the chance to play last year.They even find the time to crown a Game of the Year (Hint: it has something to do with Dragons). The show does cast an eye to the future as your hosts manage to take a small look into the unknown with a chat about the potential great titles of 2012.

7 Awesome Debut Albums of 2011 from Bands to Keep an Eye On in 2012 and Beyond

2012-01-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

If you've been listening to my Monthly Music Wrap-Up podcast, you're aware of all the great music releases that came out last year. It's always great when a band we know and love put out a new album we enjoy, but the exciting part of music is finding those new up and coming artists that blow us away. With an amazing debut release, there's so much potential and promise ahead. It's fun to get in on the ground floor of a great new band and watch them grow and evolve. That's why I'm highlighting seven releases from 2011 of bands that are just getting started. The possibilities for these careers are endless. Let's sit back and watch them unfold together, shall we?

Starscream - Future Towards the End of Forever

Maybe this isn't technically a debut album, but it's their first full length with a price tag on it, so I'm counting it. Starscream blends the chiptune and post-rock genres into a wonderful mix of background haze and rock-the-hell-out blippyness. They've quickly become one of my favorite bands to put on while I'm writing.

The chiptune genre is quickly taking off, with the success of bands like Anamanaguchi and the resurgence of old-school sensibilities in the indie gaming scene. It seems like with every burgeoning new musical scene, there are only one or two bands that take the ideas and twist them in such a way that they transcend the genre and appeal to a wider audience. While I'm intrigued by the chiptune movement, few bands have really rubbed me in all the right ways like Starscream has. They might not have the throngs of supporters that a band like Anamanaguchi has, but given the right circumstances Starscream could be the Radiohead of chiptune music.

The Nighty Nite - Dimples EP

Another technicality. You could logically argue that The Nighty Nite is a mere extension of John Congleton's recently deceased band of over a decade, The Paper Chase. Still, considering my love of The Paper Chase, there was no way I was going to leave this release off the list. Really, my favorite band's demise could feasibly be the best thing to ever happen to them.

It hurt to write that sentence, but the sentiment is one of pure optimism. I don't like a stagnant band that releases variations of the same album over and over again. Yet, I love The Paper Chase. The thing about them is, while the overall music might not have evolved a lot since the transition between Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know and Hide the Kitchen Knives (their first and second albums), it was the lush wall of sounds and rich stories inside the lyrics that kept me coming back.

The Nighty Nite's debut EP doesn't vary from The Paper Chase sound very much either, but it's a bit stripped down, darker, and more chugging. Though, I believe these songs are leftovers from Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1. And the first full length might contain much of the never released Vol. 2 that I'm pretty sure Congleton had already completely written (at least a conversation with a band member the last time I saw them lead me to believe that. After that, though, the expectations are gone. He doesn't need to stick to any idea of what The Nighty Nite is supposed to sound like. Honestly, the idea of a brand-new musical beast with John Congleton's demented creativity behind it makes me absolutely ecstatic.

Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!

This is not something I would ever do in a million years, but Holy Ghost!'s self-titled debut makes me want to find a dance floor and hit it with all the passion of a man possessed by the spirit of a young Kevin Bacon. Seriously, it's a really fun record.

Psychic Babble - My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes

This album has been featured on two podcasts and given a 5 out of 5 review on Cerebral Pop already, and for very good reason. It was a wonderful surprise that came out of nowhere and became one of my favorite albums of the year. Just go read Matt's review if you haven't heard any of our praise heaping yet.

Civil Civic - Rules

I'd heard some buzz around Civil Civic's earlier singles/EPs and was mostly indifferent to checking them out, but there was no way I could ignore them when I listened to the teaser single from their upcoming debut full length. When Airspray kicks into gear, I can't help but smile. I immediately donated to their campaign to fund the album with the promise of a download of the single now and the album later. The next few weeks I'd find excuses to take my father-in-law's truck places around town because it had a CD player and the one in my car was broken. With that song cranked it made driving anywhere feel like an action-packed adventure.

They might not be the most mind-blowingly original band (if that's important to you), and I'm not in love with every song on the album, but some of them are so unbelievable upbeat and fun that I can't help but flail around like an idiot whenever they're playing. If even a quarter of their future releases have that effect on me, I'll certainly be picking them up and bopping along like a fool.

PUJOL - Nasty, Brutish, and Short EP

Sometimes it pays to sing up to that newsletter when you buy an album from a record label's site. My email has been on the Saddle Creek mailing list ever since I hopped on that awesome $1 download of Cursive's last release. I briefly skimmed it and noticed they'd signed a new artist, so I clicked the link to see if they were any good.

PUJOL are a bit spastic. They're kind of like if The Hives were a lo-fi indie garage rock band. At least that's how I see them in my head, though, that's probably just my weird imagination. Either way, this release shows a lot of promise for an interesting and long musical career.

Joyce Manor - Joyce Manor

I didn't know this album existed until I saw it at the top of Punknews.org's end of the year list. They remind me a lot of when Against Me first showed up on the punk scene and united the many different groups of punks. There's something about Joyce Manor's music that can appeal to almost everyone who even kind of likes punk music, be it a tween girl into emo or a mohawked street punk fan. If the Against Me comparison holds up, Joyce Manor has a long career of great music that will grow and mature with each subsequent album release. I'm crossing my fingers for it.

The 2011 Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2012-01-23T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
2011 was an amazing year for music. I thought it only fitting -- given I'd wrapped-up all the music releases for each month of the year -- that I also put together something for the entire year. Not necessarily the "best" music of the year, but this podcast is a collection of favorite releases of the year. Not just my favorites; I also invited on plenty of special guests. Cerebral Pop staffers Chris Whitehead, Alex Martin, Matt Giguere, Cameron Pershall, Roberto Flores, Luis Alvarez, and Tom Heistuman all shared their favorites, as well as fellow podcaster Tyler Abstract, past Shuffled guest Brian Shirk, and one of my "in real life" friends Josh Meyers. Oh, and listener Suriel Vazquez emailed in his pick -- All amongst my own choices. Yes, it's a music-packed podcast to celebrate a music-packed year. Wave goodbye to 2011 along with us.

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Track List

1. M83 - New Map (From: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Yellowbirds - Beneath the Reach of Light (From: The Color)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Lowkey - Soundtrack to the Struggle (From: Soundtrack to the Struggle)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Battles - Inchworm (From: Gloss Drop)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. The World/Inferno Friendship Society - The Disarming Smile (From: The Anarchy and the Ecstasy)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. Thrice - Promises (From: Major/Minor)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
7. James Blake - I Mind (From: Self-Titled)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. Psychic Babble - Five Fold Kiss (Don't Sleep) (From: My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes)
Buy the MP3 or album.
9. Animals As Leaders - Weightless (From: Weightless)
Buy the MP3 or album.
10. Destroyer - Chinatown (From: Kaputt)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
11. The Dwarves - 15 Minutes (From: ...Are Born Again)
Buy the MP3 or album.
12. The Dwarves - Stop Me (From: ...Are Born Again)
Buy the MP3 or album.
13. AM and Shawn Lee - Jackie Blue (From: Celestial Electric)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
14. Bjork - Mutual Core (From: Biophilia)
Buy the MP3 or album.
15. Hauschka - Subconscious (From: Salon Des Amateurs)
Buy the MP3 or album.
16. Shabazz Palaces - Free Press and Curl (From: Black Up)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
17. Das Racist - Shut Up, Man (From: Relax)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
18. Florence + the Machine - Shake It Out (From: Ceremonials)
Buy the MP3 or album.
19. The Dodos - Hunting Season (From: No Color)
Buy the MP3 or album.

Here is my article about The World/Inferno Friendship Society.

Here is the video that turned me onto Hauschka:

Forgot to email your favorite album of 2011? Share it in the comments below!

Shuffled #25: Math the Band Interview

2012-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
It's a new year and a new edition of the Shuffled Interview series! This week I'm pleased to have Math the Band, an electronic punk rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. The two of them, Kevin and Justine, have been part of the local music scene for quite awhile now, and with all the touring they do (in addition to having day jobs) it's amazing to see how much crazy energy they put into their shows and songs. Check out more about them on their website and in the links below.

Subjects included in this episode: England and its goofy accents, American delicacies, Satanism, disembowelment, prank shows, a new Peelander-Z album, and Space.

Math the Band are Kevin and Justine and they rock out day and night in Providence, RI. They play a lot of local shows with some really unique and cool bands, so if you are ever in and around Boston or Providence be sure to check them out live. You can find out more about them and upcoming shows on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, MySpace, and their website. Also check out their merch store if you feel the need for a tee or a VHS.

Links n' Stuff

Track list:

Hang Out/Hang Ten - from Don't Worry
Buy the MP3 or the album.

Tour De Friends - from Don't Worry
Buy the MP3 or the album.

Dinosaurs Were Made Up By The CIA To Discourage Time Travel - from Math the Band Banned the Math
Buy the MP3 or the album.

Don't Do It - from Hair
Get it on Bandcamp

It's Gonna Be Awesome - from Don't Worry
Buy the MP3 or the album.

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Why Didn't You Get a Haircut Music Video

Hang Out/Hang Ten Music Video

There is more of Ser Flash's music at smpmusicproductions.bandcamp.com

My buddy Tyler has moved Abstract Japan to Tumblr. Go there for more music stuff like the Abstract Japan Podcast. My other friend, Mike, is nowhere to be seen on the Internet.

Three Games of 2011 that are Important to Gaming

2012-01-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

Gaming in 2011 consisted of two things: first-person shooting and first-person shooting. As gamers we were forced to choose whose overly loud, hard to follow, and downright-confusing FPS experience to spend our time with. If their single player offerings failed to satisfy we had the opportunity to take our skills online and compete against millions of shoot-first-and-talk-later digital friends. Lost in this new-found rush to bolt on rollercoaster thrills and monthly map packs was the idea of a self-contained product. So join me as I shine a spotlight on three games that only ask you to play them and not become slaves to their quarterly financial reports.

Catherine

In a year where the gun ruled, I found it fitting to start with a game that featured no guns at all. Catherine -- developed by Atlus' Persona Team -- tells the story of Vincent Brooks. This character is perfect for a video game; he's a 32-year-old-slacker forced to take a look at his life and decide if he is ready to grow up. That choice is complicated by a one-night-stand he has at the beginning of the game with a girl named Catherine. Another wrinkle is thrown in as we learn that Vincent's current girlfriend Katherine McBride is pregnant with his child, and that Vincent has a curse placed on him for his unfaithful ways.

With the initial story setup in place, lets talk about the real beauty of this title: its take on the platforming puzzle. While our main character spends his days choosing between women, his nights are spent trapped in a nightmare world of sorts. Try to imagine a giant tower made of building blocks that can be moved sideways and pulled back and forth. Your goal is to arrange these building blocks into steps that will help you ascend to the top of the tower. At first the concept of building “steps” can be hard to wrap one’s brain around. Never has a video game made me feel so stressed and frustrated.

Right as I was about to call it quits, I began to realize that this title was more like a racing game than a puzzle solving experience. And that’s when Catherine becomes this amazing blend of racing game and puzzle solving. You start to become consumed by finding the best racing line up the tower. You learn techniques from others who are also trapped in the nightmare world. Before you know it you don't see the tower, you only see unformed steps that need to be assembled.

Why It's Important

Video games as a business have become so large and sales-centric that the idea of a lead character having his biggest battle with his own fears of becoming an adult is something special. Deep down in some nerds there is the unbearable fear that we are trapped by our hobbies. From the outside looking in, many of our friends are waiting for us to grow up out of this “phase”. Catherine allows you the opportunity to take responsibility for your actions, or to bury your head in the proverbial sand and let things continue uninterrupted. No other game best represented the internal struggle that nerds face on a daily basis.

Shadows of the Damned

Speaking of a dealing with relationships, the next title in this group deals with one tried and true unions in gaming: the player and their gun. In Grasshopper Manufacturer's Shadows of the Damned you play the role of Garcia (Fucking) Hotspur, on his quest to rescue his girlfriend Paula from the evil demon Fleming. With such a simple plot this title is allowed to embrace all the fun and silly devices enjoyed by every Grindhouse movie ever made.

Playing Shadows of the Damned is more akin to watching your favorite movie with your buddies and some six packs. Most encounters are reminiscent of Capcom’s Resident Evil 4/5, one of the reasons being that Shinji Mikami of Resident Evil fame was the creative producer. He, along with Goichi Suda, formed the development leads of Shadows. Fights take place in open areas that allow for some quick, fun battles against the undead masses. Boss battles consist of simple shoot-the-weak-point-and-dodge-the-enemies'-attack mechanics, and while most games would be tarred and feathered for such things Shadows of the Damned uses the elements in a perfect soup of gaming.

You want to see the next area, or fight the next group of opponents, because this game is about the adventure or road buddy movie story it tells with such wit and confidence that it not only outclasses its peers, it makes a joke so far over the head of its competitors heads that they can’t help but laugh at their own failings.

Why It's Important

For the past few years there has been a really simple, yet unanswered question: What is wrong with Japanese development? Why does it seem as though they have lost their grasp on gaming’s pulse. Having played Shadows of The Damned I can assure you that Japanese gaming is still thriving and adapting to some of our Western standards. There’s such a beautiful mending of cultures at work here that this game becomes more than a fun romp with a sidekick nicknamed The Big Boner, but a game that we have needed for years.

This title does its best to cover every corner of nerdom. There are the fun easy dick jokes that run over the entire game, to the more meta commentaries on road movie devices and grind house tropes. For years I have been pleading with friends to borrow some of my strange games from the East. Shadows of The Damned is the game that I can now hand to a friend and say this what Japanese gaming is and why I love it.

Bulletstorm

It seems fitting that in the year where the gun reigned supreme that the most important experience of this year would feature not only guns but headshots and space marines. People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm is a First-Person Shooter that shares the buddy-movie feel that Shadows of The Damned had. As main character Grayson Hunt you are on a quest for revenge. Explaining any more of the plot would only serve to lessen its impact on the gaming landscape. Just know this: the setup of this game is more than enough to convince you that not only do all the enemies need to be killed, but that you need to find fun and interesting ways to kill them.

While many other shooters this year relied on heavily directed and narrow scenarios, this Epic-published adventure let go and allowed the player to create the “moments”. Bulletstorm’s primary gameplay innovation is its “Leash”, which acts as a grabber. This is where the game stretches its wings and showcases some of the best First-Person Shooting of this generation.

Arenas transform into interactive playgrounds where you can create mayhem on a level not seen since the Doom-era. Instead of just pointing and shooting at an enemy, you can grab them with the leash which slows them down as they head towards you, at which point you can shift focus to another threat. If that particular enemy gets too close you can kick them away from you. While other games would handle this with a cutscene or video, this is just a normal encounter in Bulletstorm.

People Can Fly decided to add one more ingredient to this great game gumbo. The developer took the one universal gaming goal and added it to the mix: points. For nearly every action you are rewarded. Kick a guy? You get points for that. Leash a person into a spiked wall? You get points for that. Having such immediate feedback has a transporting effect. Suddenly you are back in the arcade blasting away at your favorite game.

Why It's Important

With so many titles taking control away from the player, Bulletstorm exceeds by giving you all the toys and space you need to play, then turning its back and leaving the room to let you have your fun. This is an example of fearless game design and it should be lauded for giving the player back control. Gaming should be about choice and creation, and no other game best embodied the “play” of games like Bulletstorm.

So, what games of 2011 do you think were important to the industry?

In case you missed it, here are Harold's three important games of 2010.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

2012-01-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

Disappointed with last year's movie offerings? Well, don't worry. 2012 is looking to be a bright year for the cinema. This list is chock full of awesomeness that the new year has to offer, so settle down with your buttered popcorn, pop open those M&M's, and throw some elbows to claim that armrest! These are my most anticipated movies of 2012.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. That first poster up there is for the film, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The novel, written by Seth Grahame-Smith, is getting its own big-screen adaptation. I cannot wait to experience this Fantasy/Thriller, directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) in a darkened theater with good popcorn and friends.

The Hobbit

All Lord of the Rings, Tolkien and/or Peter Jackson, nerds (myself included) will have to wait till December of 2012, but it's finally a guarantee that we'll get a Hobbit film. This one has Gandalf, an assortment of dwarves I've already forgotten, and one of my favorite English actors, Martin Freeman (BBC's Sherlock, Hot Fuzz). I'm sure we can expect an even higher level of epicness than any of the three LotR films for this one.

Prometheus

Next up is the start of what is to be the greatest two months of my life. Prometheus!

Ridley Scott, Alien prequel! Do I really need to say much more? Still not convinced? Prometheus stars Michael Fassbender (300, Inglorious Basterds, X-Men: First Class), Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Girl with The Dragon Tattoo), Charlize Theron (Monster, Hancock, The Devil's Advocate), and Guy Pearce (The King's Speech, Memento, The Hurt Locker). This cast would have to try really hard to make this movie not amazing.

Snow White and the Huntsman

I'm also looking forward to watching Snow White and the Huntsman in June. I'll be the first to let you know just how much I dislike the acting style of Kristen Stewart, or lack thereof. But this one looks way too unique to pass up. I love when screenwriters do fairy tales justice on the big-screen, but to re-imagine a fairy tale isn't always the smartest move. More over, this film sure looks to be as visually unique as the story is being made out to be.

The Dark Knight Rises

If the Mayans were right and everything ends in December, I'll likely die a very happy man, having seen The Dark Knight Rises. If you're one of those fanatical religious folk who're really stoked on Jesus' return...I now understand your excitement. Every inch of my being is going to shiver with excitement the moment I sit down in that IMAX theater. Whether Warner Bros. decides to continue the Batman series with a new cast or not, Nolan's vision for Batman has set the bar for any and all stories about the caped crusader to follow. On more than one level, this Batman trilogy has and will continue to make a lasting impression on any film bestowed with the title, Summer Blockbuster.

A few other films to look out for in 2012

Underworld: Awakening

Release date: January 20

When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind.

The Hunger Games

Release date: March 23

In a not-too-distant future North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem.

Haywire

Release date: January 20

Beautiful freelance covert operative Mallory Kane is hired out by her handler to various global entities to perform jobs which governments can't authorize and heads of state would rather not know about. On a mission to Dublin, the operation goes awry and Mallory finds she has been double crossed, she needs to use all of her skills, tricks, and abilities to escape an international manhunt, make it back to the United States, protect her family, and exact revenge on those that have betrayed her.

The Woman in Black

Release date: February 3

A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

Yes, I love me some Harry Potter. What of it?

The Avengers

Release date: May 3

Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his various membered army.

This is seriously the official plot summation. I'm hoping the actual film isn't as lackluster as the plot summary.

Frankenweenie

Release date: October 5

When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his appearance, Sparky's still the good loyal friend he's always been.

What movies of 2012 are you looking forward to?

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (HD) Edition

2012-01-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.
Stranger's Wrath may be set in Oddworld, but its familiar western themes and mashup species of Earthbound fauna provides ample material for an episode of Unoriginal Soundtracks. Listen for country from Grateful Dead side-project New Riders of the Purple Sage, multi-layered a-cappella from Jamie Woon, freak folk from Animal Collective, and more.

Also: see our review of the HD remake for PlayStation Network.

Track list
Critter Corner -- Jason Starr -- (Buy the MP3)
Newt -- Artichoke -- (Buy the MP3)
Bounty Hunter -- New Riders Of The Purple Sage -- (Buy the MP3)
Wayfaring Stranger -- Jamie Woon -- (Buy the MP3)
Bees -- Animal Collective -- (Buy the MP3)
The Southland Stole Our Water -- Winston Montgomery -- (Buy the CD)
I Am A Lion -- John Otway -- (Buy the MP3)

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The Humble Indie Bundle: Reasons To Buy, Things To Think About

2012-01-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hoping to strike up some conversation with fellow Cerebral Pop writers, I emailed everyone asking for their thoughts on the ubiquitous Humble Indie Bundle for a roundtable discussion. Much to my surprise, not many of the staff had purchased any of the bundles. Some said the only have access to a Mac; others were skeptical of the frequency of these bundles; and others voiced concerns that it has turned into a sort of elitist club for indie games.

All of these are completely valid arguments against purchasing the bundle.

However, I’d like to impose some arguments for purchasing the bundle, even if you don’t plan on playing any of the games. Here’s why:

Charity

I can’t speak for everyone here, but for me personally I’ve never given to charity. I’ve always thought about it, thought about how easy it would be to toss five bucks to one, but actually doing it? Not me. Now, admittedly, I like getting something free for helping out, as it were, which is what got me interested in the Humble Bundle to begin with. Pay what I want for some games I wouldn’t normally buy, and I get to help out some charities? I jumped on the opportunity.

And when I had to divide up the amount I was giving between a couple of charities, the developers of the games I was getting for donating, and the guys that organized the whole thing, I realized that my measly dollar wasn’t going very far; call it a guilt trip, but it worked: I gave a bit more then I had initially intended to. Honestly, I felt good about it, too, which is the best feeling I’ve ever gotten from buying a game.

Gifts

Even if you don’t plan on playing any of the games yourself, you can actually gift the entire bundle to one of your friends; or even a complete stranger. This sort of goes along with giving to charity in that doing a good deed doesn’t always have to benefit the person giving. Or, you can even purchase it for yourself and someone else.

The Games

This is the biggest selling point for the Humble Bundle. They gather up some great games, some more popular than others, and ask people to pay whatever they want. And it’s always a great deal. Most of the games are newer indie games that alone cost ten bucks or more.

The neat thing, I believe, is that it’s a great way for an indie developer not only to make some money, but to get their name out to gamers. If it’s a good game, people will not only play it, but talk about it and possibly tell their friends to get it. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that none of the games have DRM attached to them. Which is great news, I believe.

The Issues

Let’s get back to the originally mentioned issues that the guys had. For starters, it appears that every game I’ve purchased in the various bundles has a Mac and a Linux version available for download. They may not all register on Steam, but having the option to choose which platform to play the games on is a huge bonus in my book.

Next, let’s discuss the frequency. When I started writing this, the fourth bundle hadn’t come out yet; now that it has, I will admit that there seems to be a gamut of bundles available (The Humble Bundle, Indie Royale, The Indie Gala, and Little Big Bunch *phew*). All of the bundles feature great games, some benefit charity; honestly, I haven’t bought all of them as I do think these things are coming a bit too fast. I begrudgingly admit this is a valid point. I will point out, however, that new games come out all the time, so even if you’re not interested in a current bundle, there may be a future one that tickles your fancy.

Which brings me to my own personal issue with these bundles: if all the good indie games are going to be bundled, why would I buy them when they’re originally released? For me personally, there have been a few occasions that I’ve bought an indie game I was excited about only to have it featured in one of the bundles.

Why would I pay full price for one of these indie games when I can just pay what I want (possibly) in a few short weeks or months? I could argue with myself (but I won’t ‘cause that’s crazy) that it would still benefit charity, and I could always give away copies of duplicate games. Something to chew on, I guess.

Finally, I also kind of agree about it turning in to an elitist thing; but I also sort of disagree. On the one hand, the games featured in the Humble Bundle are usually more of the mainstream indie games. Not always, but usually. On the other hand, even some of the bigger name indie games are actually made by a very small team that are just scraping by; they aren’t elitist, but they see the Humble Bundle as an opportunity to continue making games that they’re passionate about.

If you haven’t bought a Humble Indie Bundle in the past, I hope this has changed your mind. Or at least gave you something to think about. If you have bought one of the bundles, we here at Cerebral Pop would love to know what you think. Let us know in the comments!

Chris's Top 5 Albums of 2011

2012-01-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my preamble! This is the introductory paragraph where I make a weak generalized observation about all five of my Top 5 albums. The third sentence--the one you're currently reading--will tend to have a lame joke. Again, don't blame that joke I just told on my unfunniness; I just know that no one really cares about this part of the post. It's just here to fill space. Here are my Top 5 albums of the year.

5. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place

2011 was a year of music discoveries for me. I actively sought new acts, sampled unfamiliar genres, and avoided endless playback of personal favorites. My list would have been very different, I believe, had I not treated the industry like this.

Julianna Barwick is new to everyone, not just me, and she is the only near-major act doing what she does. Barwick uses a looper pedal and intense amounts of reverb to create songs with (mostly) just her voice. She sings one line, records a harmony over it, creates a low-end foundation, sings a melody—looping each one—and weaves these threads together to make heavily layered but featherweight tracks.

If you think oohs and aahs reverberating through the sky over and over doesn't really sound like a valuable listen, I don't blame you. Her first LP grew on me quickly, though it was not initially an Album of the Year contender. The texture of her music is wonderful and smooth; the tone melancholy but peaceful. And each song differs from the rest to a surprising extent.

4. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Justin Vernon's solo project was a backwards discovery for me. I first heard James Blake's music. Only after hearing him compared to Bon Iver did I purchase For Emma, Forever Ago. I enjoyed the creativity Vernon extracted out of a simple setup and familiar song structure.

But his second record rocked my shit.

Songs on this album all seem to fit somewhere in the realm of “rock,” but each one lies somewhere on the fringe, barely acknowledging its coexistence with everyone else in the genre. Sweeping reverb, an awesome horn section (featuring the crazy boss Colin Stetson), and that tender falsetto of Vernon's give this album a beautiful tone. It just sounds good. (Don't hate me for that last sentence.)

The last track, “Beth/Rest,” caused controversy in the music world for being 1. a total departure from For Emma and 2. totally, unabashedly cheesy. You'll hear it immediately upon first listen. However, though I generally hate 80s music, this track is well-constructed (see: upbeat snare hits), and full of floaty echo-y Bon Iver goodness. It's catchy and wonderful. (But “Holocene” wins best track.)

3. tUnE-yArDs: w h o k i l l

This year in music would not have been weird enough without tUnE-yArDs. Another solo act whose sound is way bigger than one person could normally achieve, Merrill Garbus created jittery, bonkers, exciting drum beats and vocal samples (of herself) as the foundation for most of this record. Equipped with a ukulele, scattered drums, synthesizers, and help from other musicians, she produced some truly original sounds this year. And her strong vocals amplify the power of each song.

2. SBTRKT – SBTRKT

In a short time, I went from not knowing how to say this act's name (I say “sub-tracked”; not “subtract”), to ceaselessly rocking this album on my personalPod. I know of no other producer who can produce such fantastic dubstep/dance tracks that never seem to get old.

Upon hearing “dubstep,” my ears hone in on that discussion. Not because I like anything under that banner, but because the subgenre is so vast and broad and...I swear the connection between Skrillex and SBTRKT is hair-thin at best. In other words, when I hear that term, I think, “Yeah, well, you say that, but I'll have to hear this guy and judge for myself.” SBTRKT is classified as “post-dubstep,” another nebulous term which also describes Mount Kimbie. I don't know what it means, but post-dubsteppers are doing great things with their laptops and synthesizers.

Often featuring some noticeably lazy and scratchy vocals from Sampha, this album's strength is still so clearly SBTRKT's Aaron Jerome's skill at producing electronic music. If brostep gets you more hype than this record, or, on the opposite end, James Blake's uniqueness fits you better, it is no fault of SBTRKT. Variety of instruments, tempos, rhythms, tones, and styles make this self-titled LP easily replayable, and easily my number two spot of the year.

1. James Blake – James Blake

I gushed over SBTRKT above, but James Blake, a new laptop-producer from England (and my junior...ugh) is my artist of the year. I have never heard music on the same planet as his. It's clearly strange and maybe even inaccessible to many. But it's smart, inventive, wildly varied, and unstoppably good. Listen to “CMYK,” a track from last year, then his single from 2011, “The Wilhelm Scream,” then a newer track from the fall called “Once We All Agree,” and you'll see that James Blake meant it when he said he quickly gets bored writing the same kinds of songs.

But this isn't about James Blake the artist, it's about this particular album, his first and only LP. Featured on many Best-of-the-Year lists, it deserves the credit for its risks and rewards. Immediately opening the album are the first percussion hits of “Untruth,” prominently spotlighting each little sound, as Blake is wont to do, one of which is a muffled-white-noise-thingy-I-have-no-idea. Seconds later, behind the rest of the song is this wildly syncopated hi-hat rhythm. It's idiosyncratic, and great because I don't know other people who avoid the beat like he does, yet still makes my head bounce in time.

Some of the tracks, like “The Wilhelm Scream” and “Lindisfarne I & II” are relatively normally structured songs between four and six minutes long. Others, like “Give Me My Month” and “Why Don't You Call Me?” are shorter sketches that preserve their value by ending when they ought to. The stars of “I Mind” are a bangin' dub beat and a vocal sample altered beyond recognition as human. These are Blake's specialties. I won't spoil it all if you haven't heard it, but I suggest you listen to this guy. He keeps changing, and succeeding, and that's why I pay such close attention.

The December Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2012-01-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
The December drought is over, and all of the amazing music of 2012 is just over the horizon, but first, we've gotta dig back through the past month and take a look at the few morsels of sustenance that helped us survive. There may not have been a lot of them, but they were some damn good morsels. That means this is a short episode, but worry not; I'm already hard at work on a 2011: Year in Review type of episode for release soon. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode, or read the blurb at the bottom of this post for details on how you can be included. But first, let's take a listen to December's haul.

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Track List

1. The Black Keys - Run Right Back (From: El Camino)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. The Dead Milkmen - Caitlin Childs (From: The King in Yellow)
Buy the MP3 or album (Only $5.)
3. Toh Kay - The Big Sleep (From: Streetlight Lullabies)
Buy the MP3 or album (Only $5.)
4. Amy Winehouse - Our Day Will Come (From: Lioness: Hidden Treasures)
Buy the MP3 or album (Only $5.)
5. The Dead Milkmen - Commodify Your Dissent (From: The King in Yellow)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. The Roots - The Other Side (From: Undun)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. The Black Keys - Dead and Gone (From: El Camino)
Buy the MP3 or album.

January Releases

Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires - 10th
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Break the Spell - 17th
Anthony Green - Beautiful Things - 17th
Craig Finn (of The Hold Steady) - Clear Heart Full Eyes - 24th
Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat the Factory - 24th
Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy - 24th
John K. Samson (of The Weakerthans) - Provincial - 24th
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52 - 31st

Sophist Radio Episode #56: The Sad Tale of Tadpole McRibbit

2011-12-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

With real-world distractions in the way, James, Aaron, and Harold haven't been able to find time for their podcasting chairs for awhile. But even with only a few games to chat about they're getting back in the game, and squeezing every drop of conversation out of their three games; The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Uncharted 3. Certainly big releases for the holiday season, and the guys find plenty to discuss about them. Plus hilarious tangents on movies, douchebags, and plenty more.

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Shuffled #24: A Shuffled Christmas

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
It's a whole Shuffled full of Christmas music! There is a lot of Christmas music out there these days, but you aren't going to hear these songs at the mall while you're getting that last minute shopping done. No, these are a different kind of Christmas song. Hopefully there's a bit of something for everyone. Enjoy!

Track List

1. The Hives (w/Cyndi Lauper) - A Christmas Duel
Buy the MP3.
2. Sloppy Seconds - Lonely Christmas (From: Knock Yer Block Off!)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop
Buy the MP3.
4. Nuclear Rabbit - Santa Claus is Selling Crack (From: Vicuna)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Mew - She Came Home for Christmas (From: A Triumph for Man)
Buy the MP3 (This is the shorter Frengers' version) or album.
6. Morning Glory - Not Another Christmas (From: Demo 08)
This used to be on their MySpace, which is gone now. Not sure where to get it anymore.

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Ser Flash, the creator of Shuffled's intro and background music, is selling his albums for only a dollar right now. Pick them up! They are well worth it.

Christmas Memories of Gaming Disappointments, Lessons Learned, and Traditions Gained

2011-12-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas; the one time of year a nerd can list everything he or she has ever wanted in the vain hope that Santa Claus (most likely their parents) will bring them the gifts they so eagerly anticipated over the last 11 months. But not all wishes are granted in the same way. So join the fine staff of Cerebral Pop as we relive some of our best and worst Christmas memories.

Alex Cronk-Young: Founder and Editor of Cerebral Pop
Every Christmas for my entire life I've had to describe in detail what I wanted from my mom. All video game titles must be carefully spelled out, and the platform they are for described in detail. Otherwise I'd get a game for a system I don't own, or an entirely different one altogether. That's why it was so surprising when on the Christmas of 1999 I unwrapped a brand new copy of the recently released PlayStation version of Grandia. I hadn't asked for that game, and in fact, I'd never even heard of it before.

This is the picture of ignorant disappointment.

My 14-year-old brain simply couldn't handle this surprise, and I assumed it was probably terrible and my mother had completely screwed up. Still, I mustered a fake smile and thanked her. I read the back of the box. It was a role-playing game? How did she even know I liked RPGs? I gave it a try later that day and begrudgingly made my way through the game. After an hour or so, when my character left his hometown and set out on his grand adventure, and the late title card appeared with the grandiose score playing behind it, I was hooked. I loved that game. I've replayed it many times. Sometimes the unexpected gifts are the best.

Harold Burnett: co-host of Sophist Radio
The year is 1996, I’m 12 years old and all I want for Christmas is a PlayStation. Having been released the previous fall, Sony’s first gaming console had my attention from the first time I saw it at the local Toys ‘R’ Us. In March of ‘96 at a friend’s house I experience the world of PlayStation for the first time, with a half hour of Resident Evil. This was a truly mind-blowing event. "What amazing graphics and sound!" was all my brain could think about the entire time the game was in motion. As a life-long Sega kid, I was used to a pretty presentation, but this was something different and I wanted it bad!

No, seriously, those graphics used to be mind-blowing.

Even though I was only 12, my mother had let me into the secret-parental Christmas circle. I knew that Santa Claus didn't exist and I didn't care as long as I still got gifts from someone. My look behind the curtain was necessary as my mom needed me to help find the perfect gift for my eight-year-old brother. The bonus was that I got to pick out my gifts in person.

Cut to Christmas Eve at Toys ‘R’ Us, it’s about 9:30 p.m. and the lines are huge. At the time I had never seen so many people in such a small area. Amidst the crowd of tired and desperate parents stood one Harold Pernell Burnett with the biggest smile on his face as he held the ticket for a Sony PlayStation. Having already dropped the hint to my grandmother that I wanted Crash Bandicoot and Tomb Raider, I had my Christmas day plan set: Wake up at 8 a.m., play my brand new PlayStation for an hour, wake up my younger brother at 9 a.m. to him show what Santa had brought for us, and then spend the rest of the day wrapping myself in Sony’s gamer blanket.

Everything was going according to plan as I got up and headed downstairs to begin my new life as a PlayStation owner. I tore through the box with a fury that would scare anyone that might have witnessed it. While I didn’t have my games yet (We would head to my grandma’s house later in the day for more gift giving) I would have to be satisfied with the demo disc included in the box. By now I had all the parts laid out and had began to hook up the power supply and controller. The final piece would be hooking up the RFU adapter to the back of my TV.

Destroyer of dreams.

There was just one problem: Sony did not include such an adapter in the box. I was heart-broken. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that all my planning had gone to waste. Not only would I not get a chance to play my games, but I would have to explain to my mom that the minute Toys ’R’ Us opened we would need to go there and retrieve said adapter in order to make her $300 Christmas present work.

I learned a valuable nerd lesson that Christmas morning: Know your component set up before buying anything. That day really helped to shape my life. Now when buying anything I do all my research beforehand and I am never caught with my consumer pants down by not having everything I need to properly nerd out.

Chris Ross: Cerebral Pop Contributor
A list was practically worthless in my house, something I realized very quickly growing up. I would routinely get one item off of my list, no matter the length. I'm sure it had everything to do with the price of the things I asked for, but I like to think my parents were cheap. Cheap and cruel.

One year, as I picked out my one gift to open on Christmas Eve, my mom said what I picked was a game that I had raved about for so long; she said it was the game that I could just play and play, never growing bored.

"Grand Theft Auto III?" I asked. My mom just looked at me, a tinge of disappointment spread across her face.

I ripped open the packaging and realized I had Tony Hawk 3 in my hands.

"Oh, yeah, I love it. I just...got some tinsel in my eyes."

"I thought you liked those Tony Hawk games. I thought you said you could never grow tired of them," my mom said.

"I did, mom. Thank you."

Although I was ecstatic to get a new game from my parents, and I did love the Tony Hawk series back then, I have always felt terrible that I guessed the wrong game, hurting my mom's feelings. What it showed me was that my mom actually listened when I talked about games. This was a better present than any game.

...except if she had actually gotten me Grand Theft Auto III.

Matt Giguere: Cerebral Pop Contributor
"When I was four, I remember my family and I gathered in the living room finishing the yearly task of trimming the Christmas tree. Every light had been strung up and all the glass ornaments hung. I remembered all the bells placed on the limbs so whenever our cat was running past them a choir of chimes would ring out in the living room. Everything was almost complete. All that was left was to crown our evergreen with the signature topping. What I remember to happen next was either a stroke of genius or dumb childish cuteness.

My mom had collected a lot of sea shells over the years (something to do with a college sea biology class). Every single one was strewn about the first floor bathroom. On the walls, around the sink and on the window. "It's to build the atmosphere," my mom would say. I never fully understood why, but all of it did look cool. There was one thing caught my eye each time I look at her collection, though. A pair of white sea stars.

These starfish were only husk of their former selves: stiff, ridged, brittle, but delicate and white as pure snow. "I think we should make one of them the star on the top of the tree," I said that one Christmas when I was four. Honestly, when I think about it now, it sounds dumb -- the concept of putting dead invertebrates on a Christmas tree as opposed to something like an angel or golden star. My parents didn't seem to mind my crazed idea though.

Nothing says festive like dried-out animal carcass.

So it came to be that each year no matter what happens -- be it our tree a fake, or a family member left -- we still hold on to that one Christmas tradition. Even if starfishes and Christmas tress never made much sense in the first place."

Cameron Pershall: Cerebral Pop Contributor
My interest in video games began to wane about half way into the 16-bit era. I had started playing guitar, and my interest in music and writing had taken control of me to the point that I felt I no longer had time for gaming. I was so convinced that I'd never play games again that I gave away most of my game collection (though I did, fortunately, hang onto my consoles).

In 1999, though, I went to Japan as an exchange student, and the prevalence of gaming culture there got me interested in my old hobby again. When I got back to the U.S., I picked up a PlayStation and some of the major titles I'd missed out on. I was excited when the PS2 was announced for the holiday season of 2000, but a short supply of both Sony's new console and my personal finances ensured that I wouldn't be getting one.

That's where this turns into a touching Christmas story. Even though I wouldn't be finding a new game system under the tree that year, my girlfriend at the time surprised me by showing up at my apartment one
day with her old SNES and a collection of classic games. Since I had dropped out of gaming right around the time the SNES was released, I had missed out on a host of amazing titles. That Christmas, while a lucky few were tearing into their new PS2s, I was experiencing Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, and Final Fantasy 6 for the first time.

It's never too late to experience true joy.

I had so much fun that its become a yearly tradition for me to play through a classic RPG during the Christmas season. More importantly, I learned that the gift you didn't even think you wanted can be the one you cherish the most.

We here at Cerebral Pop wish you all the best in creating nothing but wonderful memories this holiday season. Share some of your Christmas stories in the comments below.

Game Review: Oddworld Stranger's Wrath HD

2011-12-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD promises nothing more than 2005’s Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath with more pixels. But pixels are powerful things -- exit the Bounty Store after completing your tutorial, and a sharply detailed western-style high street justifies those extra pixels and forces you to take in the view for a spell. Stranger’s Wrath pulls this trick a few times -- you’ll be platforming in an area of planar structures painted with detailed textures, only to round a corner or crest a hill and look out onto a vista of prairie or jungle that forces the brain to readjust. This is what happens when a developer gives more pixels to a game from 2005 -- an odd mix of new and old.

Razor-sharp corners and an unsettling lack of visual filters (such as film grain, or depth of field) make parts of Oddworld look almost sterile up close -- particularly the parts where you’re platforming or shooting, rather than travelling or collecting rewards from your missions. Dust clouds thicken the atmosphere in some parts of the world and it looks much more natural from a distance, but you’ll spend a lot of Stranger’s Wrath missing those filters that soften the sight of so many modern games.

Fortunately, 2005 wasn’t so long ago in terms of game design. Stranger, an ugly cowboy-shaped thing who evokes a lion with his flat nose and mane-like poncho, starts like he’s a platform mascot but soon reveals himself to be an outback stealth-hero. He double-jumps and climbs ropes to get around, but he traps critters (slugs, spiders, squirrels, etc.) as live ammo before assaulting groups of uglier outlaw-shaped things.

One of the first tricks you’ll learn is to switch to first-person perspective to fire a fuzzle (a ball of fuzz and teeth) and a chippunk (a loudmouthed rodent) near an enemy. When an outlaw comes to shut the annoying chippunk up, the fuzzle leaps and attacks him. Variations of this trick, more tactical and offensive ammo, and rudimentary stealth (i.e. hide in long grass and watch lines of sight) will equip you for most encounters.

Stranger’s just weak enough that most fights are puzzles, rather than typical western shootouts or fist fights. Stranger’s Wrath is, formicly, a first-person shooter and platformer, but it plays like a free-form puzzle game. Of course, some solutions (such as firing your unlimited supply of electric stunners from a great distance, causing enemies to spasm off high drops before you even move into the range of their weapons) feel cheap and unintended, but care and planning will always help you capture those outlaws.

Stranger fights because he needs 20,000 Moolah for a mysterious operation, and can earn this money by capturing or killing wanted criminals. I always resent being told to make x-amount of money in a game, because it turns every task along the way into a job -- capturing or killing outlaws for the first half of the game doesn’t advance Stranger’s story at all, and can feel like work for the few bosses who take forever to shoot down. It’s a shame that the most interesting gameplay, coming from a toybox of weapons and environments that force you to use them creatively, occurs when the plot is at its most boring. When Stranger’s pants are ripped off and his secret revealed, when his story really starts and his “Wrath” justified, a sudden acceleration destroys the considered pace of the early levels.

After outsmarting outlaws who outnumbered and outgunned Stranger, he has the strength and a personal (as opposed to financial) reason to charge right through them like a crazed horse. Earlier levels were undeniably fun, but after being slowed down (and occasionally frustrated) by stronger enemies, the temporary burst of power is cathartic and feels like a reward for all that earlier stealth. Soon enough, stronger enemies slowed me down again, forcing me to use my newly upgraded ammo effectively. But, from that point on, charging head-down through a gauntlet of enemies was freeing and a welcome change of pace.

So Stranger’s Wrath is mixed all around -- environments can look artificial, but the remodelled characters are convincing hybrids of animals and western archetypes; the pace shifts dramatically midway through, almost turning it into a different game; and the PSN download gives a seven-year-old retail game a richly deserved coat of 2011 paint. It’s not without a few age-related hitches (you can only sharpen up an old game so far without completely remaking it), but those who missed the Xbox exclusive can approach Stranger’s Wrath without feeling they’ve gone back in time, confident that it can hold its own with any modern stealth-action game.

Disclosure: Just Add Water provided us with a free copy of the game for review purposes.

Singer/Songwriter Kara McGraw Releases New Christmas Single Benefiting Hurricane Victims

2011-12-16T00:03:00.000-08:00

Alright, you might think we have more than enough Christmas songs out there. Well, we do. But singer/songwriter Kara McGraw's new single, The Chandelier, is still worth a listen anyway. Why? Because it's not blatantly Christmas-y, the lyrics are contemplative and happy in a sort of solemn way (which I like), and it's absolutely beautiful. Oh yeah, and until January 1st 100% of the profits go to small local farmers in Vermont who were affected by the damage from Hurricane Irene.

"I wanted a song that really captured what Christmas means to someone like me, who is very spiritual, but not necessarily religious, and I wanted a song that doesn't gloss over the dark stuff, but instead unravels the beauty of the complete picture." - Kara McGraw

Go ahead and give it a listen after the jump. If you like what you hear, throw some money at those farmers by donating and add the song to your collection of holiday tunes to brighten up the house when the relatives are over.

The Chandelier by Kara McGraw

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Grand Theft Auto 4 Edition

2011-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.
Grand Theft Auto 4 marked Rockstar North's first stab at a serious GTA game. The usual GTA problems -- missions that feel like errands, and a plodding 30-hour story -- spoiled it, but the shorter downloadable "episodes" provided much more focused stories. They also provided different perspectives on the city and more subject matter to inspire song picks in today's episode.

Track list

Immigrant Song [BBC Session] -- Led Zeppelin -- (Buy the MP3)
Where Are We Runnin'? -- Lenny Kravitz -- (Buy the MP3)
Grand Theft Auto -- Nicolay and Kay -- (Buy the MP3)
Car Crash -- The Cadets -- (Buy the MP3)
Biker -- Pretenders -- (Buy the MP3)
Looking For Somebody -- Fleetwood Mac -- (Buy the MP3)
Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey -- Sly and the Family Stone -- (Buy the MP3)
Glad To Be Gay -- Tom Robinson Band -- (Buy the MP3)

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A Eulogy for The Paper Chase, My Favorite Band

2011-12-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

More than six years ago, on a now-defunct Internet fan-forum for the band The Mars Volta, I was introduced to The Paper Chase. "For fans of the weird." was the only description given, but it was all I needed to give them a listen. I downloaded God Bless Your Black Heart, their third -- and at the time most recent -- full length.

The opening track to that album, Said the Spider to the Fly, builds until at one point it sounds like the entire world is pounding out a beat together, as singer John Congleton spits out frenzied lyrics that sound like they're coming from an impassioned madman about to shoot someone. Keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and a host of sound bytes that are nearly impossible to discern all meld into one gut wrenching pulse that causes an inescapable feeling of...dread. I didn't know why at the time, but I was hooked before the song was over.

Said the Spider to the Fly

It wasn’t until I brought in their follow-up to Black Heart, into the music class I was taking at the local community college that I understood why the sound appealed to me. The professor wanted us all to play him some of our favorite music, and at that point I was fully obsessed with The Paper Chase. I had him put on the first track, which starts with a somewhat famous clip of a panicked caller to a paranormal radio show. It segues into the repeating of a piano melody, which is built upon with each repetition by the sounds of scissors cutting to a beat, people screaming faintly in the background, and spooky moans. This is of course before the creepy strings come in, and soon after the song kicks into gear.

We Know Where You Sleep

By the time the chorus came around, the uncomfortable feeling in the room was apparent. My professor was wide-eyed the entire time, but he made it through a portion of the second verse before turning it off. Dissonance; that was the first word he said. A combination of notes that sound harsh or unpleasant to most people. He told me that there was clearly some artistic reason behind it, but he couldn't listen anymore or he'd have nightmares. He was impressed with Paper Chase's ability to craft an atmosphere of discomfort though, which is when I finally realized why I liked them so much.

Every single one of their releases is a concept album, meaning it tells a story from beginning to end. Each song is another chapter in the story. I absolutely love when a band I like releases a concept album, because it sucks me in even deeper. With a lot of bands though, the story behind the album doesn't always fit so completely with the rest of the elements of the band. The Paper Chase however, fit perfectly with their stories because the stories they tell are dark as hell.

Congleton writes about pain, hurt, death, fear, and sometimes the apocalypse. And nothing fits those topics better than a low chugging bass-line, creepy keyboard melodies, frantic lyrical delivery, and a thick atmosphere of dread. Not to mention the fact that the demented imagery he thinks up is wickedly genius in its own right. It's hard not to be drawn in, if you're into tales of a more macabre fashion.

Since that day over six years ago I've made a point of purchasing and pre-ordering physical copies of every one of their albums, pored over lyrics to songs, drive to see them live for four consecutive years, and have told countless people about them. It's safe to say they are my favorite band, which was always a distinction I had trouble making with any of my favorite bands before them.

Sadly, they recently broke up. But it's alright, because John Congleton forges on with his new band, The Nighty Nite, who sound equally as creepy. Besides, five amazing albums and one great EP are nothing to scoff at as far as band careers go. It remains to be seen, but I don't think I'll ever come across another band quite like The Paper Chase.

The Nighty Nite - Dimes in their Dimples

How Louie and Other Excellent Shows Hint at a Bright Future for Television

2011-12-07T01:43:00.000-08:00

We've gotten pretty used to television networks not taking risks. I mean, that's pretty much their whole M.O., right? Why gamble on something you aren't sure about when Two and a Half Men and its ridiculously cliché jokes and entire format is still one of the highest rated shows ever. But those days may be over.

Louis C.K. is a pretty big name, but mainly amongst comedy nerds and other comedians. If I mentioned him to my mother she would likely have no idea who he was. Of course, she might not even recognize a name like Jerry Seinfeld, but that's besides the point. The point being that FX definitely didn't have a sure bet when they gave him total creative control to spend their money however he wanted. But it didn't matter.

Louie has a pretty modest budget compared to other comedies on TV. The aforementioned Two and a Half Men costs CBS millions per episode, while each episode of the first season of Louie was given a quarter of a million; the second season was increased to 300k. It's more than enough when C.K. is the editor, sole writer, sole director, and main star, and many of the rest of the cast are his comedian friends. Plus, it's shot on the Red camera (the high-quality digital camera known for making Hollywood-level shots more attainable to small-time filmmakers because of its low price point), and many of the episodes Louis edits on his own MacBook Pro.

This is the man you gave complete creative control to, FX? Balls.

Sure, not all television shows can function under the same kind of conditions. I don't think we'd all be so frantic to catch The Walking Dead every Sunday night if it had the same budget and was edited by one dude on his MacBook, but The Walking Dead is a very different type of show. It demands a higher budget, where as most comedies don't. With a comedy, all you really need is the right people. The right writers, the right names, the right creative minds. It all just helps to show that networks are starting to figure it out.

AMC and FX are two of the best examples. They've completely changed their images and forced their way into the mainstream lexicon by smartly placing their money behind true talent. Five years ago you probably didn't give either of them a second thought, or recognize them as a place where you can trust you'll find top-notch programming no matter what. Today, though?

With how much I enjoy Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, and what good things I've heard of Mad Men, I'll easily trust that Hell On Wheels is a show I should check out, just because it's on AMC. I've heard nothing about it, but the network it's on speaks volumes for its worth to me. The same applies for FX; Louie, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, and Archer make me want to watch Wilfred, despite the premise sounding absolutely ridiculous.

So, is this at all like that remake of The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen?

It's a new day and age, and television networks need to act accordingly if they want to make a profit. It used to be people would watch things based solely on the time slot and successful shows weren't a very hard formula to calculate, you just had to stick it next to some already popular ones. (I came for Boy Meets World and Dinosaurs, I tolerated Step By Step and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.)

Now if you want anyone to even pay attention you're going to need to be smart about it. I can't go to work on Monday without having caught the latest episode of The Walking Dead for fear of spoiler talk. Quality travels through word-of-mouth and via Internet comment sections, blog posts, and social networking sites more than ever these days. You have a hit on your hands when people are talking about it -- whether on the Internet or in the break room at work -- and no one is going to help spread the word about that new mediocre two-camera sitcom they watched because nothing else was on.

I'm just as confused by your success as you are that turkey.

Even the major networks are starting to figure that out. NBC has worked pretty hard to make their nightly comedy schedule one that people will want to share. With The Office, 30 Rock, Community, and plenty more, the quality is certainly there. Fox isn't as far along in the change-over, but they're clearly trying. It seems like CBS is the only one that is still having success by living in the Stone Age. Shows like Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, and The Big Bang Theory might still be brainwashing the dim-witted, but I think those days are numbered.

I have hope for the future of Television. Like never before I actually give a shit about what is going to be on and I make a point to catch it, instead of just tolerating whatever is spoon-fed to me. Louie, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and so many other shows have redefined what TV means to me. They are the glimmer of hope for a brighter future for Television. One where quality is sought out, and falling back on the same old thing frowned upon. Do you see it too? Are you excited? Don't you want to live in that future?

Shuffled #23: James Keyes Interview

2011-12-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
Time for another interview! This edition of Shuffled features James Keyes, a Worcester Massachusetts musician who has a knack for all things rock. We talk a bunch about his solo work, his other band the Numbskulls, playing the bar scene, and some tales from the road.

If you enjoy his music, I highly recommend checking out his website, where you can find links to his two albums and more. You can also find more of his music in the band the Numbskulls. You can buy their music on their website.

Track List:

Hardliner from Ruminations
Buy the MP3 or the album

The Numbskulls - Live Fast from G String
Download the song for free on Bandcamp

Old Rider from Devil Takes the Hindmost
Buy the MP3 or the album

Black Ceiling from Ruminations
Buy the MP3 or the album

Steel Toes and Blues Jeans from Devil Takes the Hindmost
Buy the MP3 or the album

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MP3 | iTunes | RSS

James Keyes:
Website
Facebook
ReverbNation

Ser Flashes music - http://smpmusicproductions.bandcamp.com/

AbstractJapan.com Podcast - iTunes link

The November Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2011-12-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
November is over and the end of the year is fast approaching. Which pretty much means all of the best music of the year has been released (very little gets released in December). But don't worry, this is about November still. There were plenty of great releases for me to feature. Sure, a lot of them were EPs, but just because they're shorter than a full-length doesn't diminish their quality any bit. Plus, there are still great full-lengths from the likes of Animals As Leaders, Childish Gambino, Florence and the Machine, Quilt, Steel Panther, and Jonathan Coulton. So let's dig in to all the November has to offer, shall we?

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MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Track List

1. The Decemberists - Burying Davy (From: Long Live the King EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Death Cab for Cutie - Some Boys (RAC Maury Remix) (From: Keys and Codes Remix EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. The Antlers - Parentheses (PVT Remix) (From: Together EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Brian Eno and the words of Rick Holland - In the Future (From: The Panic of Looking EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Animals As Leaders - Weightless (From: Weightless)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. James Blake - Fall Creek Boys Choir (Feat. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver) (From: Enough Thunder EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. Screeching Weasel - The Parasite Murders (From: Carnival of Schadenfreude EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. Screeching Weasel - No Reason to Lie (From: Carnival of Schadenfreude EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
9. Jonathan Coulton - Dissolve (From: Artificial Heart)
Buy the MP3 or album. (Only $5!)
10. Florence and the Machine - Lover to Lover (From: Ceremonials)
Buy the MP3 or album.
11. Childish Gambino - Bonfire (From: Camp)
Buy the MP3 (Free!) or album.
12. Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door (From: Radiant Door EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
13. Sick Of It All - Relentless (From: Nonstop)
Buy the MP3 or album.
14. H2O - Attitude (Bad Brains Cover) (From: Don't Forget Your Roots)
Buy the MP3 or album.
15. Quilt - Penobska Oakwalk (From: Quilt)
Buy the MP3 or album.
16. Steel Panther - Supersonic Sex Machine (From: Balls Out)
Buy the MP3 or album.
17. They Might Be Giants - Marty Beller Mask (From: Album Raises New and Troubling Questions)
Buy the MP3 or album.
18. She & Him - Sleigh Ride (From: A Very She & Him Christmas)
Buy the MP3 or album.

December Releases

Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures - 6th
The Black Keys - El Camino - 6th
The Roots - Undun - 6th
The Dead Milkmen - The King In Yellow - 6th
Toh Kay (Tomas Kalnoky of Streetlight Manifesto) - Streetlight Lullabies - 6th
Jonsi - We Bought A Zoo (Soundtrack) - 13th

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Roller Coaster Tycoon Edition

2011-11-30T10:18:00.001-08:00

PC gamers of a specific age will likely have happy memories of messing with the Roller Coaster Tycoon. It took management sims to the sandbox -- like The Sims was largely a toy for architecture and interior design, it was really about going nuts and creating crazy rides. It's also the subject of this half-hour playlist of great punk, folk, and prog music.

Track list

Helter Skelter -- Siouxsie and the Banshees -- (Buy the MP3)
Lemonade -- Rivers Cuomo -- (Buy the MP3)
Theme Park -- Lungleg -- (Buy the MP3)
Rollercoaster -- M. Ward -- (Buy the MP3)
Ferris Wheel -- Donovan -- (Buy the MP3)
Carousel -- Mr. Bungle -- (Buy the CD)
Ice Cream Man -- Van Halen -- (Buy the MP3)
All the Fun of the Fair -- David Essex -- (Buy the MP3)

MP3 | iTunes | RSS

"Free"-to-play: Does the F2P Model Expand Audiences, or Rip Them Off?

2011-11-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

It’s about two weeks before the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and as a huge Zelda fan I am counting the days. The next week, after paying all of my bills and buying groceries I come to the realization that I cannot afford the $50 price tag of the game right now. Naturally feeling a bit deflated, I try to focus on being satisfied with games I already own and play. I plunge myself into my Steam library and launch my favorite free-to-play game to ease my financial aggravation. It’s at this point an epiphany slaps me across the face. If I were to add up all the money I’ve spent on this “free” game, it would equal almost $100!

Free-to-play games are a lot more expensive than I thought.

The free-to-play (F2P) pay model is on the rise as of late. Even the MMO juggernaut Blizzard has adopted this pay model. Arguably the world’s most popular MMO, World of Warcraft is now free-to-play up to level 20. Although to continue playing it does switch to the subscription based gameplay we're most familiar with. This now makes WoW a hybrid and not a full F2P game. The common traits that set F2P games apart from others are usually three main areas of gameplay:

Money: Most, if not all, F2P games operate under dual monetary systems. The first and main system of money is always earned within the game and is the one that most resembles a standard dollar scheme. Some games integrate this basic monetary system well, while in others this system can seem quite useless. The second monetary system is always much more rare than the first. It can sometimes be earned within the game but at a very slow pace. This second monetary system is also almost exclusively increased by purchasing more with real cash.

Stamina/Energy: F2P games always have some kind of limited stamina system in play. This system is in place to limit the amount a person plays per day. Sometimes the overall amount can be increased but must be purchased with real cash. Certain stamina/energy systems even serve to limit access to portions of the full game.

Special Items: Special items can be found in just about every game ever made but, in F2P games these special items often cannot be earned. It’s safe to say that most special items and especially customizable elements in F2P games must be purchased and cannot be simply earned through gameplay.

As a marketing scheme the F2P model is proving to be very effective. The general purpose of the platform is to encourage and attract more players. With enough appeal, players will want to continue playing and eventually begin buying in-game items or energy to further their gaming experience. It’s essentially a bait and switch method of attracting users to a game. Indeed these developers and studios need to make money as much as they need people to play their games, but should this be a commonplace practice?

For the most part, the three major gaming companies treat gamers like disobedient step-children. They tell us what we want and how much we’re going to pay for it. This is wrong, yet, we as consumers blindly follow. This is the current ebb and flow of the gaming industry when dealing with Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Surely smaller/indie companies have to treat their customers better, right? It seems natural that implementing a F2P model really helps these developers gain a solid player following. They give back to gamers by giving us free access to their product.

The F2P model can be quite advantageous for game developers but is it also that way for gamers? Are we really getting more for our buck in this 'pay if you want' approach to games or are we just getting ripped off? One thing I know for sure is that breaking up the payments definitely helps a player justify the purchases instead of having a large one-time payment of $50 or $60. As consumers we like to feel like we're paying less for the same thing or something just as good. The bargain could all be in our heads, then again you could argue that an MMO just has a different pricing scale than your average console game.

I'm curious to know what you think and where you stand. Please feel free to let us know down below.

Game Review: Rochard (PC)

2011-11-26T07:20:00.000-08:00

Daftly mixing clever puzzle elements with a brilliantly voice-acted cast, Rochard is a first-rate downloadable title and easily one of my favorites of the year. Rochard (pronounced Roshard) is the surname of the main character, an asteroid miner working deep space.

Business isn't going well for Rochard and company -- they haven't found anything worthwhile in the mines in quite some time, and the head-honcho isn't too happy. In fact, Rochard's little mining operation is about to be shut down. Of course, a discovery is made, and everything seems to be going well again.

For a moment.

I won't say anymore about the story for fear of ruining it. It's a funny, well-written story, too, and the aforementioned voice-cast do such a phenomenal job of bringing the characters to life that I found myself eager to hear more lines of dialogue. This is easily the games strong-point, and one that shouldn't go unmentioned. There are a few cut-scenes, but they aren't overly long or obnoxious. In fact, most of the story is told through character interaction while the player is actually playing the game. A clever way to keep the player immersed, and one that is appreciated.

Of course, there's more to Rochard than just incredible voice-acting (it really is brilliant); the gameplay bits are quite good, too. Equipped with a G-Lifter, Rochard is able to move objects around easily. This is used primarily for solving environmental puzzles, but a few minutes into the game it gets upgraded to be able to shoot lasers.

And if I have one gripe with the game it's the shooting. Not that it's bad or hard to perform, but that it's in there at all. This is more a testament to how well done the puzzles are, and how I'd rather just be solving those then shooting pesky enemies. Again, a very minor gripe that doesn't detract from the game. To be fair, most of the game is puzzle solving, and after a fair amount of time I accepted that I had to shoot enemies to get to more of the puzzles.

Let's talk about the puzzles. They aren't too easy, and they aren't overly tough, either. Which, I believe, means they've struck that oft-sought balance of "just right." The G-Lifter is your main weapon when it comes to puzzles, allowing you to move objects and open and close doors. And one of the other main parts of the puzzles come in the form of different colored force field-like walls.

The force field walls come in a variety of colors, where one color (blue) means that Rochard can pass through without a problem, but objects can't. And there are others where objects can pass through and Rochard can't. It's not as confusing as it sounds, and the solution to each puzzle is contained in each room. This means the player won't be running back and forth, trying to figure anything out. I doubt I spent more than a minute or two for each puzzle, but I still felt a sense of satisfaction when I figured the puzzle out.

There are a few puzzles later in the game, mainly ones involving lasers, that are quite devious. But like the rest of Rochard, everything ramps up nicely: Rochard's abilities and the puzzles are never too difficult too fast. It's a steady progression of more and more, so nothing feels out of place.

I think Rochard might be overlooked, and that would be a shame. It really is a wonderful game with a great sense of humor, superb voice-acting, and incredibly satisfying puzzles. Don't pass it up.

Shuffled #22: Carl Sagan Tribute

2011-11-22T22:14:00.001-08:00

Alex is getting a bit of a break from the show, so I am assuming direct control now! I decided to take a break from musician interviews, and seeing that everyone is celebrating what they are thankful for, I made a show centered around one of my heroes - Carl Sagan.

Carl would have been 77 this November. I know many have been inspired by his work and enthusiasm of the cosmos. His work has been more far reaching and influential than I think he could have ever dreamed. So here's to you professor of the vast void in this place we all call home!

Track List:

Symphony of Science - A Glorious Dawn (From: A Symphony of Science v1.2)

Download the song or album (Pay what you want)

Klaatu - Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (From: 3:47 EST)

Buy the MP3 or thealbum

Rush - Countdown (From: Signals)

Buy the MP3or the album

Starscream - Moonrunner (From: Future, Towards the Edge of Forever)

Buy the MP3 or the album

Andrew W. K. - Star Children (From Gundam Rock)

Order CD (Import) or listen here

Horse the Band - The Black Hole (From: The Mechanical Hand)

Buy the MP3or the album

MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Cerebral Pop Contest

Enter to win your choice of a Microsoft Xbox Live or Sony Playstation Network points card. Either make a donation the to website (all proceeds go to hosting our podcasts) or review one of our following podcasts on the iTunes Music Store:

Shuffled

Unoriginal Soundtracks

The Monthly Music Warp-Up

Sophist Radio

For a full list of details, check out this post.

The theme music to Shuffled was done by Ser Flash, and you can buy his excellent albums on bandcamp.

The Impending Doom of 3D: Can Hollywood Save its Savior?

2011-11-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

What seems like quite a long time ago, the talk of the town was that 3D would be the savior of the film industry. The reincarnated effect was going to make the movies fun again, make new and exciting experiences that couldn't be recreated at home and (most importantly) bring in new revenue for studios that had begun to flounder and stagnate. 3D was going to solve all of their problems, forever. Remember?

So what the hell happened?

James Cameron's Avatar was released in mid-December of 2009 to huge critical praise, lines of attendees who went back for multiple viewings and was earning more money than anyone knew what to do with. It's no secret that Cameron had set his sights on making 3D the leading format for future films, even going so far as to help theater chains retrofit their projectors to handle the upcoming 3D rush. Whether or not you believed that the 3D effect added anything to the film itself, it was hard to deny that this massively profitable CGI stunner was a game-changer. What remained to be seen was whether the change would be for the better or for the worse.

Louis Leterrier provided the first cautionary tale against 3D with Clash of the Titans in April of 2010. The picture was muddy and the 3D (put in retroactively) was weak, spotty and served no useful purpose. Still, the movie made a profit; that was the beginning of the end. In just one year, the major studios started shoehorning 3D into anything that was family-focused or action-packed. They all wanted that sweet jump in profits that 3D promised.

Studio heads had to know they were killing the golden goose, but making movies is primarily a business and the high sales numbers probably looked fantastic on some junior executive's quarterly report. The films they forced into 3D format were crammed full of superfluous effects and lacked cohesive plot lines, but people went to see them anyway for the novelty that 3D still afforded. Unfortunately, novelty eventually wears off. It started with the cost; the extra five to eight dollars per ticket was not sitting pretty with most American families. In less than a year, expensive, flashy 3D became a deterrent to audiences as often as it attracted them. Today, "family-friendly" hits like Despicable Me, Kung-Fu Panda 2 and the final Harry Potter film get less than half of their ticket sales from the 3D versions of their movies. Enough is enough.

Is there a way to save 3D, to bring back its potential for storytelling and immersion? It's possible, but unlikely.

3D should only be used when the film lends itself well to the format. Movies like Coraline benefit from 3D because it gives depth to an otherwise flat picture. Viewing Coraline feels like watching a live-action diorama, an experience that harmonizes nicely with the film and its macabre fairy-tale style. Contrast this with bad 3D and you can really tell the difference. The worst offenders just periodically make things look like they're flying out of the screen. This isn't the 1950s and that isn't going to impress anyone anymore. This type of 3D is lazy and a bit condescending; like a parent jingling car keys in front of her baby.

For a 3D film to work, the effect has to enhance the audience's experience, not become the focus. Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a good example of the best 3D. Despite being crammed into a tiny cave too small to stand up in, the 3D cameras allow the audience to actually feel the buildup of minerals over ancient cave drawings and to feel as if they're investigating the cave right alongside Herzog.

The easiest way to save 3D from being abused would be to do away with the surcharge. It isn't profitable any more because the higher cost deters customers. The novelty is gone, so why pay almost twice as much to see crappy 3D effects when you could enjoy a nice, normal film for less? Studios also need to settle on a single format and let people keep their 3D glasses. Theaters could sell them for 50 cents or a dollar and customers would have an incentive to return and watch more 3D films. The key is to get butts in seats, not to punish the curious.

With Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin and Martin Scorsese's Hugo both coming out in the next month, there's a chance that Hollywood will finally be forced to confront the truth. Both of these films look gorgeous in 3D and spend very little time trying to throw things out of the screen. Unfortunately, given the general distaste for 3D at the moment, it's possible that not enough people will actually go and experience it. Watching two A-list directors deliver two high-quality films to general audience indifference might be just the wake-up call Hollywood needs.

Unoriginal Soundtracks: Halo Combat Evolved / Anniversary Edition

2011-11-16T14:35:00.001-08:00

This November is special for fans of purple sci-fi shooters; it's Halo: Combat Evolved's tenth birthday. Microsoft is celebrating by releasing Halo: Anniversary Edition, but I'm celebrating with a playlist of songs about the game that saved Microsoft's console launch.

Track list

Half Man Half Machine -- Goldie Lookin Chain -- (Buy the MP3)
Escape Pod -- Space Neighbors -- (Buy the MP3)
Staci Stasis -- Zombina and the Skeletones -- (Buy the MP3)
Zombies In Space -- Wumpus -- (Buy the MP3)
One Man Army -- Binary Star, feat. OneManArmy (a.k.a. One Be Lo) -- (Buy the MP3)
Voice In My Head -- Buck-O-Nine -- (Buy the MP3)
Just The Two Of Us -- Thin Lizzy -- (Buy the CD)

MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Book Review: The Indie Cred Test

2011-11-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

We are a generation of people trying to be cooler than those around us. This trend goes hand in hand with the excess we live in, so sometimes we get a little out of hand with our, coolness. It can happen to the best of us, we get carried away and start thinking we’re the epitome of cool, the essence of style. All it takes is one moment to show our awesomeness and just one line to display our supreme wittiness. We seek these opportunities to let others know just how cool we are. Yet the ability to poke fun at ourselves also determines our level of cool. And yes, if you can’t laugh at yourself then, who can you laugh at? But at what point does wittiness turn to self-deprecation? I believe The Indie Cred Test is exactly that point.

The book is broken down into five major sections; general lifestyle, social notoriety, music culture, film and literature, and the aptly named final section how to know a lot while learning absolutely nothing. What begins as a playful look at our mainstream counter culture quickly escalates to an elitist playhouse filled with inside jokes and senseless social commentary. It’s like a bad joke; I get the punchline…it’s just not a good joke. In spite of that, I did find the book to be a bit educational. Namely, I was able to form a more definite understanding on what exactly a hipster is…but I’m still not quite sure. I’m also not sure if the book is for those curious about whether they are hipsters or for hipsters looking to come to terms with who they are. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, yeah?

One area of the book that does succeed is in the design. Chunklet Industries has crafted some very clean infographics for their pseudo statistics. There are plenty of pie charts, pointless multiple choice and self-serving personality quizzes for readers to sift through. These pages are filled with questions and situations to judge how you measure up to the coolest of hipsters. Sprinkled throughout the book are mock advertisements for a Bank of Indie Credit. These are actually handled quite well and help to break up the content. Although a bit cheesy, these ads take strikes at many of the tropes we’ve come to know in pop and counter cultures.

When all is said and done, we get it. We know that you’re too cool for school. We know you were underground before it was cool. And yes, we know you were vegan before anyone knew what the hell that meant. But was the pomp and braggadocio of an entire book celebrating your crassness really necessary?

Cerebral Pop Contest: Win an XLBA or PSN card

2011-11-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

We know. Our impromptu hiatus has left you feeling down? Sorry. The staff at Cerebral Pop has been pretty busy lately, but as we speak emails are being sent about getting some more content back on the site. Still, while we've been busy with other hassles of life, our podcasters have been trying their best to keep you entertained, so we think a contest is in order to help give them the thanks they deserve. There are two ways to enter! Here are the details:

The Monthly Music Wrap-Up is getting a little too big for its britches and needs an upgrade, which has helped me to realize how costly podcasting really is. If you want to help out a little with those hosting costs that we've agreed to take on for the love of podcasting, we would certainly accept it, as well as enter you into the drawing for either an XBLA or PSN card (of your choosing). Just click on the donate button over there on the right and be sure your PayPal info includes your name and an email I can reach you at should you win. All donations will be split amongst the three podcasters on site and anything over our normal hosting fees will be saved for other site use (like advertising or something).

Don't worry though, you don't have to pay your way into this contest. If you can't afford to kick a few bucks our way, we completely understand. Just throw us some kind words in the form of an iTunes review instead (or as well). Right up above this post you'll find links to all four of our shows under the heading, "Subscribe to our Podcasts:". Those links will take you right to the iTunes pages where you can comment away. (Hint: We prefer 5 stars. Makes us feel special.) After you give us a glowing review (or brutal honesty -- we can take it, just don't be too mean.) just shoot me an email at CerebralPop [at] gmail [dot] com and let me know your iTunes username. I'll throw you in the drawing, even if you're already in there for donating!

So there you go. Two chances to win one of two prizes! Hurray! I will also gladly open this contest to anyone and everyone in the world, provided there is some site I can purchase other region points cards from and have them just send me the number instead of ship it. Anyone know of one?

In the meantime, feel free to start donating/commenting. The contest will be running through the end of November. Thanks for being fans of our work despite a lull in content! We promise we'll be getting out more articles to accompany the podcasts very soon.

Sophist Radio Episode 55: Weird Sex Stuff

2011-11-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

After a bit of technical delays, the Sophist Crew assembles to praise, critique, and outright tear down some of this Fall’s videogame offerings. The bad comes first as Harold and Aaron talk of the great disappointment that is the single player campaign of Battlefield 3. James takes some time to highlight a few games that may not normally get the spotlight in such a busy season; Rock of Ages, Drawn 3, and Keyboard Drumset Fucking Werewolf. In traditional Sophist fashion the guys wrap things up with a three-way lovefest over Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham City. Not all is well in Batmanville, though, as James brings up a troubling theme in this otherwise fantastic title.

Shuffled #21: Interview with God & the Devil

2011-11-11T17:12:00.001-08:00

Every other ~~Wednesday~~ week I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy

Matt is back in the hosting chair, which mean a new interview. This week he has an existential discussion with God and the Devil. The three talk about far out things like divine intervention, the meaning of life... Oh wait! Sorry, this is not a religious interview at all. God & the Devil is an Austin, Texas rock band and the subject of this week's episode! There is a lot of blues and spacey music to this episode, so please relax and enjoy the conversation.

Track list:
A Pendulum Pulse in a Mechanical Heart (From "The Cosmos and You")
Inner Dimensions of the Space-Time Continuum (From "The Cosmos and You")
A Contact on the Mothership (From "The Cosmos and You")
Time is Money (From Cultivate Your Mind) - Buy the MP3 or the album
Goin' South (From "The Cosmos and You")

All tracks from "The Cosmos and You" are available for free (megaupload link).

Visit God & the Devil's Facebook and Reverbnation page.

God & the Devil are:

Marc LeFebvre - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo
Jason Garcia - Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar, Synth
Andres Villegas - Lead guitar
Steven Fasnacht - Bass
Patrick Barrow - Drums, Percussion

Also check out Ser Flash's new music "Bullet Heaven: The Original Tracks" and his other album "Where the Air is Thin".

Special guest this week is Tyler from the Abstract Japan Podcast. Find more at his website.

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Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Batman Arkham City Edition

2011-11-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sneaking past the bigger spoilers, pouncing on bad songs and knocking them unconscious, and with a British accent in your ear throughout -- it's the Batman: Arkham City edition of Unoriginal Soundtracks. Only the best music about one of the best games of 2011.

Track list

Fixin' to Die -- Bukka White -- (Buy the MP3)
Two Faced Man -- Ladykillers -- (Buy the MP3)
Hey, Solomon Grundy! -- The Public Good -- (Buy the MP3)
The Riddler -- Method Man -- (Buy the MP3)
Ghost Town -- The Specials -- (Buy the MP3)
You're a Prisoner -- Death -- (Buy the MP3)
Predator Eyes -- The Mountain Goats -- (Buy the MP3)
Harlequin -- The Hollies -- (Buy the CD)

MP3 | iTunes | RSS

The October Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2011-11-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
With the end of Halloween comes the end of October, and that means it's time for us to look at all the great music that was released over the last month. There may not have been as much as September, but the quality was still there. There was the always-beautiful sounding Feist, the sloppy, garage-rock sound of The Spits, releases from indie darlings Surfer Blood and M83, promising newcomers like Gospel Music and PUJOL, and some heavy hitters like Coldplay and Justice. Plus, Lance Darnell joins me to talk about Pearl Jam's 20th Anniversary and why we should care. Oh, and more. There's always more.

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Track List

1. M83 - Raconte-Moi Une Histoire (From: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. MUTEMATH - Prytania (From: Odd Soul)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Coldplay - Charlie Brown (From: Mylo Xyloto)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. La Dispute - Safer in the Forest - Love Song for Poor Michigan (From: Wildlife)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Feist - A Commotion (From: Metals)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. Jack's Mannequin - People, Running (From: People and Things)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. Loney, Dear - My Heart (From: Hall Music)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. Jane's Addiction - Underground (From: The Great Escape Artist)
Buy the MP3 or album.
9. Pearl Jam - Corduroy (From: Vitalogy)
Buy Pearl Jam 20.
10. Justice - On'n'On (From: Audio, Video, Disco)
Buy the MP3 or album.
11. Gospel Music - Let's Run (From: How to Get to Heaven from Jacksonville, FL)
Buy the MP3 or album.
12. Cancerslug - Throat Ripper (From: Unnameable)
Buy the MP3 or album.
13. Deer Tick - Funny Word (From: Divine Providence)
Buy the MP3 or album.
14. The Spits - Acid Rain (From: The Spits V)
Buy the MP3 or album.
15. Star Fucking Hipsters - Broken Branches (From: From the Dumpster to the Grave)
Buy the MP3 or album.
16. PUJOL - Mayday (From: Nasty, Brutish, and Short EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
17. Real Estate - It's Real (From: Days)
Buy the MP3 or album.
18. Dead to Me - The Trials of Oscar Wilde (From: Moscow Penny Ante)
Buy the MP3 or album.
19. Surfer Blood - Miranda (From: Tarot Classics EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
20. La Dispute - King Park (From: Wildlife)
Buy the MP3 or album.

November Releases

Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials - 1st
Sick of it All - Non-Stop - 1st
The Varukers - The Damnation of Our Species - 1st
Lou Reed and Metallica - Lulu - 1st
Megadeth - Th1rt3en - 1st
Steel Panther - Balls Out - 1st
The Decemberists - Long Live the King EP - 1st
They Might Be Giants - Album Raises New and Troubling Questions - 1st
Sigur Ros - INNI (Live CD/DVD) - 7th
Quilt - Quilt - 7th
Brian Eno - Panic of Looking EP - 8th
David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time - 8th
Jonathan Coulton - Artificial Heart - 8th
James Blake - Enough Thunder - 8th
Screeching Weasel - Carnival of Schadenfreude - 8th
Mike Patton - The Solitude of Prime Numbers - 8th
Animals As Leaders - Weightless - 8th
Childish Gambino - Camp - 15th
Tegan and Sara - Get Along (Live CD/DVD) - 15th
The Fall - Erstatz G.B. - 15th
Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door - 15th
H2O - Don't Forget Your Roots - 15th
Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness - 15th
Death Cab for Cutie - Keys and Codes Remix EP - 22nd
The Antlers - Together EP - 22nd

Am I missing something potentially awesome? Feel free to comment below or email me at CerebralPop [at] gmail [dot] com to let me know!

Shuffled #20: Halloween Edition

2011-10-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Every other Wednesday I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
It's Halloween time, so I've put together a Halloween-themed playlist for your listening pleasure. Hope you like punk, because this is a punk band's favorite holiday. Celebrate the witching hour with some appropriate music.

Track List

1. The Misfits - Halloween (From: Legacy of Brutality)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Villagers - I Saw the Dead (From: Becoming A Jackal)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Son of Sam - In the Hills (From: Songs From The Earth)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Cancerslug - Within Her Skin (From: Book of Rats)
Not sure how to get this album anymore, but here's their site.
5. The EverDead - Switchblade Life (Live) (From: Slumber Party Massacre II)
Buy the album.
6. The Nerve Agents - Evil (From: Days of the White Owl)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. The World/Inferno Friendship Society - Pumpkin Time (From: East Coast Super Sound Punk of Today!)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. AFI - Fall Children (From: All Hallow's EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.

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Music Review: Noah and the MegaFauna

2011-10-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

As I shuffle past the huddled crowd clogging the bar I make my way into the stuffy lounge. Dimly lit tables stretch out to the walls as a persistent film of smoke forms tonight’s ceiling. Nestled against the far wall I see a small stage with an eccentric cast of musicians who stand at the ready. As the band begins to play, feelings of repose and nostalgia come over me. I take a seat at the nearest open table, light a cigarette, and embark on the journey that is Noah and the MegaFauna.

This is the scene the band's music paints for me. Anthems for a Stateless Nation, their debut effort is a genuine piece of storytelling that marries an indie, folk sound with a strong gypsy-jazz influence. Noah Lit and his MegaFauna have crafted some very unique, very picturesque landscapes with this record. The band is able to achieve this with their strong technical skills but also an ability to make each song its own unique adventure.

The record starts out pensive and moody with the tracks We Knew We had It Coming and Au Revoir Shoshanna. These songs form a solid foundation that the rest of the album builds on really well. The band really shows off their gypsy-jazz chops on the tracks Moan All Night and Liquid Modernity. Gusano Coco is a highlight for me because it shows their musical range. It still has heavy gypsy jazz influences but there’s also a bluesy rock element to the song that helps it stand out from the rest of the album. The piece de resistance for me is On And On. You’ll easily notice that this track is of the few that follows what you could call a standard song structure. It has a catchy hook with a couple verses, but what makes this track great is how perfectly it combines all their different styles and influences in one song.

As a whole, Anthems for a Stateless Nation delivers a solid introduction to the band. The strongest achievement for this album is interest. After hearing it through, it left me wanting more. I’m invested in not only the success of this band but their progression as well. I highly recommend you all to purchase this album and support a group of musicians who have put a lot of time and energy to create a sound all their own.

Unoriginal Soundtracks: Outtakes Special

2011-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Breaking from the usual themed-playlist format, this episode looks back at some songs that didn't quite make it into past episodes. Some weren't quite appropriate, were instrumentals, or were just not English. As usual, though, the half-hour playlist is a solid, eclectic selection of great music.

Track list

Shhot the Singer -- Fermin Mugurza -- (Buy the MP3)
I Love Rock 'n' Roll -- Zombina and the Skeletones -- (Buy the MP3)
Drowned and the Saved -- Jah Wobble -- (Buy the MP3)
Twin Brother -- Eddie Holland -- (Buy his MP3s)
Gotta Find a Job -- Lee Dorsey -- (Buy the MP3)
White Rain -- Junip -- (Buy the MP3)
In the Fog -- Azure Ray -- (Buy the MP3)
I Hear the Drummer (Tunng Edit) -- Quincy and Xen Cuts Allstars -- (Buy the MP3)
Hey Man -- Kill Kenada -- (Stream and buy from Bandcamp)

MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Eufloria and the Challenges of Zen Gaming

2011-10-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

As games have become increasingly ubiquitous, they have naturally branched out to appeal to demographics that were previously ignored. One of these new—but rapidly expanding—markets consists of players who want games to provide an experience closer to meditation than escapism. Rather than taking out their frustrations in a night of deathmatches or horde mode, these gamers are more likely to chill out with titles like Flower or The Undergarden, that occupy your mind just enough that you can forget about the world and just zone out. While there's no agreed-upon label for this category, some have appropriately called it "zen" gaming.

Now I actually think that stress-reduction is a perfectly valid use for games, and have no problem with developers exploring low-engagement game designs. But they should realize that in doing so, they’re walking a fine line. Requiring too much of the player can kill the relaxed mood, but so can requiring too little. That was what I discovered while playing Eufloria, a PSN and PC release that takes its zen qualities to such an extreme that the best strategy for most levels is just to lay your controller down and go do something else for a while.

Eufloria is a minimalist take on the real time strategy genre, and it’s not without its charms. The art borrows from the botanical themes of another Zen game, PixelJunk Eden (your bases are trees, your units seedlings), and has a nice, organic feel despite being very simplified. Its off-kilter sound design is definitely the high point of the game, and really made me want to like it. But everything else about Eufloria pushed me away rather than encouraging me to lose myself. As an RTS game, it’s so simple that even calling it “entry level” is probably overselling it. Every map can be conquered using the same strategy: build up as many attacking units as you can, then send them out to conquer every point of contention.

Still, this takes a considerable amount of time. By default, seedlings are produced at an excruciatingly slow pace. There is a fast-forward option, which I kept perpetually activated, but even then the game moves so slowly that I had to find other things to do while waiting on units to be produced. The first time I played Eufloria, it literally put me to sleep. Subsequent attempts to trudge through it left me feeling frustrated, not because I wasn’t winning, but because so little was actually happening.

To head off one obvious criticism, let me say that I don’t share many long-time gamers’ fear of anything that could be called “casual”. I think Peggle and Dark Souls can exist in the same world, and even be enjoyed by the same people. That’s because at the most basic level what separates good games from bad ones is the ratio of reward to investment. Peggle offers excessive reward for relatively small achievements, which will either make you feel great about yourself, or give you a knowing chuckle. Dark Souls doesn’t offer a lot of in-game rewards, but one does feel a great sense of pride while overcoming its tremendous challenges.

Conversely, Eufloria asks very little of you, and gives you very little in return. Finishing a level opens up another, almost identical level which can usually be conquered using the exact same strategy as the last. It rewards investment and complete disinterest in more or less the same way. That’s a misunderstanding of what the best zen games, like Flower and PixelJunk Eden, are really about. Even though they encourage you to zone out while playing, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still rewarding engagement. It’s just that the rewards are more subtle, and may remain at a subconscious level until you stop and reflect on how the game world has been altered by your actions.

Zen games are still games at their core, even if they encourage a style of play that has been relatively untapped in the past. Gamers who are interested in them deserve quality experiences just as much as fans of more traditional genres. Eufloria isn't worth the zen gamer's time, despite looking like it might be on par with the best entries in its genre. However, it does at least provide developers with an important lesson. Making a game still requires full engagement even if the finished product doesn't demand the same from players.

Review: Psychic Babble's My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes

2011-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Last month, Colin Frangicetto (guitarist for the band Circa Survive), released a new solo project under the name Psychic Babble. The light psychedelic tunes of My Brother's Ears / My Sister's Eyes make for some nice easy listening that will surely stay on repeat once it infects your ear buds.

Many of the tracks have an almost dream pop inspired quality to them. While most of the effects are heavy compared to some of this year's other releases, the LP finds a good balance between the excremental and a more pop feel. The song “Follow Your Bliss” illustrates this very well, starting off with a light guitar track and building upon the momentum. None of it feels like it is trying to overbear the listener with too many weird sounds; the results being hypnotic but also quite peaceful, and ending with a somewhat fuzzy transmission coming from the far out reaches of space.

The song “Samantha” serves up a more folk vibe beneath all the psychedelia with some interesting lyrics. While most of the album relies on repeated choruses, “Samantha” offers a few little nuggets like the bittersweet lines, “That empty couch in the living room gets cold / but there's still room for two,” to the funny and a bit twisted, “She cooked my brain in a frying pan. / Oh no, I'm not letting go.” Some other notable songs are the opener “Five Fold Kiss (Don't Sleep)” and later “Crocodile Tears” have a soft underlying keyboard that give the songs a nice fuzzy feel to them.

Overall, Psychic Babble's first release is a very strong new release in the realm of dream pop and psychedelia. Each one of the songs is as good as the next. It's never too heavy on the effects, which makes it very accessible for those going into an uncharted genre. A pleasant hazy filled ride and an excellent first step for singer / songwriter Colin Fragicetto solo career. Fans of this year's I Come to Shanghai release Eternal Life Vol. 1 or Panda Bear's Tomboy should take note and give this a listen.

The September Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2011-10-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

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Track List

1. Samiam - September Holiday (From: Trips)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Chuck Ragan - Wish on the Moon (From: Covering Ground)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. CANT - Too Late Too Far (From: Dreams Come True)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. CIVIL CIVIC - Street Trap (From: Rules)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Das Racist - Michael Jackson (From: Relax)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. St. Vincent - Northern Lights (From: Strange Mercy)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. Blitzen Trapper - Street Fighting Sun (From: American Goldwing)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. The Drums - What You Were (From: Portamento)
Buy the MP3 or album.
9. The Rapture - Blue Bird (From: In the Grace of Your Love)
Buy the MP3 or album.
10. Girls - Vomit (From: Father, Son, Holy Ghost)
Buy the MP3 or album (Only $5).
11. Cobra Skulls - Running Out (From: Agitations)
Buy the MP3 or album.
12. Mates of State - At Least I Have You (From: Mountaintops)
Buy the MP3 or album.
13. Bush - The Sound of Winter (From: The Sea of Memories)
Buy the MP3 or album.
14. Mogwai - Drunk and Crazy (From: Earth Division EP)
Buy the MP3 or album.
15. Primus - Eternal Consumption Engine (From: Green Naugahyde)
Buy the MP3 or album.
16. Zechs Marquise - Getting Paid (From: Getting Paid)
Buy the MP3 or album.
17. Wilco - Art of Almost (From: The Whole Love)
Buy the MP3 or album.
18. Neon Indian - Future Sick (From: Era Extrana)
Buy the MP3 or album.
19. mc chris - mc chris is back (From: Race Wars)
Buy the MP3 or album.
20. MC Lars - Attacks (From: Lars Attacks)
Buy the MP3 or album.
21. East Bay Ray and the Killer Smiles - It's Broken (From: Self-Titled)
Buy the MP3 or album.
22. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical (From: Hysterical)
Buy the MP3 or album.
23. AM & Shawn Lee - City Boy (From: Celestial Electric)
Buy the MP3 or album.
24. Mastodon - Stargasm (From: The Hunter)
Buy the MP3 or album.
25. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Hero (From: Sing in Japanese)
Buy the MP3 or album.
26. Bjork - Hollow (From: Biophilia)
Buy the MP3 or album.

October Releases

Loney, Dear - Hall Music - 4th
La Dispute - Wildlife - 4th
The Misfits - The Devil's Rain - 4th
MUTEMATH - Odd Soul - 4th
Jack's Mannequin - People and Things - 4th
Feist - Metals - 4th
Crooked Fingers - Breaks in the Armor - 11th
Star Fucking Hipsters - From the Dumpster to the Grave - 11th
Kimya Dawson - Thunder Thighs - 18th
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - 18th
Jane's Addiction - The Great Escape Artist - 18th
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto - 25th
Deer Tick - Divine Providence - 25th
Justice - Audio, Video, Disco - 25th
Surfer Blood - Tarot Classics - 25th
The Spits - The Spits (5th album) - 25th
She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas - 25th

Are there any potentially awesome releases I'm missing? Let me know! CerebralPop [at] gmail [dot] com.

Shuffled Podcast #19: Chiptune Edition

2011-10-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

Every other Wednesday week I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
This week, Matt Giguere joins Alex for the umpteenth time. Chiptune music is on the docket for discussion today, and discuss it they shall. Hear about the tech behind it, the stage show some of the artists put on, and some great samples. A love of video games is not required to appreciate this burgeoning genre, just an acceptance of creative new ways to create music.

Track List

1. Anamanaguchi - Airbrushed (From: Airbrushed)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Disasterpeace - Win (From: Level)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. BR1GHT PR1MATE - Beam Me Up (From: Beam Me Up)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Active Knowledge - Reality Down (From: Infinite)
Buy the MP3 or album (Pay what you want).
5. Starscream - Galeforce (From: Future, Towards the Edge of Forever)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. Bit Shifter - Reformat the Planet (From: Information Chase EP)
Buy the album (Free!)

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Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Rez/Child of Eden Edition

2011-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Rez and Child of Eden are both, loosely, about the internet, the evolution of mankind, and pure joy. With that in mind, here's the Unoriginal Soundtracks Two-Dozenth Episode Spectacular, featuring songs on those very topics.

Track list

Computer Girl -- Shat -- (Buy the MP3)
World Wide Web -- Radio Orphans -- (Buy the MP3)
Firewall -- Steve Vai -- (Buy the CD)
Virus -- Del the Funky Homosapien and Dan the Automator -- (Buy the MP3)
Artificial Intelligence -- Nite Jewel -- (Buy the MP3)
Monkey to Man -- Elvis Costello -- (Buy the MP3)
Let the Good Times Roll -- Louis Jordan -- (Buy the MP3)

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Shuffled #18: Marnie Stern Interview

2011-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

This week's episode of Shuffled, we are trying something a little different. For starters Alex has handed the reigns over to Cerebral Pop writer, Matt Giguere (don't worry, Alex will be back next episode). Also, this is the first episode of Shuffled where we have an actual musical guest. Matt was able to catch up with master guitar shredder Marnie Stern for a quick one on one interview at Boston's Middle East Upstairs. So please enjoy this departure from the norm and bask in the face-melting licks from one of music's craziest guitarists.

Track List:

1. For Ash (From: Marnie Stern)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Vibrational Match (From: Demo)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Transformer (From: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Don't Stop Believin (Journey Cover)
Download the MP3 for free.

As always, you can purchase Ser Flash's awesome "Where the Air is Thin" right here.

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Sophist Radio Episode 53: The King of Jersey City

2011-09-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

In their continuing efforts to provide you with the best in video-game podcasting, The Sophists again pick up their headsets and beers to gather around the proverbial Internet camp fire and regale you with tales of video-game conquest. James shares his experiences with Vanessa Saint-Pierre Dellacroix and Her Nightmare. Also, he does his best to talk about The Stanley Parable. Not to be outdone, Aaron dives deep into the world of the RTS to praise Frozen Synapse. Harold has to eat a little crow...actually, Harold has to eat a whole plate of crow as he returns to heap some acclaim on Catherine. All that plus a chance meeting with a king.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Mass Effect 2 edition

2011-09-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Space Trucker -- Midnight Brown -- (Get the discography for free)
Alien Sex -- A.I. -- (Buy the CD)
Suicide Mission -- The Breakers -- (Buy the CD)
Evil Science -- Zombina & the Skeletones -- (Buy the MP3)
(Excerpt of) Space is the Place -- Sun Ra -- (Buy the MP3)
One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 -- The Flaming Lips -- (Buy the MP3)
Iron Man -- Black Sabbath -- (Buy the CD)
Galaxy Song -- Monty Python -- (Buy the MP3)

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The August Music Wrap-Up Podcast

2011-09-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

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Track List

1. The Adolescents - Orange Crush (From: The Fastest Kid Alive)
Buy the album.
2. Beirut - Santa Fe (From: The Rip Tide)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Senator (From: Mirror Traffic)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Psychic Babble - Nothing Familiar (From: My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Nekromantix - Demon Speed (From: What Happens in Hell Stays in Hell)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. Her Space Holiday - Anything for Progress (From: Her Space Holiday)
Buy the MP3 or album.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie (From: I'm With You)
Buy the MP3 or album.
8. Barenaked Ladies - The Ninjas (From: Snacktime!)
Buy the MP3 or album.
9. Peelander-Z - Ninja-High Schooool (From: Super DX Hitz)
Buy the MP3 or album.
10. Peelander-Z - King Kong Gong (From: Super DX Hitz)
Buy the MP3 or album.
11. Cerebral Ballzy - On the Run (From: Cerebral Ballzy)
Buy the MP3 (FREE) or album.
12. Cerebral Ballzy - Insufficient Fare (From: Cerebral Ballzy)
Buy the MP3 or album.
13. Hella - Headless (From: Tripper)
Buy the MP3 or album (Only $5!).
14. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Stick Figures in Love (From: Mirror Traffic)
Buy the MP3 or album.
15. Psychic Babble - Follow Your Bliss (From: My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes)
Buy the MP3 or album.

September Releases

mc chris - Racewars - 2nd
Drinking Mercury - S/T - 3rd
MC Lars - Attack - 6th
Samiam - Trips - 6th
The Rapture - The Grace of Your Love - 6th
Am & Shawn Lee - Celestial Electric - 6th
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing - 13th
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Sing in Japanese - 13th
Das Racist - Relax - 13th
Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost - 13th
Mates of State - Mountaintops - 13th
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy - 13th
The Drums - Portamento - 13th
Bush - Sea of Memories - 13th
Mogwai - Earth Divisions EP - 13th
CANT - Dreams Come True - 13th
Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground - 13th
Neon Indian - Era Extrana - 13th
Primus - Green Naugahyde - 13th
The Bangles - Sweetheart of the Sun - 13th
East Bay Ray and the Killer Smiles - S/T - 13th
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical - 20th
Megafaun - S/T - 20th
Jane's Addiction - The Great Escape Artist - 27th
Bjork - Biophilia - 27th
Mastodon - The Hunter - 27th
Wilco - The Whole Love - 27th
Cobra Skulls - Agitations - 27th
Zechs Marquise - Getting Paid - 27th

Know of any potentially awesome September releases I'm missing? Happen to be a fan of any of these bands and want to possibly weigh in on their new album? Shoot me an email: CerebralPop [at] gmail [dot] com.

Shuffled Podcast #17: Tyler Abstract's Fave 5

2011-09-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Every other Wednesday I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
When you invite a self-described "lover of the fine herb" onto your podcast and tell him to pick out five songs from artists that really affected him, it tends to turn into a themed playlist. In this extremely late episode of Shuffled (Sorry!), Tyler Abstract of the abstractjapan.com podcast joins me once again. There are plenty of classics you've no doubt heard of, and others that you might not have. Sit back with whatever substances you may or may not partake in and enjoy.

Track List

1. Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf (From: Past Lives)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Acid Mothers Temple - Pink Lady Lemonade Part 2 (From: Pink Lady Lemonade - You're From Inner Space)
Buy the MP3 or album.
3. Hammock - Blankets of Night (From: Kenotic)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You (From: Led Zeppelin III)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. Alborosie - Still Blazing (From: Soul Pirate)
Buy the album.

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Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Mirror's Edge Edition

2011-09-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Police On My Back -- The Clash -- (Buy the MP3)
Hold Me, Hug Me, Rock Me -- Jeff Beck and the Big Town Playboys -- (Buy the MP3)
Up On The Roof -- The Drifters -- (Buy the MP3)
SkyScraper -- Streetlight Manifesto -- (Buy the MP3)
Security -- Mavis Staples -- (Buy the MP3)
Liberty -- Agnostic Front -- (Buy the MP3)
I Shot The Sheriff -- Screamin' Jay Hawkins -- (Buy the MP3)

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Sophist Radio Episode 53: I Was Just Cleanin' it, Dad!

2011-09-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

This week’s show can be summed up in two words: Embarrassment and Frustration. The embarrassment comes into play as Harold, James, and Aaron share tales of being caught at their most vulnerable by their respective parents. The frustration comes into the forefront as Harold informs the guys of his short and frustrating time spent with Catherine. All is not doom and gloom as the guys do actually have some love for games such as Ubisoft's Outland. The crew wraps things up with a pretty thorough break down of their likes and dislikes of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Fable 2 Edition

2011-08-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

You only have room in your head for about 10 great podcasts; I want this to be one of them. Plant a podcast in your childhood and it'll grow into this punk-infused podcast.

Mentioned in this episode: Abstract Japan.

Track list

The Village Green Preservation Society -- The Kinks -- (Buy the MP3)

No More Heroes -- The Stranglers -- (Buy the MP3)

Let's Lynch the Landlord -- Dead Kennedys -- (Buy the MP3)

My Sweet Dog -- Hi-Standard -- (Buy the CD)

Stop! -- Against Me! -- (Buy the MP3)

Too Much Too Young -- The Specials -- (Buy the MP3)

Pay Me My Money Down -- Bruce Springsteen -- (Buy the MP3)

Do We Have to Rise Again? -- I Come to Shanghai -- (Pay what you want for the album)

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Sophist Radio Episode 52: Silver Fox with a Box

2011-08-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

With the impending onslaught of Fall releases, the crew spends this week shining the spotlight on off-the-radar games again. James heads into the way-back machine to share his short lived adventure with Planescape Torment. We're more kinde to Krystian Majewski's Trauma and Ignition Entertainment’s character action game El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. Also on the show, the final Summer of Arcade game -- as far as Sophist is concerned -- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Things wrap up with a look to the Fall and an attempt at figuring out which titles will succeed and which will fail to meet expectations.

Shuffled Podcast #16: Factory Edition

2011-08-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Every other Wednesday I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
I felt like there was too many talk-centric episodes in a row, so I made a music-filled episode. This time, I tried my hand at hand-picking a playlist of music based around a topic, much like Alex Martin does with Unoriginal Soundtracks, though, my topic is my new job, not a video game. Hop on the rollercoaster of emotions that is my day-to-day grind, and enjoy the tunes that describe those emotions.

Track List

1. The Vines - Factory (From: Highly Evolved)
Buy the MP3 or album.
2. Oh No! Oh My! - Go To Work (From: Daytrotter Session)
Download their session for free here.
3. Man At Arms - Horrible Professions (A Modern Blues on the Plight of the Contemporary Worker and His/Her Lack of Options) (From: Being and Commerce)
Buy the MP3 or album.
4. Animal Collective - My Girls (From: Merriweather Post Pavilion)
Buy the MP3 or album.
5. The Dwarves - Working Class Asshole (From: Are Born Again)
Buy the MP3 or album.
6. Mr. Bungle - Intro/Squeeze Me Macaroni (From: OU818)
7. Screeching Weasel - I Wanna Be a Homosexual (From: Kill the Musicians)
Buy the MP3 or album.

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Sophist Radio Episode 51: I Look to the Sky With My Mouth Open Wide

2011-08-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

This week the guys push the boundaries of podcast title length, and acceptable conversation for children's programming. Before things get too awkward, James and Aaron hop in to provide commentary on a couple of games from this year’s Summer of Arcade; Bastion and From Dust. The crew continues to shy away from most of the major new releases, as James shines the spotlight on a small game called Recettear: An Item Shop Tale. Finally, they wrap things up by debating the potential effects of Diablo 3’s plans to use real money in their auction houses.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Persona 3 Edition

2011-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Persona 3 -- which features teenagers shooting themselves in the head to summon demons -- somehow managed to escape widespread condemnation from religious and "concerned parent" groups. To celebrate that triumph, listen to this show featuring songs that could be about the paranormal, Japanese, teen drama.

Track list

Summertime Clothes -- Animal Collective -- Buy the MP3

Final Exams -- Coinslot -- Buy the MP3

I Wanna Be The Leader -- The Marcels -- Buy the MP3

Shy Girl -- Cascades -- Buy the MP3

Tides Of The Moon -- Mercury Rev -- Buy the CD

Apathy -- Catchers -- Buy the MP3

Robot Girl -- Was (Not Was) -- Buy the MP3

Horror Highschool -- Zombina and the Skeletones -- Buy the MP3

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