Album review: Onerepublic - Waking Up

Onerepulic knows the main rule to making a great pop/rock song. Kill 'em with the chorus. If you listen to a lot of music, then you could probably pick out a Ryan Tedder song from the bunch. That's not really a bad thing, but he does have a distinct style, and while it gets tiresome when projected on other artists, it sounds right at home with this band. This album has all the ingredients that Onerepublic fans are familiar with. Killer strings, emotional inflection in the vocals, great musical variety, and big choruses. If you're looking for something completely different than Dreaming Out Loud, then you will be disappointed. With that being said, Waking Up is a better album. And a damn good one at that.

1. Made for You - A solid opener with an amazing piano breakdown in the middle. It's a good song, but they could have done without the choir at the end. Still, it was a neat intro for the next song.

2. All the Right Moves - This lead single is a good song with a catchy chorus. It's not the best song on the album by a long shot, but it's another solid tune.

3. Secrets - This song is everything you would expect from Onerepublic. Still, it's a hot song and one of my favorites. It's got a big, anthem like chorus and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at concerts, with hands waving in the air.

4. Everybody Loves Me - Roll the windows down and feel good to this one. It's got an edgy guitar, and it has the band veering away from their typical sounds that they've become known by. My mom heard this song and said "That doesn't sound like them!". Really like this one, and I played it to death when I first heard it.

5. Missing Persons 1 & 2 - This is tough to judge as one song because of the huge beat switch in the middle. It's pretty much like 2 songs in one. The first half is brilliant with an almost ethereal feel to it. The second half is cool with the new beat, but not as effective.

6. Good Life - This was my favorite song on the album before another took over that mantle very recently. But I love this song! It's so feel good and hopeful sounding, and the whistle going throughout is awesome. Love the chorus to pieces!

7. All This Time - This song right here. F**king beautiful!!! Favorite song on the album. It's very reflective and perfect for driving to. When the strings come in on top of the piano and drums in the middle, it's like magic. Big chorus. I can see lighters waving in the air to this song.

8. Fear - After such a high, we had to come back down to Earth unfortunately. I'm not saying this is a bad song, but it's not nearly as effective as it's trying to be. It just didn't do it for me.

9. Waking Up - The title track is one of the best! The guys get a little up beat for this one with a great chorus before coming down to some amazing instrumentation to ride out the track. Love it!

10. Marchin' On - Really strong track with a simple, pulsing bass drum going though the whole thing that'll have your heel tapping up and down. I'm sounding like a broken record now, but it has another big, catchy chorus.

11. Lullaby - I'm not saying this is a bad song, but I think they could have seriously come up with a better track to end the album on. This and "Fear" are the most skippable tracks on the album.

Onerepublic did what they should have done on their sophomore album. Come with the sound that fans have come to know and love from them, while at the same time, showing growth in other areas. There are many good songs on this album, a few of them even excellent, and while it isn't anything mind blowing, I'm glad to have it in my collection for when I need great road music.

Score: 8/10

Adam gettin' ready to tear it up at the AMAs + more music talk!

Having listened to the song "For Your Entertainment" into the ground over the past couple of weeks, it'll be nice to hear it performed live. Considering how Adam shut down performances on AI, I'm going to fully expect some straight up craziness on that stage. He hasn't proven himself on the stage outside of AI, so it'll be interesting to see what he does. A big stage like this is different, especially with so many high profile acts performing that night. We got Lady GaGa, Janet, Rihanna, Whitney, and a lot of others.

Btw, I have heard Adam's album, and I can honestly say I'm not disappointed in the slightest! Dude has a crazy mix of different sounds, and he does great on all of them. He's got retro glam rock, dance, pop, a couple slower songs, and then even some good ole' pop/rock. He's a chameleon. There's quite a few songs I can imagine him killing it live! There's a song called "Sure Fire Winners" that is all over the place vocally, including his signature rock screams. One of my favorites. Once I actually get the album, I'll need to listen to it a lot more, but right now, there's really only one song I don't like.

One thing I've noticed about music, is that you always get a different feel about it when listening to it while you're driving. For example, I've been listening to Onerepublic's new album "Waking Up". Listening to it in the truck was totally different than listening to it on my computer. I liked it a lot more when driving. I think that happens everytime I listen to music when driving. I tend to like it more.

Music video: Allison Iraheta - Friday I'll Be Over You

This chick doesn't get much news, eventhough she finished 4th on American Idol. Allison is talented, and while I didn't like this song when I first heard it, the video just completely made me like it. The video is really cool! Check it out:



Allison definitely has a Pink vibe going with her voice, and I think she can be pretty successful. Her CD isn't on my "to buy" list right now, eventhough this song has grown on me. That due in large part to this kick ass video, which is basically a tribute to the 80s. I love it!

One of the best videos I've seen in a while actually.

BioShock 2 cover

I like it! It's very similar to the first cover, but that's not a bad thing really. I guess it would have been cool to see a Big Sister on the cover, but that's not really a big deal. I like the crack in the glass and how dirty the glass looks in general. Nice little touches there.

Can't wait for this one!

Gametrailers review: Assassin's Creed 2

Video Games | Assassin's Creed II | Review HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

I'm sure I'll play this game eventually, but right now, there's just no excitement for me. Yes, it's been getting great reviews, but I have no urge to play it right now. Maybe if I got it as a gift...

I do want to see how the story moves along though. The first one ended so abruptly, and frankly, shitty. I want to see how Ezio's story coincides with Altair's, if it does at all. I do like what was said in the review, about how Ubisoft listened to the fans. Because the first game DID get repetitive and it got tiring.

Music video: Beyonce ft. Lady GaGa - Video Phone (extended remix)

Might want to put some shades on for this one:

Beyonce is hot! All day, every day. We know this. She can throw down the ass the pop it with the best of them. Lady GaGa can be theatrical and has crazy swagger with the best of them. Usually.

This video sucks! The only redeeming quality if that Beyonce is so fine! But even her hotness can't save this cheap ass, stupid mess of a video. There was so much hype about this, and deservedly so. I mean, Beyonce and Lady GaGa. Who didn't think it would be hot?! GaGa looks so out of place, it's almost awkward. I know GaGa can move better than that, so why does it look like they were almost going in slow motion? Can somebody tell me what's up with the guns? Them things look like they were bought at Toys R' Us.

This video came on last night around 2am, and it damn near blinded me. Their should be a disclaimer before the video starts warning people who might be epileptic, because this video will cause seizures. All the shuttering and flashing is completely cheap looking and not easy on the eyes at all. I could go on bitching, but you get the point. I thought the video was crap.

Maybe they'll do a video for "Telephone", because not only is that a MUCH better song, but it's a GaGa song, and not a Beyonce song. So maybe the video won't be shit.

Milo is crazy

This is Milo. I can't remember if I've posted about him or not, but if I did, he was much smaller than this. He is my brother's dog, and he's a little over 6 months old now. Don't let the picture fool you. He's sitting still because he thinks he's getting a treat. Behind his cute face and awesome ears lies a really hyper puppy. Dog ain't got no manners! But I love the silly bastard. He is crazy though. But he is a puppy, so we're kind of cutting him some slack right now. But he's enrolled in a training class starting on Dec. 8th. My brother is already prepared for the dog to go wild with the Christmas tree, messing with the ornaments and stuff. There might be some extra crate time for Milo!

He just got neutered a few days ago. Good thing too, as he hadn't really gotten acquainted with his family jewels. No harm done!

Bow of controversy

Would somebody kindly tell me what's wrong with this picture? I'll wait.

Let me tell you what's wrong with it. NOTHING! Stopping in Japan on his Asian tour, President Obama bowed to Japan's Emperor Akihito, in an attempt to show respect and garner respect as well, seeing as this country has lost countless amounts of it over the past several years.

I know some people (if they happen to stumble upon this) will probably think I'm being anti-American for saying this, but I don't care. Conservatives and many others are going off being of this, making fun of the President and calling it "inappropriate". Heaven FORBID America show any kind of respect for another country! I can hear the gasps from conservatives right now. "We don't...bow to anybody! We're America! They should be bowing to US! We're the super power of the world! Fuck bowing!"

Others are calling it a sign of weakness. One Republican said "It's ugly. I don't want to see it." Really? Since when was kindness and respect weak? Or ugly? Maybe it's just me. Maybe I don't get it.

Rant over.

Listened to Kris Allen's album

Despite the dude being from Conway, AR (which is literally about 25 minutes from where I live), I just never really cared much for Kris Allen. He had a couple good performances on AI, but his voice was never really anything special to me, and he was just...boring. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that his debut album was the same way. Two or three songs I like, but overall, very dry.

I'll spare you and myself from doing a full review, because quite frankly, I can't be bothered right now, especially at 3am. Basically, if you were a fan of Kris on the show, then you will like this album. With that being said, I only really liked a few songs. Sure, there were some tracks that sounded decent, but as I kept listening, I started to get impatient and bored. Here's the problem: everything started meshing together and sounded the same, and I started to feel like I was in a soft pop/rock nightmare. That might sound harsh, but I was seriously just waiting for it to end. It also doesn't help Kris that their are artists and bands out there doing this same kind of music, but doing it much better. People like John Mayer and bands like Onerepublic.

The songs that stuck out to me are "Bring it Back", "Can't Stay Away", and "Before We Come Undone".

Video games: Bayonetta preview

Video Games | Bayonetta | Preview HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

I've been on the fence with this game for a while, but with that preview, I just hopped right off. I want this game. My inner Devil May Cry stan just jumped out and wants this game badly. With the same people behind DMC making this game, it's bound to be a big success with fans of the series.

The action looks wild though! Guys will love this game too, considering Bayonetta is half naked all the time. She might be pixelated, but this women screams sex, lol. The game drops Jan. 5th, and now comes the dilemma of what system to get it for. No, this isn't me dropping a mega bomb and saying that I now own a 360, because I don't. But I'd be lying if the thought of getting one hasn't crossed my mind.

The thing is though, as far as exclusives go, the 360 doesn't have anything I want. I take that back, I am interested in the Mass Effect series. But there is the case where a lot of multi-console games to end being a little bit better on the 360. Most of the time, the differences aren't even noticeable unless you stare at the screen. But with the case of games like Bayonetta and a few others, it is noticeable. But then I say to myself "That would be stupid to get a console just because some of the multi-console games might be better."

Quite honestly though, I love my PS3, and I think I would be content with just having a PS3. But who knows, maybe a 360 is something I can put down for Christmas? I'm not sure. I do want a digital camera! :D

Anyway, Bayonetta is on my radar of games to buy!

New music: Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me

Adam's website went and released a new song for download, claiming it to be a "single". So, will this eventually be the second single once "For Your Entertainment" runs it's course? I dunno. But take a listen. It's a lot different than FYE:

This was a song that I didn't think I would like when I heard the :30 second snippet of it. But listening to it in full, I really like it a lot! It's not as addicting as "FYE" (which I've played TA DEATH!), but it's simple and catchy, and it also has some substance behind it. And as always, dude sounds great. I particularly loved the end where he sounds frustrated as shit and basically screaming "Whataya want from me?!?"

The song was written by Pink and produced by Max Martin, originally intended for Funhouse, but Pink ended up never recording it. I could see her killing it, but I'm glad Adam got it. He can pretty much sing anything he wants to.

Album review: Muse - The Resistance

'Ello! Sorry for my lack of posts recently. Just haven't been in a posting mood I guess. Anyway, I feel like doing some music reviews. With that said, my review of the most recent Muse release, The Resistance:

I didn't get into Muse until I heard Adam Lambert cover their song "Starlight", and I'm glad I started listening to them, because I really like their stuff. Matthew Bellamy has a very distinct voice with an almost broadway type rock wail, and even if it can be over dramatic at times, I still love it. Onto the songs!

1. Uprising - The album starts out great with this awesome lead single. A cool, very 80s synth sound runs through the track. There's also hand claps and guitars to go along with the spacey feel, along with a fist pumping chorus sure to get concert goers rocking. Perfect first song!

2. Resistance - This is my favorite song on the album. It's quiet beginning slowly evolves into a brilliant piano. I love the lyrics about a secret, forbidden love, and the lead up to the chorus is crack! It all builds up to an amazing bridge, before fading away.

3. Undisclosed Desires - This song starts out with a hot beat, and I love the chorus! It's one of their more commercial songs, especially with a beat like this. The song isn't incredible, but it is a good song.

4. United States of Eurasia/Collateral Damage - Slow start, before busting out at the chorus. The music during the chorus is amazing, with it's mix of drums, piano, and cellos. The song does get a little ridiculous past the halfway mark, before slowing back down with just a piano and vocals in the background. The song is dramatic and jumps around, but it's one of the reasons I like Muse, lol.

5. Guiding Light - Good, solid song. Bellamy really shows off the pipes at times in this song. It's not a favorite, but it's a good song.

6. Unnatural Selection - Starts off with a pipe organ, before going into some wicked guitar and drums! This is an awesome, if overly long, song with another fist pumping chorus. Out of nowhere, the song slows right down to almost a half before Bellamy starts laying it on a little too thick with the vocals at times. Really cool song though. Good for the car.

7. MK Ultra - I like this song, but I find it one of the more skippable songs on the album, along with "Guiding Light". It's one of those that you listen to, and you think to yourself, I've heard this already. It's decent.

8. I Belong to You/Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix - The song starts with an awesome, jazzy piano. For the first half of the track, the "I Belong to You part", I love it! Then we get to the French part of the track, and I know Muse is over the top and overblown at times, but this is too much. I can't normally listen to the entire track because of the "Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix" part. I love "I Belong to You" though!

9. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) - So begins the 3 part "Symphony" of this record. Yes, the title is pretentious, but Part 1 is probably my favorite of the 3. The music is awesome, and Bellamy sings the whole song in falsetto, which gives it a kind of ethereal feel to it. I love it!

10. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination) - This one starts out with a forboding piano before breaking out the guitar and Bellamy singing as he normally does. While not as effective as the first part, I still really like it.

11. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption) - Has kind of a sad sound to it, but at the same time, it's hopeful. I love Part 3, and don't hate me for this, but the first half or so reminds me of Kingdom Hearts, lol. I know, I can't help it! Once again, the music is so awesome, and Bellamy doesn't wail like he normally does, and it's a nice little change up. Like I said, sad, but hopeful at the same time. Great way to end an album like this.

There you have it. If you've liked Muse before, there's no reason you won't like them here. Overblown, over the top, and overdramatic. But part of me thinks this band doesn't take themselves that seriously. Which is a good thing. With some of these songs, it's almost required that you don't take it that seriously. It's not an album full of hits and singles, but that's not what Muse is about. It's not an album I can listen to all the time, except for songs like "Resistance", which I put on repeat! But it's a good album with a lot of good music.

Rating: 7/10

Getting into Dragon Age: Origins

After finishing Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (which I'm sure will get a review eventually), I had an itch to play an RPG. I turn on the TV and see all these commercials for BioWare's newest fantasy RPG, Dragon Age: Origins. I follow the commercial with a few "ooohs" and "hmmms", and get to thinking. I've loved BioWare's games in the past, which included KOTOR and Jade Empire. I did hear about the technical issues the game had, but really, what BioWare game doesn't have technical issues? I was ready to overlook whatever framerate issues and ugly textures this game had. I mean, not everything can look like Uncharted 2 right?

So I picked up the game a couple days ago, and it's pretty much what I expected. Deep customization with your character (who is a Mage) and BIG world to roam around in, and from what I hear, a very good story to be had. The game doesn't look great. It doesn't even look good really. But for a game of this size and scope, it's adequate and something I can deal with. Technical problems aside, I think I'm going to like the game.

There's no telling when I'm going to finish it though. It's supposed to last at least 60 hours, and that's just the bare bones main story play through. Pretty good bang for my buck, considering I got this for $24 off a Gamestop promotion. ;)

Game review - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I'll get the bad things about this game out of the way first. The cover system is a little sticky at times. The AI is a little suspect at times.

Ok, bad stuff out of the way!

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best game I've played in a long time, and one of the best, and most memorable games I've ever played. Period. I know people say that a lot about games they just got done playing, but I've given myself time to let it marinate and soak in, and I honestly can't think of a game that provides more entertainment, humor, action, likable characters, and jaw droppings moments. The game not only blows you away with it's incredible visuals, but also through the dialog and voice acting. Character exchanges have never been more realistic in a video game. Everything feels natural, even the off the cuff random bantering during gameplay. Most of it is very funny, and the writers did an excellent job.

Despite it being a sequel, Uncharted 2 doesn't really follow the first game. It throws in a few gems here and there for people who played the first game, but you really don't need to play it in order to get this one. You might appreciate some things more in this game if you had, but it's not a requirement. If you've seen the trailer where Nathan is falling out of the bus in the snow, then you'll immediately recognize the beginning the game. The game basically starts out in the middle of the story (with Nathan wounded on the bus), and then jumps around a few times to the beginning and back where you meet the main characters. The story unfolds with Nathan and a partner of his, Flynn, trying to find an old treasure of Marco Polo's. From there, it's all about betrayal, double crossing, and finding out that things are never what they seem. It's not the deepest story around, but for this kind of game, it works perfectly.

Another main character of the game, and added love interest to Nate, is Chloe Frazer. She's one of my favorite characters in the game, not only because she's got a sexy little British accent, but because she adds so much to the game overall. Flynn is also a great addition, as is the villain Lazarevic. A big reason all of these characters are great is because of the voice acting. The voice acting is down right amazing. I've heard awesome voice acting before in games like Kingdom Hearts and Metal Gear Solid, but never have I heard it with this kind of quality mixed with so much realism. A lot of that also has to do with the quality of the writing, but big kudos to Naughty Dog for getting great voice actors.

As you go through the game, you'll probably lose count of how many times you mouth opens in awe because of what is taking place on screen. There are so many awesome set pieces and action sequences. There's an incredible train fight with exploding helicopters, and there's another set where you're jumping from truck to truck as their exploding behind you, all the while trying fend enemies off by shooting them. And that's just to name a couple. Pacing in video games is often overlooked, but it can't be when it comes to this game. It's an integral part of what makes it so addicting. You don't want to put it down, and when you do, you can't wait to pick it up again. The gun fights were one of the things that kind of annoyed me in the first game. I though they were way too excessive. They might have been just as excessive in this game, but if they were, I couldn't tell. I enjoyed the gunplay much more. The platforming is better as well. Everything that could be improved from the first game was improved. As I was going through the game, it sometimes surprised me just how much better this game was from the first one. And the first one wasn't a bad game by any means, but it did have it's annoyances. Even the graphics seemed to be a lot better. Speaking of...

I know it's been said, but I'm going to say it again. The game is GORGEOUS! And not just the graphics themselves, but the animations. It's all top notch. The first game got a little mundane in the environment department because they were mainly in the jungle for the most part. In this game, Nathan goes to the jungle, he's goes to bombed towns, foreign villages, and the Himalayan Mountains. All of which look spectacular! The snow and ice in the mountains are a particular highlight, because snow has never been this well done is a game before. As Gametrailers described it, it's like "magic" how the snow moves as you run through it.

As if the single player game wasn't enough, there is also a hefty multi-player component in Uncharted 2. You'll find all of your standard MP fun here, including Deathmatch, objectives, elimination, and a couple different co-op modes. To keep it short, it's addicting. I'm not amazing in the MP or anything, but I've never enjoyed MP online as much as I have with Uncharted 2. I think most of that has to do with the fact that it's third person, it's damn near as amazing looking as the single player, and there's platforming involved. I've actually started to get better because I've been playing so much! :D There's various incentives to keep playing, as you earn money for doing various things throughout. It's just one more thing to add to an already amazing game.

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm giving Uncharted 2: Among Thieves a perfect score. I don't think there are a lot of games out there that deserve perfect scores, but this is definitely one of them. Unmatched production from top to bottom, with exciting action and set pieces of epic proportions, this game is a must own for every PS3 owner. And that's just the single player. Add on the MP, and you have one of the best video game packages to come out in a very long time, that's more than worth the $60 price tag. No one game is worth buying a console over, but if you don't own a PS3, you best add Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to the growing list of reasons to buy one.

Final Score: 10/10

The set up

Oh what tangled webs this life weaves! Another chapter has just been added to the saga know as my Books-A-Million termination. Remember me saying something about this whole thing being shady? Yeah, read on.

The whole reason my records and work history were even investigated in the first place was because somebody from inside the store called the BAM Alert Line, and basically said something to the effect of "Hey, you might want to check out Jon Lee's work history, because he's not being entirely truthful about it." I actually have no idea what was said, but I'm sure it went something like that. So, after he broke this news to me, I felt a sudden urge to punch somebody in the face. Namely the person who did this. My first thought was, of course, "who the **** did it?!" And at first, I honestly couldn't think of anybody who could have done it, or WHY somebody would do it. Without sounded conceited, I was pretty well liked by everybody there. At least I thought I was.

I don't even remember telling anybody about my work history, or even why I would. It must have been a while back, and work experience must have been the topic of discussion, otherwise I would have no reason to tell anybody. And if I did tell somebody (which I obviously did), it wouldn't have been just some random associate. It would have only been a few people, three of which I know for a fact didn't call this alert line. I was talking to Meaghan about it, and she thinks she knows who it is, and using the process of elimination and just thinking about it, I'm inclined to agree with her. If it was indeed this person who did it, it wasn't because of any personal dislike of me, but rather a resentment of me. And I've known about this resentment before, without him having to say anything about it. It was just a vibe he gave off when I was around him. And Meaghan only confirmed it for me tonight, because he's actually told her how he felt!

But I don't want to condemn anybody just yet, because I don't know if he (maybe it was a she, I don't know) did indeed do it. What I do know is what goes around comes around. Just got to move on now and let karma (if you believe in such a thing) handle the rest. It sucks and it pisses me off, but what can ya do?