The Pit Sampler
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Written by: klamkilla
Hey guys for this Pit I was going to use a review done by Chibi-Pez
but since I have not gotten it yet I decided to go ahead and get a few
things off of my chest concerning music. I will also review some new CDs
as well.
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Let me start off by saying something I saw on T.V. really sickened me.
Now I was watching Invader Zim per tradition on Friday night when I saw
a commercial for a CD that literally made me want to break my T.V.
I am sure several of you have seen the commercial for "Kidz Bop".
Basically it's a CD full of famous pop music REDONE by a few creepy sounding
adults and a chorus of screaming children. Hell I think Hybrid put it
best when he said "They take bad music and make it worse". What
is even worse is that they market songs that are blatantly about sex and
drugs to 5 year olds. I mean it's quite obvious that "Fly" by
Sugar Ray is the most blatant pro marijuana song out there next to that
Afro Man song.
It gets worse as it continues to show testimonials from kids like us
about how great the music is. In one soon to be low point in his life
a 14 year old kid proclaims that "This music really gets me pumped"
as he slam dunks a basketball into a 5 foot high hoop. "This is one
CD me and the kids can listen to together" states one mother. Yeah
I like exposing young children to horrible music too
. corrupt their fragile
little minds before they can think for themselves.
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Next up is something I learned while visiting a friend at his work. He
works in a FYE store, it's one of those huge record store conglomerates.
Basically I found out the answer to why prices were so high in those big
stores. Essentially, the larger the chain, the higher the prices.
For example FYE charges more than Strawberries (which is part of the
FYE family) and Coconuts (also part of the FYE family). I think this is
sickening because basically these companies are using their position in
the business world not to cut us a break but to rip us off which is why
the new Suicide Machines CD I almost bought cost $18.99! I have said it
before and I will say it again SUPPORT YOUR INDIE RECORD STORE!
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Hmmm the soundtrack for Tony Hawks' Pro Skater 3 has been announced. For
those of you that are familiar with the THPS series (hopefully all of
you) it usually features some great punk bands and this time around is
no exception with songs from Guttermouth. and The freakin Ramones. Other
noteworthy inductees to the THPS soundtrack include Zebrahead and A.F.I.
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GreenDay is set to release their greatest hits compilation this November
entitled International Superstar. The CD which chronicles their 6 major
CD releases will feature 17 of their most popular hits including Basket
Case, When I Come Around, Nice Guys Finish Last, Brain Stew, and Welcome
to Paradise will also include two brand new songs. One of which is entitled
Pop Rocks and Soda and can be downloaded from www.greenday.com.
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Finally I am in the mood to review a CD so for this pit I chose Acrophobe
by Bad Astronaut.
CD Title: Acrophobe
Band: Bad Astronaut
Release: Date: 2001
Label: Honest Don's Records.
Anyone familiar with Fat Wrecks' famous pop punk band Lagwagon will
instantly recognize the vocals on this CD as none other than Lagwagon
front man Joey Capine. Bad Astronaut is in fact Joeys' side band and before
you draw conclusions, no this isn't just another pop punk band. You see
Bad Astronaut strays far far away from what punk rock is supposed to be
and instead provides us with 10 incredibly unique tracks.
Starting things off is Greg's' Estate which quite honestly is a song
I would expect to find on a Lagwagon CD. From there we move on to more
eclectic tracks like Grey Suits, a song that is backed by an entire choir,
the mellow piano driven Quiet, the acoustic 500 Miles, and my personal
favorite Only Good For A
which is a straight up rock song with some keyboards
thrown in for good measure.
When it comes down to it Bad Astronaut's debut album is something very
different. While their style may not be for everyone, fans of Lagwagon
should at least find an MP3 of one of these songs to see what they are
all about. I myself really enjoy this album and I can only hope for great
things in the future from this band.
Klam's Rating: 8.5
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Well that about does it for me. Hopefully I'll keep my word and make the
pit a bi-weekly thing from now on. Maybe I'll do a pit comprised of show
reviews for the shows I've been going to. Who knows? With all that said,
I will take my leave and I promise I'll be back soon.