Nobody reads this anyways but TSC is officially dead, killed in a discussion with JD. Do not expect anything to be posted further on this site. This site will remain archived on the internet as a testament to the continued failure of TSC.
Where does the fault of this failure lie? Does it lie with me? JD? The mysterious Oni-Tan who hasn't posted anything on this site since its creation? JD has written consistently for this blog when it was running, so its not his fault. We never really expected Oni-Tan to contribute, so its not his fault either. So that leaves me. I'll take the blame. Unfortunately, I lack the motivation and the writing skills to properly contribute to such a collaboration. So I apologise.
I will be starting a new blog for myself and no other. I can now be found at RandyTheBlog. So here's hoping that I'll do better there than here.
Good Bye and Good Luck!
The End...?
Monday, September 5, 2011
Monday, May 3, 2010
Games That Have Aged Well
Throwing out a new topic... Spurred by this 1Up article, I was curious to see what games I feel that future generations would be able to pick up and play from the olden days of gaming (say, Atari/arcades through N64/PSX/Saturn) and be able to adjust right in. It's a challenging topic, so I tried to avoid some obvious favorites (like beat em ups and hardcore platformers), and nothing recent as who know how much next gen will advance by? It might even make PS2 era games look worse! Who knows?
I'll choose 12 like the 1Up list.
12. ActRaiser
Beautiful, mindblowing, and gorgeous even now, ActRaiser will most likely continue to impress gamers even decades from it's initial SNES launch release. (Can you believe this was only a launch game?)
11. Donkey Kong Country series
Because let's face it, all three games have the same basic mechanics even if they have different levels of quality. People will still be able to jump into all 3 and enjoy them for what they are. Even if they might not like the third one quite as much.
10. Mega Man 2 and 3
While I could again list the series, the first game is not quite polished enough and the later games are merely more of the same (though they should be played), I have a feeling these two will continue to be used as examples for why the NES was such a great console, and that's because they still remain fun to this day.
9. Chrono Trigger
The "jRPG for people who don't like jRPGs" is still a classic to this day. It might have something to do with the bright and beautiful graphics and engaging story, but I would just assume that a classic always remains a classic. Just like a film.
8. Final Fantasy VI
Before Square became obsessed with being a movie house, FFVI was the game that showed off the potential for the genre with many great characters, battles, and memorable story moments.
7. Gunstar Heroes
High octane shoot em up action with a bit of beat em up for good measure. I busted this out with a few friends around last year and we had a blast (they had never even played it before) and even made it all the way to the end. Dynamic, and flashy, this game is and will always be a classic.
6. Mega Man X1 and X2
A bit more flashy than the old school series, but with a faster pace and more secrets, these games are the peak of action gaming and still remain great today. Later games are bit too convoluted to match up to these two, but are almost as great.
5. Super Metroid
The ONLY thing about this game that sucks is the wall jumping. Everything else is perfection. Anyone can still jump in and have a blast.
4. River City Ransom
Jump in and start wailing, buy stuff and get stronger. Die and just go back to the previous town. It's simple but has deceptive depth that will get most gamers stuck in it.
3. Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis Trilogy (1, 2, and 3K)
1 is missing a few of 2's enhancements, but is still perfectly playable today. All three complete games are some of the most absolute perfect platforming that can be had in gaming. Still highly regarded today.
2. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The distillation of everything that makes Zelda great in one gorgeous 2D package that beginners can sink their teeth into and vets still find engaging years later, this set the template for the rest of the series and deservedly so. In fact, I think I'm going to play it in a bit...
1. 2D Super Mario (Super Mario Bros. 1 through Yoshi's Island)
Yes, Yoshi's Island can be disputed, but I will include it because there are points you play as Mario. There isn't a single 2D Mario game that someone can't jump into and have a blast, and that's because of Miyamoto's genius design decisions. One of the few games that newbies still find engaging even after their 30th death and vets still adore on their 30th playthrough, the 2D Mario games are constantly debated over their greatness, one thing that remains is that they're all instantly accessible and have aged masterfully. True masterpieces.
I'll choose 12 like the 1Up list.
12. ActRaiser
Beautiful, mindblowing, and gorgeous even now, ActRaiser will most likely continue to impress gamers even decades from it's initial SNES launch release. (Can you believe this was only a launch game?)
11. Donkey Kong Country series
Because let's face it, all three games have the same basic mechanics even if they have different levels of quality. People will still be able to jump into all 3 and enjoy them for what they are. Even if they might not like the third one quite as much.
10. Mega Man 2 and 3
While I could again list the series, the first game is not quite polished enough and the later games are merely more of the same (though they should be played), I have a feeling these two will continue to be used as examples for why the NES was such a great console, and that's because they still remain fun to this day.
9. Chrono Trigger
The "jRPG for people who don't like jRPGs" is still a classic to this day. It might have something to do with the bright and beautiful graphics and engaging story, but I would just assume that a classic always remains a classic. Just like a film.
8. Final Fantasy VI
Before Square became obsessed with being a movie house, FFVI was the game that showed off the potential for the genre with many great characters, battles, and memorable story moments.
7. Gunstar Heroes
High octane shoot em up action with a bit of beat em up for good measure. I busted this out with a few friends around last year and we had a blast (they had never even played it before) and even made it all the way to the end. Dynamic, and flashy, this game is and will always be a classic.
6. Mega Man X1 and X2
A bit more flashy than the old school series, but with a faster pace and more secrets, these games are the peak of action gaming and still remain great today. Later games are bit too convoluted to match up to these two, but are almost as great.
5. Super Metroid
The ONLY thing about this game that sucks is the wall jumping. Everything else is perfection. Anyone can still jump in and have a blast.
4. River City Ransom
Jump in and start wailing, buy stuff and get stronger. Die and just go back to the previous town. It's simple but has deceptive depth that will get most gamers stuck in it.
3. Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis Trilogy (1, 2, and 3K)
1 is missing a few of 2's enhancements, but is still perfectly playable today. All three complete games are some of the most absolute perfect platforming that can be had in gaming. Still highly regarded today.
2. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The distillation of everything that makes Zelda great in one gorgeous 2D package that beginners can sink their teeth into and vets still find engaging years later, this set the template for the rest of the series and deservedly so. In fact, I think I'm going to play it in a bit...
1. 2D Super Mario (Super Mario Bros. 1 through Yoshi's Island)
Yes, Yoshi's Island can be disputed, but I will include it because there are points you play as Mario. There isn't a single 2D Mario game that someone can't jump into and have a blast, and that's because of Miyamoto's genius design decisions. One of the few games that newbies still find engaging even after their 30th death and vets still adore on their 30th playthrough, the 2D Mario games are constantly debated over their greatness, one thing that remains is that they're all instantly accessible and have aged masterfully. True masterpieces.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Dark Void is a missed opportunity.
Man.
Dark Void was awesome.
For like the first 1/3 of the game.
Once you get the jetpack, all the unique aspects are thrown out the window for generic flying and shooting with a by the numbers predictable plot. What it needed to do was keep the mysterious island exploration feel the first third of the game had, with the proto-jetpack for a boost jump. It had plenty of fun vertical shooting, interesting platforming, and was all around fun. I was all about to name it this years Bionic Commando...
But then you get the jetpack and it isn't used very uniquely. In fact after the first set piece with it (flying through bases and through a deep tunnel), it quickly loses it's charm because it becomes overused fast.
The second third of the game becomes a generic shooter with little to no vertical shooting or platforming, the story gets bogged down, and the stupid escort missions begin. While that's all very generic, it's not really bad. In fact, that's one thing I can say positively about Dark Void is that it never gets bad.
But it does come close in the final third. When you have to protect this flying Death Egg known as The Ark which soaks up bullets like a dry sponge and you basically dogfight over and over for giant stretches of time without even a hint of level design. Thankfully it quickly changes so that you are stripped of your jetpack, or it would get real monotonous real fast. It all ends rather deserving. A final boss fight that's kind of cool but fizzles out as it is simply too easy (even on "Hardcore" mode), which is a nice summation of the game.
Dark Void is a fun game but makes some really dumb design decisions tat hamper the experience. Why not make the jet pack change modes for levels? Like in Star Fox, make it have a free range mode for simple flying and a simple "boost jump" for platforming in areas. Why not keep the mystery of the location a secret for a bit longer? It helps the story and keeps the game from looking less brown and gray (which is a real issue in the rest of the game) How about NOT giving the escort missions at all? Or at least removing the stupid health bars. How about limiting flying and shooting like the first 1/3 of the game and making them feel more welcome when they happen? It really helps the pacing.
Like I said, it's a fun game that has so many head scratching decisions that I just can't recommend it unless you're buying out of the bargain bin. It's too bad Airtight won't get a second opportunity to expand on the concept, if given the chance they could make a classic out of Dark Void. As it is right now, it just screams of a missed opportunity to me.
Dark Void was awesome.
For like the first 1/3 of the game.
Once you get the jetpack, all the unique aspects are thrown out the window for generic flying and shooting with a by the numbers predictable plot. What it needed to do was keep the mysterious island exploration feel the first third of the game had, with the proto-jetpack for a boost jump. It had plenty of fun vertical shooting, interesting platforming, and was all around fun. I was all about to name it this years Bionic Commando...
But then you get the jetpack and it isn't used very uniquely. In fact after the first set piece with it (flying through bases and through a deep tunnel), it quickly loses it's charm because it becomes overused fast.
The second third of the game becomes a generic shooter with little to no vertical shooting or platforming, the story gets bogged down, and the stupid escort missions begin. While that's all very generic, it's not really bad. In fact, that's one thing I can say positively about Dark Void is that it never gets bad.
But it does come close in the final third. When you have to protect this flying Death Egg known as The Ark which soaks up bullets like a dry sponge and you basically dogfight over and over for giant stretches of time without even a hint of level design. Thankfully it quickly changes so that you are stripped of your jetpack, or it would get real monotonous real fast. It all ends rather deserving. A final boss fight that's kind of cool but fizzles out as it is simply too easy (even on "Hardcore" mode), which is a nice summation of the game.
Dark Void is a fun game but makes some really dumb design decisions tat hamper the experience. Why not make the jet pack change modes for levels? Like in Star Fox, make it have a free range mode for simple flying and a simple "boost jump" for platforming in areas. Why not keep the mystery of the location a secret for a bit longer? It helps the story and keeps the game from looking less brown and gray (which is a real issue in the rest of the game) How about NOT giving the escort missions at all? Or at least removing the stupid health bars. How about limiting flying and shooting like the first 1/3 of the game and making them feel more welcome when they happen? It really helps the pacing.
Like I said, it's a fun game that has so many head scratching decisions that I just can't recommend it unless you're buying out of the bargain bin. It's too bad Airtight won't get a second opportunity to expand on the concept, if given the chance they could make a classic out of Dark Void. As it is right now, it just screams of a missed opportunity to me.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Top 10 Underrated Ska Albums
I hope you'll forgive the extremely formal tone of this post as I wasn't up to do any serious writing here. Or even less light than usual, anyway. This was just for a fun rant. So pardon if some terms don't make any sense.
To build on a recent ska kick of mine, I thought I'd make a post where I list ten albums that are probably not listed very often by critics (lol ska + critics) or only brought up by ska fans to prove how great their obscure taste is (I tend to think they never even listened to the albums when they do, though), but tend to get overlooked since heavy hitters from the 90s are still around like Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake as well as other bands like Streetlight Manifesto and the serious ska bands that have tended to co-opt the genre unintentionally for many other likeminded bands.
I'm not going to put numbers because I consider these all classics and are all well worth listening to. If you want to find these, most of these bands are broken up so you might as well download them. Just go to google and search with 'band name - mediafire' and you'll most likely find them.
Anyway, gibberish over, here's my list:
Spring Heeled Jack - Songs From Suburbia
1. Mass Appeal Madness – 3:06
2. Jolene – 3:09
3. Beggin' – 4:03
4. Pop Song (Green) – 2:06
5. Waiting, Watching – 2:40
6. Tied Up – 3:41
7. MCMLIX (1959) – 3:31
8. Where I Belong – 3:33
9. Makisupa Policeman – 3:27
10. Time – 2:53
11. Morning Sun – 3:35
12. Man of Tomorrow – 3:40
Fuck this band for breaking up. Seriously, how the fuck can you drop a classic like this and just break up. Such squandered opportunity. Though personally I think Pop Song and Time could have been left off simply for not reaching the rest of the albums glorious heights, and my favorite SHJ song (Pay Some Dues) isn't on the album, this is pretty much as perfect as ska can get. I know being on a shitty record label killed this album and all, but the fact that Beggin' is not a radio staple is just insane. In my opinion, this is up there with the Specials, One Step Beyond, and whatever other ska classics you can think up.
Potshot - Pots & Shots
1. We Are Potshot 1:06
2. Someone to Lean On 2:26
3. Radio 1:49
4. Handle 2:35
5. Time 2:49
6. Since Yesterday 1:46
7. Anytime 2:33
8. Clear 2:35
9. Under the Blue Sky 3:00
10. Tears of a Clown 1:06
11. In Hi-Fi 2:27
12. Not Worth Your While But Worth My Life 2:49
13. Mexico 3:15
14. Change 3:40
As stated before, this is the absolute pinnacle of the style of ska punk. Every song is full of explosive energy, the songs all have extremely careful construction (something Potshot only ever achieved one more time on Til I Die) and will all get you singing along even if you don't understand what the heck they're saying. Just listen to Anytime for the single best ska punk song ever written. This is the best ska punk album ever written as merging the absolute pure core of the two styles together could possibly ever achieve. If you're not hooked by Someone To Lean On, you're hopeless.
Dancehall Crashers - Honey I'm Homely
1. Lost Again
2. Will Tomorrow Ever Come
3. All Mine
4. Salted
5. Next To You
6. I Want It All
7. Elvis & Me
8. Whisky & Gin
9. Cold Shower
10. Last Laugh
11. Mr. Blue
12. Stand By
13. The Truth About Me
14. Big Mouth
15. Over Again
I can't fucking believe I have to list this. But no one remembers this album anymore. To be fair, this is the band's fault for literally vanishing from existence, after making such great albums like this one. Another band that should have been huge but just wasn't for no apparent reason, this is about as pop as ska has been since Madness came out. If you haven't heard this yet, you might as well get on that right now.
The Pietasters - Willis
1. "Crazy Monkey Woman" – 2:38
2. "Out All Night" – 3:16
3. "Ocean" – 3:38
4. "Fat Sack" – 2:40
5. "Stone Feeling" – 4:06
6. "Higher" – 4:45
7. "Time Won't Let Me" – 3:06
8. "Without You" – 3:23
9. "Crime" – 5:02
10. "Quicksand" – 2:46
11. "Bitter" – 3:53
12. "New Breed" – 2:59
13. "Moment" – 3:45
The meeting point of ska, rock n roll, and classic soul music. This is the peak of this band (though Turbo was brilliant) and such a unique sound they've never quite recaptured with the pure passion and energy of Willis. Everything they did before was just a warm up for this, which is a complement since their early stuff is actually awesome, too. Now I know why this album isn't well known, it's simply because it's two niche styles on this album that never seem intersect with each other normally outside of this band and unfairly quarantines it to be a niche album. But listen to this fucking album and have your fucking brains blown out by it. I know I still rock out to this one. It's on HellCat, so at least it's easily available.
Assorted Jellybeans - What's Really Going On!?!
1. "Contordations" - 1:37
2. "Wiggerside" - 3:03
3. "The Rhythm" - 1:53
4. "Juttered" - 2:38
5. "Loadie Mission" - 1:57
6. "Booshduckdow" - 2:32
7. "Rebel Yell" - 2:39
8. "Entry Level Positions" - 2:17
9. "Dead Neighbors" - 3:34
10. "Parents" - 3:09
11. "I'm Out" - 2:11
12. "Instrumental" - 3:29
13. "3 Chords" - 1:59
14. "Loadie Mission" (Reprise) - 1:57
A really weird step forward for ska and punk, a trippy, hilarious, and sometimes forward thinking (but not overly serious or nihilistic) album by a band that left too early. Yes they're back again, but unfortunately, no one seems to care. But this album is truly unique and has to be ingested to be understood. Every song has this weird construction to it where parts sort of change into other parts fast and hard, but only begin to make sense with a lot of listening. Ignore the shitty art (Kung Fu Records has always been full of bands with shitty artwork, not to mention distribution and pricing) and listen to the sounds within. It's also one of the few punk albums that can be remixed and still sound totally right.
Billy The Spikes - In The City
1 - Opening
2 - Confidence
3 - Down Beat Alley
4 - Black Boots
5 - Go Beast
6 - Confusion
7 - Dog Was Dead
8 - Liberty
9 - Spikey Billy
10 - Be In A Real Pinch
11 - In The City
12 - Toys For Dragon
Yes, I mention these guys a lot, but with good reason. The heart of rockabilly and ska are well alive in this band (who after only one EP after this broke up... Dammit...) with some of the best sounds to come out of a slap bass before Chris Cheney forgot how to write fucking songs, and one hell of a horn section. If you're not won over by Black Boots, Dog Was Dead (One of the best ska songs ever actually, thanks for asking) or the killer rockabilly romp of Spikey Billy, then go fuck yourself. We have nothing to discuss.
The Hippos - Forget The World
1 "Far Behind"
2 "Please"
3 "When Will I Learn"
4 "Diane"
5 "Don't Worry"
6 "Celebrate"
7 "Irie"
8 "Asleep at the Wheel"
9 "So Lonely"
10 "Rock 'n' Roll"
11 "Forget the World"
Another band that is forgotten because of it's own decisions. Another 90s ska/punk classic, while they followed up with a decidedly less ska album, this album still has it's unique touches and is pretty fucking rocking in all honestly. My love of Please and When Will I Learn (great lyrics) are untouched for this band. Unfortunately, this album suffered from some shitty distribution as well as the band quickly abandoning this style (and after their follow up, abandoning good music) leads this to be the poster child for what happens when you abandon what you're good at simply to gain credibility doing 'serious music'. In other words, it's a dead end. Still, forgotten band, even more forgotten album.
The English Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
1. "Mirror in the Bathroom" – 3:10
2. "Hands Off...She's Mine" – 3:01
3. "Two Swords" – 2:19
4. "Twist & Crawl" – 2:35
5. "Rough Rider" – 4:52
6. "Click Click" – 1:28
7. "Big Shot" – 2:34
8. "Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret" – 3:51
9. "Noise in This World" – 2:19
10. "Can't Get Used to Losing You" – 3:04
11. "Best Friend" – 3:01
12. "Jackpot" – 4:19
Nobody ever talks about this album. What the hell? This is better than the first Specials album, and yet no one ever mentions it. The first band to show the potential of the genre of ska music as more than a music style to confine to a fucking box with set limitations. With the first song, you know this band had the right idea, and with Two Swords you know they're still smarter than most ska and punk bands today, and with Jackpot you just knew this band would be huge. (Well they were in the UK) The band continued to play ska and add in more reggae and experiment a bit with their style, but never stopped being themselves. The Beat is probably the best two tone band there ever was.
Suburban Legends
1. "Popular Demand" – 2:55
2. "I Want More" – 4:14
3. "Don Juan" – 3:14
4. "Alternative Is Dead" – 2:15
5. "Desperate" – 3:39
I'm only counting this EP because it's so damn good. As bands tend to go on, their early material tends to get left behind, and I fear this will never be regarded as the classic that it really is. Yes, I posted that cover simply because I have never seen it in person, but I do prefer the other version. (The version with the red cover features a different singer, but the same music) This is a ska classic and should never be forgotten. It's also saddled with the realization that this band will never sound like this again.
The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
1. "Three Minute Hero" - 3.00
2. "Everyday (Time Hard)" - 3.10
3. "They Make Me Mad" - 2.47
4. "Missing Words" - 3.22
5. "Danger" - 2.38
6. "Street Feeling" - 3.11
7. "My Collie (Not A Dog)" - 2.45
8. "Too Much Pressure" - 3.48
9. "Murder" - 2.39
10. "Out On The Streets" - 3.28
11. "Carry Go Bring Come" - 3.02
12. "Black and Blue" - 3.17
13. "James Bond" - 2.16
The "other" band from the two tone era. This album is never mentioned except when a ska fan is trying to list bands from the second wave. This album is as good as the band has ever gotten, with some fantastic songwriting, and some clever lyrics among some otherwise rather standard lines, but the execution of them more than makes up for how this direction would lead this band out into the wilds where it would never recover. Like Home Grown's "That's Business" it's an instance of a band capturing a spark they would never come close to capturing again.
All in all, a top ten list of albums that really should be listened to and not just forgotten in the mists of time and bargain bins. Give these the chance they deserve.
To build on a recent ska kick of mine, I thought I'd make a post where I list ten albums that are probably not listed very often by critics (lol ska + critics) or only brought up by ska fans to prove how great their obscure taste is (I tend to think they never even listened to the albums when they do, though), but tend to get overlooked since heavy hitters from the 90s are still around like Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake as well as other bands like Streetlight Manifesto and the serious ska bands that have tended to co-opt the genre unintentionally for many other likeminded bands.
I'm not going to put numbers because I consider these all classics and are all well worth listening to. If you want to find these, most of these bands are broken up so you might as well download them. Just go to google and search with 'band name - mediafire' and you'll most likely find them.
Anyway, gibberish over, here's my list:
Spring Heeled Jack - Songs From Suburbia
1. Mass Appeal Madness – 3:06
2. Jolene – 3:09
3. Beggin' – 4:03
4. Pop Song (Green) – 2:06
5. Waiting, Watching – 2:40
6. Tied Up – 3:41
7. MCMLIX (1959) – 3:31
8. Where I Belong – 3:33
9. Makisupa Policeman – 3:27
10. Time – 2:53
11. Morning Sun – 3:35
12. Man of Tomorrow – 3:40
Fuck this band for breaking up. Seriously, how the fuck can you drop a classic like this and just break up. Such squandered opportunity. Though personally I think Pop Song and Time could have been left off simply for not reaching the rest of the albums glorious heights, and my favorite SHJ song (Pay Some Dues) isn't on the album, this is pretty much as perfect as ska can get. I know being on a shitty record label killed this album and all, but the fact that Beggin' is not a radio staple is just insane. In my opinion, this is up there with the Specials, One Step Beyond, and whatever other ska classics you can think up.
Potshot - Pots & Shots
1. We Are Potshot 1:06
2. Someone to Lean On 2:26
3. Radio 1:49
4. Handle 2:35
5. Time 2:49
6. Since Yesterday 1:46
7. Anytime 2:33
8. Clear 2:35
9. Under the Blue Sky 3:00
10. Tears of a Clown 1:06
11. In Hi-Fi 2:27
12. Not Worth Your While But Worth My Life 2:49
13. Mexico 3:15
14. Change 3:40
As stated before, this is the absolute pinnacle of the style of ska punk. Every song is full of explosive energy, the songs all have extremely careful construction (something Potshot only ever achieved one more time on Til I Die) and will all get you singing along even if you don't understand what the heck they're saying. Just listen to Anytime for the single best ska punk song ever written. This is the best ska punk album ever written as merging the absolute pure core of the two styles together could possibly ever achieve. If you're not hooked by Someone To Lean On, you're hopeless.
Dancehall Crashers - Honey I'm Homely
1. Lost Again
2. Will Tomorrow Ever Come
3. All Mine
4. Salted
5. Next To You
6. I Want It All
7. Elvis & Me
8. Whisky & Gin
9. Cold Shower
10. Last Laugh
11. Mr. Blue
12. Stand By
13. The Truth About Me
14. Big Mouth
15. Over Again
I can't fucking believe I have to list this. But no one remembers this album anymore. To be fair, this is the band's fault for literally vanishing from existence, after making such great albums like this one. Another band that should have been huge but just wasn't for no apparent reason, this is about as pop as ska has been since Madness came out. If you haven't heard this yet, you might as well get on that right now.
The Pietasters - Willis
1. "Crazy Monkey Woman" – 2:38
2. "Out All Night" – 3:16
3. "Ocean" – 3:38
4. "Fat Sack" – 2:40
5. "Stone Feeling" – 4:06
6. "Higher" – 4:45
7. "Time Won't Let Me" – 3:06
8. "Without You" – 3:23
9. "Crime" – 5:02
10. "Quicksand" – 2:46
11. "Bitter" – 3:53
12. "New Breed" – 2:59
13. "Moment" – 3:45
The meeting point of ska, rock n roll, and classic soul music. This is the peak of this band (though Turbo was brilliant) and such a unique sound they've never quite recaptured with the pure passion and energy of Willis. Everything they did before was just a warm up for this, which is a complement since their early stuff is actually awesome, too. Now I know why this album isn't well known, it's simply because it's two niche styles on this album that never seem intersect with each other normally outside of this band and unfairly quarantines it to be a niche album. But listen to this fucking album and have your fucking brains blown out by it. I know I still rock out to this one. It's on HellCat, so at least it's easily available.
Assorted Jellybeans - What's Really Going On!?!
1. "Contordations" - 1:37
2. "Wiggerside" - 3:03
3. "The Rhythm" - 1:53
4. "Juttered" - 2:38
5. "Loadie Mission" - 1:57
6. "Booshduckdow" - 2:32
7. "Rebel Yell" - 2:39
8. "Entry Level Positions" - 2:17
9. "Dead Neighbors" - 3:34
10. "Parents" - 3:09
11. "I'm Out" - 2:11
12. "Instrumental" - 3:29
13. "3 Chords" - 1:59
14. "Loadie Mission" (Reprise) - 1:57
A really weird step forward for ska and punk, a trippy, hilarious, and sometimes forward thinking (but not overly serious or nihilistic) album by a band that left too early. Yes they're back again, but unfortunately, no one seems to care. But this album is truly unique and has to be ingested to be understood. Every song has this weird construction to it where parts sort of change into other parts fast and hard, but only begin to make sense with a lot of listening. Ignore the shitty art (Kung Fu Records has always been full of bands with shitty artwork, not to mention distribution and pricing) and listen to the sounds within. It's also one of the few punk albums that can be remixed and still sound totally right.
Billy The Spikes - In The City
1 - Opening
2 - Confidence
3 - Down Beat Alley
4 - Black Boots
5 - Go Beast
6 - Confusion
7 - Dog Was Dead
8 - Liberty
9 - Spikey Billy
10 - Be In A Real Pinch
11 - In The City
12 - Toys For Dragon
Yes, I mention these guys a lot, but with good reason. The heart of rockabilly and ska are well alive in this band (who after only one EP after this broke up... Dammit...) with some of the best sounds to come out of a slap bass before Chris Cheney forgot how to write fucking songs, and one hell of a horn section. If you're not won over by Black Boots, Dog Was Dead (One of the best ska songs ever actually, thanks for asking) or the killer rockabilly romp of Spikey Billy, then go fuck yourself. We have nothing to discuss.
The Hippos - Forget The World
1 "Far Behind"
2 "Please"
3 "When Will I Learn"
4 "Diane"
5 "Don't Worry"
6 "Celebrate"
7 "Irie"
8 "Asleep at the Wheel"
9 "So Lonely"
10 "Rock 'n' Roll"
11 "Forget the World"
Another band that is forgotten because of it's own decisions. Another 90s ska/punk classic, while they followed up with a decidedly less ska album, this album still has it's unique touches and is pretty fucking rocking in all honestly. My love of Please and When Will I Learn (great lyrics) are untouched for this band. Unfortunately, this album suffered from some shitty distribution as well as the band quickly abandoning this style (and after their follow up, abandoning good music) leads this to be the poster child for what happens when you abandon what you're good at simply to gain credibility doing 'serious music'. In other words, it's a dead end. Still, forgotten band, even more forgotten album.
The English Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
1. "Mirror in the Bathroom" – 3:10
2. "Hands Off...She's Mine" – 3:01
3. "Two Swords" – 2:19
4. "Twist & Crawl" – 2:35
5. "Rough Rider" – 4:52
6. "Click Click" – 1:28
7. "Big Shot" – 2:34
8. "Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret" – 3:51
9. "Noise in This World" – 2:19
10. "Can't Get Used to Losing You" – 3:04
11. "Best Friend" – 3:01
12. "Jackpot" – 4:19
Nobody ever talks about this album. What the hell? This is better than the first Specials album, and yet no one ever mentions it. The first band to show the potential of the genre of ska music as more than a music style to confine to a fucking box with set limitations. With the first song, you know this band had the right idea, and with Two Swords you know they're still smarter than most ska and punk bands today, and with Jackpot you just knew this band would be huge. (Well they were in the UK) The band continued to play ska and add in more reggae and experiment a bit with their style, but never stopped being themselves. The Beat is probably the best two tone band there ever was.
Suburban Legends
1. "Popular Demand" – 2:55
2. "I Want More" – 4:14
3. "Don Juan" – 3:14
4. "Alternative Is Dead" – 2:15
5. "Desperate" – 3:39
I'm only counting this EP because it's so damn good. As bands tend to go on, their early material tends to get left behind, and I fear this will never be regarded as the classic that it really is. Yes, I posted that cover simply because I have never seen it in person, but I do prefer the other version. (The version with the red cover features a different singer, but the same music) This is a ska classic and should never be forgotten. It's also saddled with the realization that this band will never sound like this again.
The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
1. "Three Minute Hero" - 3.00
2. "Everyday (Time Hard)" - 3.10
3. "They Make Me Mad" - 2.47
4. "Missing Words" - 3.22
5. "Danger" - 2.38
6. "Street Feeling" - 3.11
7. "My Collie (Not A Dog)" - 2.45
8. "Too Much Pressure" - 3.48
9. "Murder" - 2.39
10. "Out On The Streets" - 3.28
11. "Carry Go Bring Come" - 3.02
12. "Black and Blue" - 3.17
13. "James Bond" - 2.16
The "other" band from the two tone era. This album is never mentioned except when a ska fan is trying to list bands from the second wave. This album is as good as the band has ever gotten, with some fantastic songwriting, and some clever lyrics among some otherwise rather standard lines, but the execution of them more than makes up for how this direction would lead this band out into the wilds where it would never recover. Like Home Grown's "That's Business" it's an instance of a band capturing a spark they would never come close to capturing again.
All in all, a top ten list of albums that really should be listened to and not just forgotten in the mists of time and bargain bins. Give these the chance they deserve.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Dark Void's brother...
Randy's post about Dark Void reminds me of a similar game that got very similar reviews last year.
Now, those that know me, know that I'm a 2D gaming fiend. I love anything 2D infinitely more than I love 3D games, but BC is one of those games where I think I might have liked it about as much as the original. I liked it so much, I played it and beat it 3 times in 3 days, and have every achievement except beat on Commando mode (hard was hard enough, thanks) and find every collectible (Just... No), and loved almost every second.
I'm not going to pretend it's flawless. You NEED to play with the retro suit to give the story it's suitably cheesy, tongue in cheek vibe it has. Fortunately that only requires buying the supreme Bionic Commando ReArmed and putting in an unlock code that game gives you. Very old school with the cheats, I love it.
Also, the story is ridiculous as hell. But what most people don't seem to get is that it's intentional. There are a lot of funny moments within as well as clever one liners and over the top action sequences to make even the stupidity of Metal Gear Solid blush. (How come MGS gets away with having a retarded story and not BC, by the way? BC's story is at least not taking itself seriously)
The game is rather challenging and full of trial and error old school difficulty. This can be a plus or minus if you like. There are a few technical issues like screen tearing, but they really are minor.
The 'radiation of death' complaints (the blue borders around the levels to keep you from leaving) are extraordinarily overblown. They killed me a handful of times during my three playthroughs and were mostly the result of me trying to get a collectible (hence my previous comment of not bothering to get them anymore), it was really such a non-issue I don't understand why people kept bringing it up. It's not an open world game, you're not supposed to wander off. I mean, it's an issue that could have easily been resolved with putting the radiation on the overhead map, but it doesn't affect anything much.
Despite that stuff, I had a lot of fun playing through it an had one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2009 with this game. I really could not imagine a better way to make a Bionic Commando game in 3D. It retains all that stuff Bionic Commando for the arcade and NES was famous for and puts them in a 3D game. I mean, it's not AAA or anything, but none of the Bionic Commando games are.
If you want something a little different like Dark Void to play through, I can't recommend playing this enough. It's also like $19 now. Just give it a shot, don't expect the world (Bionic Commando is too much of an odd concept for perfection), and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.
Now, those that know me, know that I'm a 2D gaming fiend. I love anything 2D infinitely more than I love 3D games, but BC is one of those games where I think I might have liked it about as much as the original. I liked it so much, I played it and beat it 3 times in 3 days, and have every achievement except beat on Commando mode (hard was hard enough, thanks) and find every collectible (Just... No), and loved almost every second.
I'm not going to pretend it's flawless. You NEED to play with the retro suit to give the story it's suitably cheesy, tongue in cheek vibe it has. Fortunately that only requires buying the supreme Bionic Commando ReArmed and putting in an unlock code that game gives you. Very old school with the cheats, I love it.
Also, the story is ridiculous as hell. But what most people don't seem to get is that it's intentional. There are a lot of funny moments within as well as clever one liners and over the top action sequences to make even the stupidity of Metal Gear Solid blush. (How come MGS gets away with having a retarded story and not BC, by the way? BC's story is at least not taking itself seriously)
The game is rather challenging and full of trial and error old school difficulty. This can be a plus or minus if you like. There are a few technical issues like screen tearing, but they really are minor.
The 'radiation of death' complaints (the blue borders around the levels to keep you from leaving) are extraordinarily overblown. They killed me a handful of times during my three playthroughs and were mostly the result of me trying to get a collectible (hence my previous comment of not bothering to get them anymore), it was really such a non-issue I don't understand why people kept bringing it up. It's not an open world game, you're not supposed to wander off. I mean, it's an issue that could have easily been resolved with putting the radiation on the overhead map, but it doesn't affect anything much.
Despite that stuff, I had a lot of fun playing through it an had one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2009 with this game. I really could not imagine a better way to make a Bionic Commando game in 3D. It retains all that stuff Bionic Commando for the arcade and NES was famous for and puts them in a 3D game. I mean, it's not AAA or anything, but none of the Bionic Commando games are.
If you want something a little different like Dark Void to play through, I can't recommend playing this enough. It's also like $19 now. Just give it a shot, don't expect the world (Bionic Commando is too much of an odd concept for perfection), and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dark Void Update Part 2
Dark Void finally arrived; there was an issue with Canada Post which resulted in the package being partially shredded. The game and its case are OK, it was just the packaging. I’m not going to be able to start playing tonight, but I should have something more to post soon.
Dark Void Update
Its been one week since I ordered Capcom’s Dark Void online, and I still intend on doing a first impressions and eventual review when I receive the game. The length of delivery is quite strange, as it should have been here by now.
I now don’t know if I will have the time to play through this game as three big releases were released this week: Mass Effect 2, Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. I should be picking them up tomorrow, and I will have to decide which game to play. Either way, I should be posting SOMETHING within the next couple days.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Drawn into the (Dark) Void
I don’t know when it happened, but all of a sudden all I want to play is Capcom’s Dark Void, something about is speaks to me. Its strange, in a month of BIG RELEASES (Bayonetta, Darksiders, Mass Effect 2, No More Heroes Desperate Struggle, and Tatsunoko Vs Capcom to name a few), my gaze keeps getting drawn back to Dark Void.
So far the initial reviews are not that promising. According to METACRITIC, the game is receiving an average of 6.0 out of 10 across the board. Here are some links to a few of the bigger reviews on the net from the sites I mostly trust for opinions:
Regardless of the complaints I’ve seen regarding this game, I still want it. I’m going to take the plunge and buy it before the week is out. I’ll post my initial impressions when I get the chance.
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