The bus is alive...

... with the sound of muuuusic!

As I type, there are three people singing on the bus. The driver is singing something (kind of) quietly in his native language -- something from the middle east -- and a young couple is practicing choir songs. Occasionally, they stop to discuss a slightly off note, and other choir-y topics.

It's an interesting contrast to my own history as a choir student. I was a baritone/bass, and spent four and a half years in choir, at the same time singing in a church choir -- yes, I used to be one of those religious-y types. Really, I sang whenever I had the chance... unless there were people that I didn't know around. Yeah, stage-fright. The blogger who is way too open about his life has stage-fright, which is why I write instead of make thousands of dollars with YouTube videos... well that, and the fact that I'm not a "thousand dollar idea" kind of video maker.

So I sang in the privacy of my home, the seclusion of the choir classroom, or with a group in concerts. And dammit, I made that tux look good.

NEW!: Lacuna Coil - "Dark Adrenaline"

How's a music review sound? It's been a while since I've done any, and I couldn't help but write something when I got a chance to wrap my head around this album. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the review even if you're not as much of a Lacuna Coil fan as me!

ARTIST: Lacuna Coil

ALBUM: "Dark Adrenaline"

RELEASE DATE: 1/24/12

GENRE: Gothic metal

LABEL: Century Media

After 2009's Shallow Life, which was received with either overwhelming love or violent hatred depending on who you ask, Lacuna Coil's released a new album, in stores today. Dark Adrenaline is 12 tracks - 13 in the bonus edition - and runs just over 45 minutes.

Adrenaline has a strong opening in "Trip the Darkness", a song that's received well-deserved praise, and a lot of air time. It's been described as being unlike anything the band has released until now, and I wholeheartedly agree with all of that. The second track, "Against You", is similarly strong, but less influenced in its sound than "Darkness" is by the far-superior vocals of Cristina Scabbia. Between the to, "Trip the Darkness" comes out on top, and its no wonder that the song was chosen as both the first single, and the album opener.

As a whole, Dark Adrenaline should sit well with longtime Lacuna Coil fans, bringing a little something extra to the great sounds that were present in Comalies and Karmacode, and still has plenty of draw for someone looking to get into the band. The band continues to improve as they go along, and this album's biggest praise from me is that Andrea Ferro's vocals were as distractingly far below Cristina Scabbia's as they've been before. Ferro is an "acquired taste", albeit not one that I have a huge preference towards.

Dark Adrenaline hits stores today, so if you haven't already bought a copy, check out some of the band's music on YouTube, and grab a copy if you like what you hear.

RATING: 8/10

Barque in the Harbor

… is just one of the songs I’ve been on a mild addiction mode with over the last few days. If you haven’t heard of it (and given that I can’t even find it on YouTube, that’s probably likely), it’s a really really good song from folk rock band Great Big Sea, from their “Sea of No Cares” album.

 

 

I only personally know a few people who have heard of this band aside from myself, but their music (almost) always puts me in a happy place, regardless of mood before listening. “Barque in the Harbor” is about a sailor who has a liaison with a young woman from Spain before leaving that country (presumably with a military outfit of some type), and like most of this band’s songs, is well-written and well-performed.

 

They’ve easily got a half-dozen studio albums, and I love all of the songs I’ve heard, even though it was a bitch to find some of their albums. Songs like “How Did We Get From Saying I Love You (To I’ll See You Around Someday)” strikes a chord with anyone who has had love go sour, and then there are songs that are just fun like “Scolding Wife”. You can guess the topic on that one, it’s kinda straightforward.

 

Today is a happy day, at least so far. I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep before work tonight, but I’m okay with that. I’ve got laundry to do, and it should be an overall productive day, I think.

 

Oh, little fun fact for those of you nerdy enough (like me) to care… as you probably know, I’m a huge Green Lantern fan, and that includes reading (waaay) back issues. So when I saw the cover of Black Lantern Green Arrow #30 a week or three ago, I thought it looked really familiar. I was right.

 

 

This is so cool to me, in part because both images are aesthetically great on their own, and in part because the decision to make a tribute like that to an issue that old is nothing short of fantastic. I’m not entirely sure who to credit with that, but I’m leaning towards giving partial credit to Geoff Johns, since he is DC’s Chief Creative Officer, and has enough pull to make this happen.

 

Even if it wasn’t him, then whoever it was that made that decision has a whole lot of respect from me. The update is visually fantastic, as was the interior art on that issue. The story was pretty awesome, too. :)

 

I’m thinking that’s where I’m gonna cut this blog off. It feels good to just blog for the sake of blogging again though, rather than blogging to a schedule, or to a deadline and a set of topics.