Umoja Orchestra blew the roof off of Common Grounds this past Saturday night. The roughly 15 piece Gainesville-native latin/afro-cuban ensemble mingled some afro-cuban, dub, and traditional straight latin together with a youthful energy and pleasingly clean-cut hipster aesthetic to create a musical environment rife with positivity.
This group quickly becoming, if not already, a local favorite gathered a diverse audience. Teens, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, seniors, white, black, hispanic, and every other music appreciating demographic seemed to come out in droves to watch Umoja Orchestra go wild. Warming up slowly throughout, talented, pleasing music and a well-paced setlist had the crowd hot like wildfire by night's end, with a majority of the stereotypical head-bobbing crowd shaking their hips and moving their feet for the last few numbers.
Their sound can be raucous and blasty. Traditional old-fogey music elitists may be offended by a noisy presentation at times. However, the sound songwriting and instrumental abilities of the group drastically outweigh their noisy tangents. The sound tech in the booth may also have played a big role in balance issues and technical fault. My personal favorite thing about the Umoja Orchestra is their powerful aura of positivity, good energy, and fun. The band obviously enjoying themselves on stage really helped fuel the audience.
Umoja is embarking on an east-coast tour, up to Brooklyn and back down the coast. Dates can be found on their Myspace page as well as an audio taste of their music. Note, though, that this is the type of band best seen live, their recordings don't do their live performance proper justice.
______________
The skinny:
Pros: good energy, talented instrumentalists, fun
Cons: balance issues, improper sound-boothing, technical problems
Make an Assessment:
Go see the Umoja Orchestra if you can. They're a relatively low-profile, independent band, but their live show is fun and entertaining. They bring a taste of world-beat music not highly visible in our current mainstream youth culture that acts like a breath of fresh air for jaded ears.
Overall Review Score:
Grade: A
Score: 97%
If it were a movie: ★★★★★
My Feelings: "I think I just baile'd with a seventy year-old man."
4.24.2010
Mini-Review, The Way A Review Was Meant To Be Written! - The Bhagavad Gita
I wish I could read Sanskrit, because Krishna has some sick lyrical chops and I'm sure his flow is hot fire in it's original tongue. I recently finished my first reading of the Upanishadic-Vedantic masterpiece, The Bhagavad Gita, the highly-acclaimed Juan Mascaro translation.
Anyone with no previous foray into religious texts, specifically Hindu theology, should find this to be a fascinating read and derive some personal spiritual feeling from it. Those with a theological background will devour it's rich allegory and illustration. It's a fascinating text, short, deep, and poignant. Like most old religious texts, The Bhagavad Gita can seem far removed. Passages can be archaic, unrelatable, and hard to follow. However, there's real meat in between the lines. The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna can serve as an allegory for meditation on one's soul, or at very least provide a glimpse into an ancient theology founded on moral wholeness.
In today's world, particularly here in the United States, we could all learn something from texts like The Bhagavad Gita. Sri Aurobindo reflected, "The Bhagavad Gita is a true scripture of the human race, a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization." At very least, we could all derive some peace and harmony from the text. Albert Einstein wrote, "When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
______________
Make an Assessment:
I'm not going to do pros/cons or put scores on The Bhagavad Gita. I'll say simply that I enjoyed reading it, look forward to exploring more Hindu texts, and even look forward to re-reading this one. I recommend this book to anyone with enough patience and mental acuity to think about what they read.
Anyone with no previous foray into religious texts, specifically Hindu theology, should find this to be a fascinating read and derive some personal spiritual feeling from it. Those with a theological background will devour it's rich allegory and illustration. It's a fascinating text, short, deep, and poignant. Like most old religious texts, The Bhagavad Gita can seem far removed. Passages can be archaic, unrelatable, and hard to follow. However, there's real meat in between the lines. The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna can serve as an allegory for meditation on one's soul, or at very least provide a glimpse into an ancient theology founded on moral wholeness.
In today's world, particularly here in the United States, we could all learn something from texts like The Bhagavad Gita. Sri Aurobindo reflected, "The Bhagavad Gita is a true scripture of the human race, a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization." At very least, we could all derive some peace and harmony from the text. Albert Einstein wrote, "When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
______________
Make an Assessment:
I'm not going to do pros/cons or put scores on The Bhagavad Gita. I'll say simply that I enjoyed reading it, look forward to exploring more Hindu texts, and even look forward to re-reading this one. I recommend this book to anyone with enough patience and mental acuity to think about what they read.
4.22.2010
INSANITY Workout by Beachbody
ARE YOU READY TO DIG DEEP!?
This is the modest motto of the INSANITY workout by fitness company (and infomercial giant) Beachbody.com. The motto is extremely accurate for this workout program. The "hardcore" fitness regimen promises "the most insane body in 60 days." I'm not sure what constitutes an "insane body," but I'm under the impression that it's a good thing.
The INSANITY set contains an impressive 10 workout dvds averaging about 45 minutes of INSANITY. With the dvds you also get miscellaneous materials to help you on your muscle quest. There's a nutrition guide, a snazzy workout calendar, and a fitness guide. The calendar just relays the order in which to use the dvds. The fitness guide is a booklet of warnings, introductions to and explanations of interval training, and useless drivel. The nutrition guide is a drawn out explanation of eating right, with some lame recipes which are supposed to constitute all of the food you ever eat. A more effective supplment would have been a temporary tattoo that reads, "EAT GOOD CARBS, PROTEIN, AND SOME FIBER. DON'T EAT SUGAR AND FAT, DUMMY!" That way at least you'd have a fun constant reminder when you're about to buy McDonald's again, instead of an oversized coaster mocking you with, "INSANE Nutrition Guide" on the front. In addition to the practically useless print materials there is an online support agent, which I am not allowed to participate in because I'm not INSANE.
The actual workouts are based on interval training, which is a fantastic workout structure that I'll gladly swear by. The INSANITY spin is pumping up the intervals to outrageous proportions. You are meant to preform each exercise throughout the workouts at your "MAX" ability. One of the warnings repeated a few times is to check with your doctor before starting the program. I actually heeded this advice and got the okay to proceed based on the fact that I cycle and walk regularly and appear to be in average physical shape. Nowhere on the INSANITY materials does it say anything about having a professional athlete fitness level before starting.
My beef with the program, starting right from the first workout dvd, is that you are constantly encouraged to push yourself. On occasion your INSANE instructor, Shaun T., will tell you to rest if you're dying or to never compromise your form, but then he'll encourage you to dig deeper and assure you know that he knows you can do it. It may be a fault of hubris, but I cannot reasonably back down from such encouragement until I'm literally falling off of my feet.
Within the first week I woke up feeling like I had pulled a groin muscle. Sure enough, I had over-exerted myself and "shocked" my muscles a bit (according to a PT friend of mine, thanks again btw). I know all about warming up, stretching, and cooling down, but I had simply over done it, and at the encouragement of INSANITY. After more than a week off and another week of conditioning I tried to get back on the INSANITY bandwagon. Again, after less than a week I blew out my lower back by over exerting myself. With no limit being drawn on exertion, and only occasional "don't push yourself too hard" messages I found it impossible to achieve the correct amount of workout. Either this workout program really is meant for professional athletes only, or there needs to be a more stringent set of guidelines for newbies and fatties to get into the program safely.
I will say that the workouts are good, and fun. There is a good amount of variation from day to day, with most of the explanations on the fly, wasting minimal time with unnecessary instructions. The exercises are individually easy to get the hang of. There are only bodyweight and cardio exercises as well, so no additional equipment is needed. I had no problem settling into the pace of the workouts, at times feeling like a lump compared to the desired pace of Shaun T. Fortunately, the seemingly fit backup people on the screen appeared to be having as much trouble as me keeping up at times, so I didn't feel like a total lump. Any workout that has the trainer declaring "This s*** is BANANAS" should be an indication of it's difficulty. Also, I found the stretching sections to be insufficient to really warm me up or cool me down, but a quick pause is easy enough to manage.
I'm certain that you would get "the most insane body in 60 days" if you followed the program and the nutrition guide to a t, however, that's basically impossible for any human being. The workouts are outrageous if you take Shaun T's encouragement to heart, and the meal plan is unrealistic for anyone to follow every day.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: fun interval workouts, no equipment required, actually challenging
* Cons: too expensive, frivolous supplemental materials, INSANITY
Make an Assessment:
I neither attempted to follow the meal plan, or finish the full 60 day program. I'm not INSANE enough I guess. I will continue using the workout program, as I see fit, to continue the obviously beneficial interval training. I would not recommend that anybody expect to achieve any specific results of the "insane body" variety. I wouldn't even recommend that anybody spend their hard earned money on this product. While I can see obvious benefits of this type of program, the product just doesn't support the amount of money you have to shell out to purchase it. I believe the going rate is something like $140. For a program with minimal hand-holding, that actually caused me to injure myself, there isn't any valid justification for that price tag.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: C-
* Score: 65%
* If it were a movie: ★★½
* My Feelings: "I want an exercise that doesn't break my crotch, kthx."
This is the modest motto of the INSANITY workout by fitness company (and infomercial giant) Beachbody.com. The motto is extremely accurate for this workout program. The "hardcore" fitness regimen promises "the most insane body in 60 days." I'm not sure what constitutes an "insane body," but I'm under the impression that it's a good thing.
The INSANITY set contains an impressive 10 workout dvds averaging about 45 minutes of INSANITY. With the dvds you also get miscellaneous materials to help you on your muscle quest. There's a nutrition guide, a snazzy workout calendar, and a fitness guide. The calendar just relays the order in which to use the dvds. The fitness guide is a booklet of warnings, introductions to and explanations of interval training, and useless drivel. The nutrition guide is a drawn out explanation of eating right, with some lame recipes which are supposed to constitute all of the food you ever eat. A more effective supplment would have been a temporary tattoo that reads, "EAT GOOD CARBS, PROTEIN, AND SOME FIBER. DON'T EAT SUGAR AND FAT, DUMMY!" That way at least you'd have a fun constant reminder when you're about to buy McDonald's again, instead of an oversized coaster mocking you with, "INSANE Nutrition Guide" on the front. In addition to the practically useless print materials there is an online support agent, which I am not allowed to participate in because I'm not INSANE.
The actual workouts are based on interval training, which is a fantastic workout structure that I'll gladly swear by. The INSANITY spin is pumping up the intervals to outrageous proportions. You are meant to preform each exercise throughout the workouts at your "MAX" ability. One of the warnings repeated a few times is to check with your doctor before starting the program. I actually heeded this advice and got the okay to proceed based on the fact that I cycle and walk regularly and appear to be in average physical shape. Nowhere on the INSANITY materials does it say anything about having a professional athlete fitness level before starting.
My beef with the program, starting right from the first workout dvd, is that you are constantly encouraged to push yourself. On occasion your INSANE instructor, Shaun T., will tell you to rest if you're dying or to never compromise your form, but then he'll encourage you to dig deeper and assure you know that he knows you can do it. It may be a fault of hubris, but I cannot reasonably back down from such encouragement until I'm literally falling off of my feet.
Within the first week I woke up feeling like I had pulled a groin muscle. Sure enough, I had over-exerted myself and "shocked" my muscles a bit (according to a PT friend of mine, thanks again btw). I know all about warming up, stretching, and cooling down, but I had simply over done it, and at the encouragement of INSANITY. After more than a week off and another week of conditioning I tried to get back on the INSANITY bandwagon. Again, after less than a week I blew out my lower back by over exerting myself. With no limit being drawn on exertion, and only occasional "don't push yourself too hard" messages I found it impossible to achieve the correct amount of workout. Either this workout program really is meant for professional athletes only, or there needs to be a more stringent set of guidelines for newbies and fatties to get into the program safely.
I will say that the workouts are good, and fun. There is a good amount of variation from day to day, with most of the explanations on the fly, wasting minimal time with unnecessary instructions. The exercises are individually easy to get the hang of. There are only bodyweight and cardio exercises as well, so no additional equipment is needed. I had no problem settling into the pace of the workouts, at times feeling like a lump compared to the desired pace of Shaun T. Fortunately, the seemingly fit backup people on the screen appeared to be having as much trouble as me keeping up at times, so I didn't feel like a total lump. Any workout that has the trainer declaring "This s*** is BANANAS" should be an indication of it's difficulty. Also, I found the stretching sections to be insufficient to really warm me up or cool me down, but a quick pause is easy enough to manage.
I'm certain that you would get "the most insane body in 60 days" if you followed the program and the nutrition guide to a t, however, that's basically impossible for any human being. The workouts are outrageous if you take Shaun T's encouragement to heart, and the meal plan is unrealistic for anyone to follow every day.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: fun interval workouts, no equipment required, actually challenging
* Cons: too expensive, frivolous supplemental materials, INSANITY
Make an Assessment:
I neither attempted to follow the meal plan, or finish the full 60 day program. I'm not INSANE enough I guess. I will continue using the workout program, as I see fit, to continue the obviously beneficial interval training. I would not recommend that anybody expect to achieve any specific results of the "insane body" variety. I wouldn't even recommend that anybody spend their hard earned money on this product. While I can see obvious benefits of this type of program, the product just doesn't support the amount of money you have to shell out to purchase it. I believe the going rate is something like $140. For a program with minimal hand-holding, that actually caused me to injure myself, there isn't any valid justification for that price tag.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: C-
* Score: 65%
* If it were a movie: ★★½
* My Feelings: "I want an exercise that doesn't break my crotch, kthx."
4.20.2010
La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant
La Fiesta Mexican restaurant is a staple of Gainesville dining. My family and I have regularly visited La Fiesta since I was young enough to pull off L.A. Lights with dignity.
Back then there was only one location, tucked away off of Newberry Rd., behind the La Quinta Inn, in the Service Merchandise strip mall.
View Larger Map
A couple of years ago they opened another location next to I-75 on 39th Ave.
View Larger Map
Both locations serve great food of the stereotypical Mexican-American variety. Free chips and salsa start things off, always a bonus at Mexican restaurants. The chips are usually pretty fresh, and the salsa is fantastic. I have heard arguments made about whether the salsa is laced with some sort of addictive agent, it's good enough to be suspicious at very least.
Their menu is fairly large, filled with exactly what you would expect at a Gainesville Mexican restaurant. There are numerous varieties of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, fajitas, flautas, quesadillas, and a handful combinations. In addition, there are regularly interesting specials and there's a section of chef's specialties as well. Prices are cheap, ranging from about $7-$13 per plate (or combination). There are also a la carte options for next to nothing. I've had a dinner for three for less than $25. That's no small feat anymore.
Illustrating the American identity of the restaurant, dishes are mild on the spicy-level by defualt, you have to ask specifically if you want something to be hot. Also, there is an absence of many traditional Mexican foods like sopes, mole dishes, and lengua as a protein option. However, their menu has something that most Mexican-American restaurants are lacking, a dedicated vegetarian section.
My fallback item has recently become the vegetarian chimichanga. A veggie chimichanga with peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. deep fried and smothered in queso sauce, served with rice and beans. I highly recommend trying something off of the veggie menu because most of those items come with veggies that aren't found in the standard meat dishes. If you're a meatetarian I suggest trying the shredded beef as your protein. It far surpasses the boring ground beef or chicken. The shredded chimichanga is a good way to go, but I'm admittedly partial to all things chimi.
The service has always been quick at La Fiesta. Most of the front-of-house staff is young, many UF or high school students. They're generally friendly and accommodating, but always running around at full speed so don't expect a dinner-show. Occasionally a large party will hold the kitchen up a bit, particularly on weeknights, but I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes to be served. Plus, they'll keep the free chips and salsa coming so you don't starve.
There isn't anything to say about the ambiance of either location. There are some stereotypical Mexican sombreros, portraits, a skirt or two, and a handful of red, white, and green flags around. It's obviously not a Disney effort, but pleasingly simple.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, good selection, veggie section, fast, tasty!
* Cons: generally pretty heavy/greasy, not authentically Mexican
Make an Assessment:
With cheap tasty food abound there is little reason to squabble. I highly recommend either La Fiesta location for a good Mexican-Amercian meal. Many Gainesville residents insist that the original location is the only true La Fiesta, but I score both with passing grades. I would never make the claim that any establishment is the "best x, y, or z" in Gainesville, but I will say that La Fiesta is my standby above all others for Mexican food.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: A
* Score: 95%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★★
* My Feelings: "La Fiesta es el primero restaurante por comiendo la cena y bebiendo las margaritas muy bonita y búsquedando por putas gordas y hablando el espanol muy guapo! Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, right?"
Back then there was only one location, tucked away off of Newberry Rd., behind the La Quinta Inn, in the Service Merchandise strip mall.
View Larger Map
A couple of years ago they opened another location next to I-75 on 39th Ave.
View Larger Map
Both locations serve great food of the stereotypical Mexican-American variety. Free chips and salsa start things off, always a bonus at Mexican restaurants. The chips are usually pretty fresh, and the salsa is fantastic. I have heard arguments made about whether the salsa is laced with some sort of addictive agent, it's good enough to be suspicious at very least.
Their menu is fairly large, filled with exactly what you would expect at a Gainesville Mexican restaurant. There are numerous varieties of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, fajitas, flautas, quesadillas, and a handful combinations. In addition, there are regularly interesting specials and there's a section of chef's specialties as well. Prices are cheap, ranging from about $7-$13 per plate (or combination). There are also a la carte options for next to nothing. I've had a dinner for three for less than $25. That's no small feat anymore.
Illustrating the American identity of the restaurant, dishes are mild on the spicy-level by defualt, you have to ask specifically if you want something to be hot. Also, there is an absence of many traditional Mexican foods like sopes, mole dishes, and lengua as a protein option. However, their menu has something that most Mexican-American restaurants are lacking, a dedicated vegetarian section.
My fallback item has recently become the vegetarian chimichanga. A veggie chimichanga with peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. deep fried and smothered in queso sauce, served with rice and beans. I highly recommend trying something off of the veggie menu because most of those items come with veggies that aren't found in the standard meat dishes. If you're a meatetarian I suggest trying the shredded beef as your protein. It far surpasses the boring ground beef or chicken. The shredded chimichanga is a good way to go, but I'm admittedly partial to all things chimi.
The service has always been quick at La Fiesta. Most of the front-of-house staff is young, many UF or high school students. They're generally friendly and accommodating, but always running around at full speed so don't expect a dinner-show. Occasionally a large party will hold the kitchen up a bit, particularly on weeknights, but I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes to be served. Plus, they'll keep the free chips and salsa coming so you don't starve.
There isn't anything to say about the ambiance of either location. There are some stereotypical Mexican sombreros, portraits, a skirt or two, and a handful of red, white, and green flags around. It's obviously not a Disney effort, but pleasingly simple.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, good selection, veggie section, fast, tasty!
* Cons: generally pretty heavy/greasy, not authentically Mexican
Make an Assessment:
With cheap tasty food abound there is little reason to squabble. I highly recommend either La Fiesta location for a good Mexican-Amercian meal. Many Gainesville residents insist that the original location is the only true La Fiesta, but I score both with passing grades. I would never make the claim that any establishment is the "best x, y, or z" in Gainesville, but I will say that La Fiesta is my standby above all others for Mexican food.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: A
* Score: 95%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★★
* My Feelings: "La Fiesta es el primero restaurante por comiendo la cena y bebiendo las margaritas muy bonita y búsquedando por putas gordas y hablando el espanol muy guapo! Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, right?"
4.16.2010
Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
A new Coheed and Cambria album came out earlier this week. Year of the Black Rainbow is the band's fifth studio effort as part of their sci-fi cycle, The Armory Wars, an entire concept discography (giant leaps beyond a mere concept album). The band brings an intriguing and entertaining record this time.
______________
**The next paragraph is for Coheed fans, or people interested in a small band history lesson. Skip to the next paragraph for more review of the album.**
The album serves as a story prequel to their other albums, and as such sparked my curiosity about what direction their sound has taken. The style of music, production, feeling, and attitude of their music has evolved significantly from their debut (Second Stage Turbine Blade, the second chapter in the series) to their second most recent release (No World For Tomorrow, the final chapter). I expected their sound to be much more reminiscent of SSTB because of the story proximity. I have long suspected that the end product of The Armory Wars would be an epic, sprawling box set to be listened to start to finish. If this were the band's intent you would expect the music to make a sensible arc. Black Rainbow throws that idea right out the window. The sound of the album is a logical (and predictable) progression of their sound, expanding upon sonic and stylistic themes they've built over the previous four albums. It in no particular way resembles any precursor to SSTB. I would say that it actually least resembles SSTB of all of their albums.
______________
Black Rainbow is a deeply layered and sonically vast album. The sound sprawls underneath heavy guitar riffs and Claudio Sanchez's characteristic high, pleasingly harmonic vocals. Coheed and Cambria return to their idiosyncratic musical style, but with twists and turns slightly different from previous albums. There is a more apparent blend of hard and soft, metal and pop through this album. To be more exact, there is a seemingly deliberate ebb and flow throughout. It took me a number of listens to pinpoint, but the balance adds a lot to this record.
Upon first listening to Black Rainbow I found myself tremendously unimpressed. Initially it sounds like the previous couple albums cut and pasted into a new environment. There aren't any stand out gems that had me headbanging in my car. There were passages through the middle and end of the album that even made me want to skip back and listen to the extremely catchy second act again (including "Guns of Summer" and the lead single "Here We Are Juggernaut").
However, I've had the album spinning non-stop at home, in the car, and on my mp3 player since Tuesday and it's growing on me with every go around. After the second listen I began humming along with some standout phrases. Immediately I identified "Guns of Summer" and "World of Lines" as great tracks. The former bringing a more progressive metal sound, the latter a more straight-forward pop influenced hard rock song complete with a sing-along chorus.
As I kept listening I realized that there are a handful of sing-along choruses here. There's enough power and energy to give rise to anthemic moments which are more catchy every time I hear them. The fun and poppy "When Skeleton's Live" and the heavier single "Here We Are Juggernaut" are the notable choruses. Coheed also returns to their unconventional take on ballads with "Pearl of the Stars" which is a listenable song, but aside from a great melodic-bluesy solo, not particularly impressive.
The most impressive feature of the album for me is Chris Pennie's drumming. I love the range of sound and tight, technical grooves that he put down here, his debut record with Coheed. The overall instrumentation of the album is impressive, and the production is great. My biggest beef with the overall sound is that it is somewhat inaccessible. I had to listen through the album before the music started to unfold for me. I appreciate the album now that I've gotten into it, but a lot of listeners will never give this album the time it needs to develop.
Another problem that I have with the album is that while it is a good album, and possibly the first Coheed album that doesn't have a lackluster track that I regularly skip through, it doesn't have any mindblowing songs. No individual track can hold a candle to tracks from their previous efforts. There's an abscence of an accessible radio/MTV-friendly hit, i.e. "A Favor House Atlantic". There's no epic on the level of "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3" or "Welcome Home". Only time and a dozen more listens will tell if it can stand up as an entire album despite missing a standout single.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: Technically impressive, excellent balance, well produced, growing on me slowly
* Cons: No amazing individual moments, moving farther from Second Stage Turbine Blade
Make an Assessment:
For me, being a Coheed fan, this is a great album with some flaws. I don't know how long this album took to write, but I wish they would have put more time into this record overall. Knowing how talented this band is, and listening to their sound mature for the past four albums, I expected to be more impressed. If you don't like previous Coheed albums this one won't change your mind. However, if you are a fan this is definitely worth buying. At the rate that I'm catching on to it in six months it might even be my favorite Coheed album.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: B
* Score: 83% (and rising)
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
* My Feelings: "The truth is relevant, but not for looooooooong."
______________
**The next paragraph is for Coheed fans, or people interested in a small band history lesson. Skip to the next paragraph for more review of the album.**
The album serves as a story prequel to their other albums, and as such sparked my curiosity about what direction their sound has taken. The style of music, production, feeling, and attitude of their music has evolved significantly from their debut (Second Stage Turbine Blade, the second chapter in the series) to their second most recent release (No World For Tomorrow, the final chapter). I expected their sound to be much more reminiscent of SSTB because of the story proximity. I have long suspected that the end product of The Armory Wars would be an epic, sprawling box set to be listened to start to finish. If this were the band's intent you would expect the music to make a sensible arc. Black Rainbow throws that idea right out the window. The sound of the album is a logical (and predictable) progression of their sound, expanding upon sonic and stylistic themes they've built over the previous four albums. It in no particular way resembles any precursor to SSTB. I would say that it actually least resembles SSTB of all of their albums.
______________
Black Rainbow is a deeply layered and sonically vast album. The sound sprawls underneath heavy guitar riffs and Claudio Sanchez's characteristic high, pleasingly harmonic vocals. Coheed and Cambria return to their idiosyncratic musical style, but with twists and turns slightly different from previous albums. There is a more apparent blend of hard and soft, metal and pop through this album. To be more exact, there is a seemingly deliberate ebb and flow throughout. It took me a number of listens to pinpoint, but the balance adds a lot to this record.
Upon first listening to Black Rainbow I found myself tremendously unimpressed. Initially it sounds like the previous couple albums cut and pasted into a new environment. There aren't any stand out gems that had me headbanging in my car. There were passages through the middle and end of the album that even made me want to skip back and listen to the extremely catchy second act again (including "Guns of Summer" and the lead single "Here We Are Juggernaut").
However, I've had the album spinning non-stop at home, in the car, and on my mp3 player since Tuesday and it's growing on me with every go around. After the second listen I began humming along with some standout phrases. Immediately I identified "Guns of Summer" and "World of Lines" as great tracks. The former bringing a more progressive metal sound, the latter a more straight-forward pop influenced hard rock song complete with a sing-along chorus.
As I kept listening I realized that there are a handful of sing-along choruses here. There's enough power and energy to give rise to anthemic moments which are more catchy every time I hear them. The fun and poppy "When Skeleton's Live" and the heavier single "Here We Are Juggernaut" are the notable choruses. Coheed also returns to their unconventional take on ballads with "Pearl of the Stars" which is a listenable song, but aside from a great melodic-bluesy solo, not particularly impressive.
The most impressive feature of the album for me is Chris Pennie's drumming. I love the range of sound and tight, technical grooves that he put down here, his debut record with Coheed. The overall instrumentation of the album is impressive, and the production is great. My biggest beef with the overall sound is that it is somewhat inaccessible. I had to listen through the album before the music started to unfold for me. I appreciate the album now that I've gotten into it, but a lot of listeners will never give this album the time it needs to develop.
Another problem that I have with the album is that while it is a good album, and possibly the first Coheed album that doesn't have a lackluster track that I regularly skip through, it doesn't have any mindblowing songs. No individual track can hold a candle to tracks from their previous efforts. There's an abscence of an accessible radio/MTV-friendly hit, i.e. "A Favor House Atlantic". There's no epic on the level of "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3" or "Welcome Home". Only time and a dozen more listens will tell if it can stand up as an entire album despite missing a standout single.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: Technically impressive, excellent balance, well produced, growing on me slowly
* Cons: No amazing individual moments, moving farther from Second Stage Turbine Blade
Make an Assessment:
For me, being a Coheed fan, this is a great album with some flaws. I don't know how long this album took to write, but I wish they would have put more time into this record overall. Knowing how talented this band is, and listening to their sound mature for the past four albums, I expected to be more impressed. If you don't like previous Coheed albums this one won't change your mind. However, if you are a fan this is definitely worth buying. At the rate that I'm catching on to it in six months it might even be my favorite Coheed album.
Overall Review Score:
* Grade: B
* Score: 83% (and rising)
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
* My Feelings: "The truth is relevant, but not for looooooooong."
4.12.2010
Ernie Ball Slinky Guitar Strings
Ernie Ball strings are classic. These strings are the all-purpose answer to the eternal question: which guitar strings should I buy? For scarcely a tuppence any Joe can grab a good set of reliable strings that sound crisp. After a couple years of slacking off on guitar playing, and hussing around town with house strings from wherever I happened to be shopping, I just restrung two asian-made strat imposters and a 40 year old Yamaha acoustic all with different Slinkys, and each one sounds great.
I used a set of Regular Slinkys on one strat, and Super Slinkys on the other. Both sound good, but I think I'll opt for Hybrid Slinkys on my next string change because I like the thin tops (.009-.016) of the Super and the crunchier bottoms (.026-.046) of the Regular. On the Yamaha I opted for the Acoustic Light version of the Slinky 80/20 (copper/zinc) which range .011-.052.
All three guitars sound tremendously better than they did with dead, gnarly, rusty strings, and all three control tuning and intonation much tighter than before. The biggest difference is on the acoustic. With ridiculously high action it is probably the most difficult guitar to fret notes on that I've ever played. The overall playability of the guitar has been improved TREMENDOUSLY. I don't all-caps often, so you know I mean business.
The only problem I've had with Ernie Ball strings is that they don't last forever. I've played strings with better tone that were more temperamental, and lasted for less than a week before losing their punch. I've also had strings that hold out for months on end without giving up, but sound like cadavers compared to Slinkys.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, high-quality
* Cons: short-ish life
Make an Assessment:
Great for beginners or pros alike, these strings are affordable and always worth the $5 (or less). These strings have proven their value for a long time. No, they won't last forever, but instead of buying strings that will last three times as long for five times the $, just pick up numerous sets of Slinkys and change them at will. I will probably continue to play on these strings until I'm told otherwise by a real guitarist with another suggestion. If Slinkys are good enough for Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy then they're definitely good enough for me and anyone reading this review.
Overall Review Score (I haven't figured out how I want to do this yet):
* Grade: A
* Score: 92%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★½
* My Feelings: "Oh yeah, blistered fingers! I remember this feeling from when I actually played music."
I used a set of Regular Slinkys on one strat, and Super Slinkys on the other. Both sound good, but I think I'll opt for Hybrid Slinkys on my next string change because I like the thin tops (.009-.016) of the Super and the crunchier bottoms (.026-.046) of the Regular. On the Yamaha I opted for the Acoustic Light version of the Slinky 80/20 (copper/zinc) which range .011-.052.
All three guitars sound tremendously better than they did with dead, gnarly, rusty strings, and all three control tuning and intonation much tighter than before. The biggest difference is on the acoustic. With ridiculously high action it is probably the most difficult guitar to fret notes on that I've ever played. The overall playability of the guitar has been improved TREMENDOUSLY. I don't all-caps often, so you know I mean business.
The only problem I've had with Ernie Ball strings is that they don't last forever. I've played strings with better tone that were more temperamental, and lasted for less than a week before losing their punch. I've also had strings that hold out for months on end without giving up, but sound like cadavers compared to Slinkys.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, high-quality
* Cons: short-ish life
Make an Assessment:
Great for beginners or pros alike, these strings are affordable and always worth the $5 (or less). These strings have proven their value for a long time. No, they won't last forever, but instead of buying strings that will last three times as long for five times the $, just pick up numerous sets of Slinkys and change them at will. I will probably continue to play on these strings until I'm told otherwise by a real guitarist with another suggestion. If Slinkys are good enough for Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy then they're definitely good enough for me and anyone reading this review.
Overall Review Score (I haven't figured out how I want to do this yet):
* Grade: A
* Score: 92%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★½
* My Feelings: "Oh yeah, blistered fingers! I remember this feeling from when I actually played music."
4.10.2010
Little Jake Mitchell and The Soul Searchers - Common Grounds 4/09
The highlight of the evening was without a doubt Little Jake Mitchell and The Soul Searchers (Facebook, myspace). This R&B group brings the noise, and keeps it funky. I can't say that I've seen a solid Soul act in a long while, so I was happily surprised.
This Gainesville based 8-piece brought bluesy, funky, legit soul to Common Grounds, the likes of which I didn't know existed in our small town. They seemed like a fun-loving, high energy, motley bunch of guys brought together by the groove. I am really curious to see these guys perform again, as they may be my new favorite current Gainesville band.
You can check them out next weekend (Sunday, April 18th) at the 5th Ave. Arts Festival. The festival will be going Saturday and Sunday so come out and enjoy some real Gainesville culture, but be sure to catch Little Jake.
Before ending this brief review/plug I'll also give due recognition to Heavy Petty. I'm not a fan of cover bands in general, but every once in a while a group comes together right, and that's what Heavy Petty had going tonight. They definitely had fun, and the crowd was really digging them. I'll be busting out Damn the Torpedoes tomorrow along with my dusty soul/funk catalogue.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: great music
* Cons: expensive drinks
Make an Assessment:
*This review needs no assessment or scores, just go see Little Jake and the Soul Searchers and kick it with a tasty groove.
Overall Review Scores:
see above assessment
* My Feelings: "If you feel good say 'yeah!'--'yeeeeaaaaahhhhh!'"
4.02.2010
Gefaf: Water Night Shorts
The First Annual Gainesville Environmental Film & Arts Festival 2010 (GEFAF) took place at the Hippodrome State Theatre March 19-28. The event included 18 environmental film screenings, gallery events, guided nature outings, and eco-film related discussion forums. The Hippodrome State Theatre and GoGreenNation.org collaborated to present the festival.
March 22 is World Water Day, and at the festival all the events of the evening all focused on--yes, you guessed it, water. There was a water tasting, a screening of the fantastic St. John's River documentary The River Returns by Wes Skiles, and a screening of a series of shorts with a directors Q&A. I attended the water shorts screening and Q&A session that followed. There were three shorts featured together, each one highlighting a different aspect of water pollution or misuse. Two of the three directors were in attendance, which added greatly to the screenings.
The first short shown was The Phosphate Dilemma by Lakeland native filmmaker Carter Lord. The film explores phosphate mining in the Peace River watershed in Hardee County, Southwest Florida. The film was put together on a shoestring budget by a tiny group of extremely concerned Hardee County locals. The simplicity of the film is apparent. There aren't any bells or whistles, no shiny special effects. What the film does have plenty of is aerial photography of a ravaged landscape. From up in a helicopter the magnitude of damage to the formerly beautiful Floridian habitat is clear. In creating a case against phosphate strip mining the film is effective. It presents an easy to understand tale of a major corporation buying up land and local politicos to turn a profit at the expense of the environment and the well-being of proximal residents. Despite the abundance of shaky-cam footage and lack of polish this film is both poignant and entertaining.
After the screening Director Carter Lord introduced himself and pleaded the case of his organization 3PR (People For Protecting Peace River Inc.). After apologizing for the simplicity of the film he answered audience questions and dipped a little farther into the mining company's process of exportation (domestic and international) of the phosphate end product. He then begged us all to join and/or support their organization. The group is small now, but they know there is power in numbers so they're currently trying to spread their word as much as possible. The entire film can be viewed and more information on phosphate mining can be found at ProtectPeaceRiver.org.
The second short screened was Born Sweet by director/producer Cynthia Wade. It recounts the heartbreaking tragedy of arsenic poisoning that has affected over 2 million people in Southeast Asia. Following a young Cambodian arsenic-poisoning sufferer named Vinh and his family, the film paints a desperate portrait. One Cambodian organization is shown to be working to fix the problem and raise awareness through the universally appreciated art of karaoke. The pathos level of the film is intrinsically high. I was on the verge of tears a couple of times during the screening. The film is very well made and very entertaining. It seeks to raise awareness about global access to clean water (or lack thereof). I found it to be the most effective of the three shorts that were screened. Born Sweet had a run at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and even won an Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking. The official website for the film (with a list of screenings), and a link to the organization helping villages like Vinh's, can be found at bornsweetfilm.com.
The last of the three shorts shown was Gimme Green by UF's Doc Film Institute grads Isaac Brown and Eric Flagg. Gimme Green uses a great sense of humor to illustrate the absurdity of America's "obsession with the residential lawn". The film has toured the festival film circuit for the past few years and has earned numerous awards. The message is clear from the outset, people obsessed with lawns are nutty and maintaining a residential lawn at the expense of citizen safety is even nuttier. There is plenty of information and support for pointing out the problems addressed in the film, but there isn't as much support for solutions or alternatives to residential lawnscaping. Artificial turf is shown to be an unrealistic, impractical alternative to sod. One natural Florida-native yard is shown, but little else is mentioned. A more dedicated passage about realistic, enviromentally-friendly alternatives would have increased the effectiveness of the film greatly. Despite it's flaws Gimme Green is both captivating and entertaining.
Director Eric Flagg was on hand to entertain audience questions and give general insight about the film. Flagg seemed a down-to-earth and funny filmmaker, leaving me looking forward to his future projects. An employee of the UF/IFAS Extension added more about solutions to our lawn obsession (to start check out their website, solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu). Gimmegreen.com is the official website of Gimme Green, and the film can be viewed entirely online here.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, good entertainment, properly focused documentary shorts
* Cons: none to mention
Make an Assessment:
I had a good time at GEFAF, and on the Water Shorts Night as well. I recommend that anyone in Gainesville check out GEFAF next year. With tickets at $5 a pop you're in for a good cheap date. I also recommend that anyone outside of Gainesville who has an opportunity to attend a screening of any of these three shorts do so. The Phosphate Dilemma and Gimme Green can both be viewed online, so that's a good alternative for anyone who can't make a screening. I personally think everyone in America should make themselves watch a handful of American documentaries to support the spirit of documentary filmmaking and to raise individual awareness of issues that affect people here at home and around the world. You may even learn something!
Overall Review Scores:
The Phosphate Dilemma
* If it were a movie: ★★★
Born Sweet
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
Gimme Green
* If it were a movie: ★★★
March 22 is World Water Day, and at the festival all the events of the evening all focused on--yes, you guessed it, water. There was a water tasting, a screening of the fantastic St. John's River documentary The River Returns by Wes Skiles, and a screening of a series of shorts with a directors Q&A. I attended the water shorts screening and Q&A session that followed. There were three shorts featured together, each one highlighting a different aspect of water pollution or misuse. Two of the three directors were in attendance, which added greatly to the screenings.
The first short shown was The Phosphate Dilemma by Lakeland native filmmaker Carter Lord. The film explores phosphate mining in the Peace River watershed in Hardee County, Southwest Florida. The film was put together on a shoestring budget by a tiny group of extremely concerned Hardee County locals. The simplicity of the film is apparent. There aren't any bells or whistles, no shiny special effects. What the film does have plenty of is aerial photography of a ravaged landscape. From up in a helicopter the magnitude of damage to the formerly beautiful Floridian habitat is clear. In creating a case against phosphate strip mining the film is effective. It presents an easy to understand tale of a major corporation buying up land and local politicos to turn a profit at the expense of the environment and the well-being of proximal residents. Despite the abundance of shaky-cam footage and lack of polish this film is both poignant and entertaining.
After the screening Director Carter Lord introduced himself and pleaded the case of his organization 3PR (People For Protecting Peace River Inc.). After apologizing for the simplicity of the film he answered audience questions and dipped a little farther into the mining company's process of exportation (domestic and international) of the phosphate end product. He then begged us all to join and/or support their organization. The group is small now, but they know there is power in numbers so they're currently trying to spread their word as much as possible. The entire film can be viewed and more information on phosphate mining can be found at ProtectPeaceRiver.org.
The second short screened was Born Sweet by director/producer Cynthia Wade. It recounts the heartbreaking tragedy of arsenic poisoning that has affected over 2 million people in Southeast Asia. Following a young Cambodian arsenic-poisoning sufferer named Vinh and his family, the film paints a desperate portrait. One Cambodian organization is shown to be working to fix the problem and raise awareness through the universally appreciated art of karaoke. The pathos level of the film is intrinsically high. I was on the verge of tears a couple of times during the screening. The film is very well made and very entertaining. It seeks to raise awareness about global access to clean water (or lack thereof). I found it to be the most effective of the three shorts that were screened. Born Sweet had a run at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and even won an Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking. The official website for the film (with a list of screenings), and a link to the organization helping villages like Vinh's, can be found at bornsweetfilm.com.
The last of the three shorts shown was Gimme Green by UF's Doc Film Institute grads Isaac Brown and Eric Flagg. Gimme Green uses a great sense of humor to illustrate the absurdity of America's "obsession with the residential lawn". The film has toured the festival film circuit for the past few years and has earned numerous awards. The message is clear from the outset, people obsessed with lawns are nutty and maintaining a residential lawn at the expense of citizen safety is even nuttier. There is plenty of information and support for pointing out the problems addressed in the film, but there isn't as much support for solutions or alternatives to residential lawnscaping. Artificial turf is shown to be an unrealistic, impractical alternative to sod. One natural Florida-native yard is shown, but little else is mentioned. A more dedicated passage about realistic, enviromentally-friendly alternatives would have increased the effectiveness of the film greatly. Despite it's flaws Gimme Green is both captivating and entertaining.
Director Eric Flagg was on hand to entertain audience questions and give general insight about the film. Flagg seemed a down-to-earth and funny filmmaker, leaving me looking forward to his future projects. An employee of the UF/IFAS Extension added more about solutions to our lawn obsession (to start check out their website, solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu). Gimmegreen.com is the official website of Gimme Green, and the film can be viewed entirely online here.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, good entertainment, properly focused documentary shorts
* Cons: none to mention
Make an Assessment:
I had a good time at GEFAF, and on the Water Shorts Night as well. I recommend that anyone in Gainesville check out GEFAF next year. With tickets at $5 a pop you're in for a good cheap date. I also recommend that anyone outside of Gainesville who has an opportunity to attend a screening of any of these three shorts do so. The Phosphate Dilemma and Gimme Green can both be viewed online, so that's a good alternative for anyone who can't make a screening. I personally think everyone in America should make themselves watch a handful of American documentaries to support the spirit of documentary filmmaking and to raise individual awareness of issues that affect people here at home and around the world. You may even learn something!
Overall Review Scores:
The Phosphate Dilemma
* If it were a movie: ★★★
Born Sweet
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
Gimme Green
* If it were a movie: ★★★
4.01.2010
Zéfal Toe-Clips 43 (with mt. christophe straps)
I recently started biking around town for fun, to get some exercise, and as a primary means of conveyance to avoid the crockery of having to pay for gas all the time. Oh yeah, and greenhouse gases are bad too. Since I started riding more frequently I've been continuously planning the next way I can pimp my ride. My most recent acquisition is a set of toe clips.
My local bike shop guy steered me in the direction of Zéfal 43 Toe Clips (with straps) as a cheap and easy way to try the toe-clip setup. So far I'm happy with the decision. For roughly $15 I'm able to ride farther, faster, for longer. I'd say overall I get an extra few miles out of the same amount of expended energy during any normal ride.
The installation of the clips was simple. Snap a reflector off, line it up, slap 2 screws in, strap on, and roll. The clips don't fit like a glove on my wonky 30 year old steel pedals, but they're close enough to function properly, and they probably fit well on most modern pedals (especially native French like the clips themselves).
The clips came with some very simple instructions not only for installation, but also for how to properly use them. After about 5 minutes of practicing adjusting the straps on a short ride I was able to strap in properly and get off the pedals without falling over. The Zéfal 43s are well made, with a good strap system that is easy to tighten and loosen on the fly. So far I haven't had a single "stuck in pedal-falling over" incident.
I've been repeatedly advised to move up to a clipless pedal setup, but I'm not ready to commit to an expensive pedal and shoe system. My main beef with going clipless is that it will be inconvenient for commuting. If I'm running errands and spending time off of the bike it will mean constantly carrying around a pair of regular shoes in addition to my clipless shoes. To this end, my new toe clips are the perfect compromise.
However, there are two major faults of these toe clips. Firstly, they are made of "technopolymer," a.k.a. plastic, which means that they probably won't last forever. They're better than Chinese dollar store plastic, but far from indestructible. I have scraped each clip on the ground a couple times, leaving noticeable scars already. I foresee myself investing in some slightly more expensive clips in the future, made of a more asphalt-resistant material of course. Secondly, using toe clips at all puts any cyclists under the age of 50 at risk of being seriously ripped on. There are many many toe clip haters laying in wait in dark corners. I've gotten a couple looks, but I can't attribute the odd scoffs to any one part of my goofy bicycle riding getup.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: Cheap, easy to install/adjust, makes casual and commuter riding more efficient
* Cons: Plastic-y, hater fuel
Make an Assessment:
If you currently ride with any frequency at all and still practice the flat naked pedal style, get some of these. They will improve your overall riding efficiency once you get used to them. It is certainly the quickest and easiest way that I've been able to squeeze more juice out of my Schwinn cycle fruit.
Overall Review Scores:
* Grade:B
* Score: 88%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
* My Feelings: "My feet are going nowhere! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'm on a bike beeeee-atch!"
My local bike shop guy steered me in the direction of Zéfal 43 Toe Clips (with straps) as a cheap and easy way to try the toe-clip setup. So far I'm happy with the decision. For roughly $15 I'm able to ride farther, faster, for longer. I'd say overall I get an extra few miles out of the same amount of expended energy during any normal ride.
The installation of the clips was simple. Snap a reflector off, line it up, slap 2 screws in, strap on, and roll. The clips don't fit like a glove on my wonky 30 year old steel pedals, but they're close enough to function properly, and they probably fit well on most modern pedals (especially native French like the clips themselves).
The clips came with some very simple instructions not only for installation, but also for how to properly use them. After about 5 minutes of practicing adjusting the straps on a short ride I was able to strap in properly and get off the pedals without falling over. The Zéfal 43s are well made, with a good strap system that is easy to tighten and loosen on the fly. So far I haven't had a single "stuck in pedal-falling over" incident.
I've been repeatedly advised to move up to a clipless pedal setup, but I'm not ready to commit to an expensive pedal and shoe system. My main beef with going clipless is that it will be inconvenient for commuting. If I'm running errands and spending time off of the bike it will mean constantly carrying around a pair of regular shoes in addition to my clipless shoes. To this end, my new toe clips are the perfect compromise.
However, there are two major faults of these toe clips. Firstly, they are made of "technopolymer," a.k.a. plastic, which means that they probably won't last forever. They're better than Chinese dollar store plastic, but far from indestructible. I have scraped each clip on the ground a couple times, leaving noticeable scars already. I foresee myself investing in some slightly more expensive clips in the future, made of a more asphalt-resistant material of course. Secondly, using toe clips at all puts any cyclists under the age of 50 at risk of being seriously ripped on. There are many many toe clip haters laying in wait in dark corners. I've gotten a couple looks, but I can't attribute the odd scoffs to any one part of my goofy bicycle riding getup.
______________
The skinny:
* Pros: Cheap, easy to install/adjust, makes casual and commuter riding more efficient
* Cons: Plastic-y, hater fuel
Make an Assessment:
If you currently ride with any frequency at all and still practice the flat naked pedal style, get some of these. They will improve your overall riding efficiency once you get used to them. It is certainly the quickest and easiest way that I've been able to squeeze more juice out of my Schwinn cycle fruit.
Overall Review Scores:
* Grade:B
* Score: 88%
* If it were a movie: ★★★★
* My Feelings: "My feet are going nowhere! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'm on a bike beeeee-atch!"
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