Hello everyone, belated merry Christmas and welcome again to my now sort of new blog but if someone didn't think it was new because it no longer has that new blog thing smell so it wouldn't be surprising, The Musical Corner! As always, I crave the attention of peers and I choose to seek it out here and maybe yours as well. That is, if you have the content to show it! So with little further repetition in a game show manner, lets get this show on the road:

Drums

I'd first like to thank everyone who watches my videos for all the support it's given me, having now amassed 1000 views on my The Dear Hunter video, I'm on the front page for that song! But, more on topic, this is quite a long one, so I don't blame you if you don't have the stamina to watch the whole thing let alone play it yourself! Between the Buried and Me has been one of my longtime favorite bands since the days of Colors. Having met Blake Richardson himself, he's been a big inspiration for me in wanting to be a drummer and do more than just a standardized 4/4 tempo. And that shows in the level of technique he displays in all of their songs.

To start things off with, this song is fucking long. I think this may in fact be their second longest song, next to, "Swim To the Moon," of course. And It was a delight to play the whole time. Which is actually a bit of a lie when I consider all the times I messed up on a run to record this and had to repeat those fucking beginning 2 minutes over and over again. Yet, at the very least, I did at one point manage to nail one take well enough so that the nail was bent slightly but not severely enough to require me to rip it out and do it again.

Now in terms of video editing, let me disclaim that I went Michael Bay with these special effects like a fat kid in a candy store except that fat kid also has no arms. Having moved on from the professional tool that is Windows Live Movie Maker and into Sony Vegas Pro, I can say that it has made the process of editing as a whole much more simplified. A majority of the effect work is me gaining a grasp on learning the program so you'll see how the effects progress in finesse as the video goes on (if you manage to watch that far into it of course). Although, I still had a bit of sync issues around the 8 minute mark but I've disregarded it so that I can move on to another shade of pastures.

Either way, I'd like to think it came out decent enough, and with the experience in Sony Vegas pro, I should be able to craft slightly better edited videos at the very least. But, if you have a differing opinion of your own, feel free to share it and anything else you have, whether it be content or recommendation related!

Videogames

Unfortunately, I can't say I have been playing too much as of this week. At most, I've been fiddling with Super Meat Boy. While I have managed to complete everything in the first two worlds, I can see things ramping up in the later levels or in the dark worlds for that matter. Along with the controls being feathery enough to possibly drive me mad with rage at that point. Hopefully my experience completing all the challenge rooms in Bionic Commando: Rearmed and placing 9th in the world on the last one will be enough technical platforming muscle memory to help me out here!

Other than that, I still have a copy of Spec Ops: The Line and Assassin's Creed III to get into. Although, while I'm on the topic of Assassin's Creed, Before I could even think about starting the game, I still needed to complete Revelations! Which I had actually stopped playing minute away before the ending, and what an ending it was! I honestly feel as if it has redeemed most of the shortcomings that had afflicted the franchise as a whole. Making me feel excited to see what is to become of Desmond's story in the "third" installment. I guess that makes it my 2011 2012 game of the year!

Bringing this to a close in a similar repetitious manner: If any of you duders have an opinion on either music or awesome videogames, feel free to contribute it here. I look forward to hearing them!

This has been The Musical Corner!

Hello everyone, and welcome again to my still new but not new enough to have that new blog thing smell, The Musical Corner! As before, I look forward to satiating my ego and maybe yours as well. That is, if you have the content to show it! So without further ado, lets get this show on the road:

Drums

This time around I've decided to continue taking it away from the metal direction but head into something a little more mainstream, The Dear Hunter! I actually came upon them several months ago on this very website thanks to a fellow duder! And I have to say, I was won over in a heartbeat. The talent that each member possess, along with the flow and rhythm of the music, is a match made in musical heaven. Unfortunately, I have decided to tear them down from their lofty clouds with the Chains of Song Covering into The Musical Corner!

After having played and enjoyed a lot of what Act III: Life and Death, I finally felt comfortable enough to cover one of their songs. My choice being, "What It Means To Be alone." I'm definitely a big fan of the beat of this song, and the depth of the vocals helping tie it down left me with something I could really jam to. For the most part a managed to keep it clean, minus some little stuff. But, I had a lot of fun with this! I especially like songs that let me groove on the hi-hat, and the chorus is catchy enough to refrain from being meddlesome by the end of the song.

Overall, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up cover a few more songs by them, if you have any recommendations let me hear them! Like before, let me hear your opinions on the subject matter if you have any!

Videogames

A little more going on lately in terms of video games than before: To start off with, I ended up beating Halo 4 solo on legendary. The past experience of doing it with pretty much ever other Halo game helped shape me up to the task in what I felt was honestly a reasonable difficulty and handled very well by 343. Their were very few times that I felt like I was forever doomed, one being in the 3rd mission I believe where you get swarmed by banshees and have to take out several explodey things. Fuck that part. Since then though, I haven't touched the game at all, even with my mass of double XP games trying to tempt we to sway back over. But, alas, I have too much of a back catalog as it is to be dumping it into the online!

The big game for me lately has been Psychonauts. Having always wanted to play it due to my love for adventure platformers, I finally caved and made the jump. And it is a leap I have no regrets making. Having 100% completion on the game, I think I can form a proper opinion on the game. Which is that it is the shit.

From the great handling of the controls and gameplay, to the wacky but entertaining and unique story. Psychonauts set forth a universe I could totally get behind, and with the addition of great voice acting and writing, it was a delight from start to finish! I also enjoyed the ending and its set up for a sequel that could be the best game that never happened, although, I did find the 100% bonus very disappointing, but enjoyable nonetheless.

If any of you duders have an opinion on either music or awesome videogames, feel free to contribute it here. I look forward to hearing them!

This has been The Musical Corner!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my new shitty blog thing, the Musical Corner! As to why I'm doing this is in part self gratifying and I love learning about the musical proficiency of fellow duders and their own content if they have any! Who knows, maybe a Giant Bomb inspired band could come of this with a stupid name but only time shall tell. Now to get this show on the road:

Drums

Even though I usually stick to metal in terms of covering a song, the talent of Mars Volta's drummer knows no bounds. While their music as a whole is not much my taste, when you're playing along to something so fun, I don't think it really matters. And I'm not sure if it speaks to the quality of mainstream music or not, but progressive and alternative rock, while slapped with subgenre identifiers to help exclude them, have a charm about them that is a cut above the rest.

I'm also very curious as to everyone elses' opinion on the matter and if I'm alone in the idea that bands willing to venture outside the mainstream box usually seem more dedicated in making something truly special and their own! But, onto another matter!

Videogames

I honestly haven't been doing too much with videogames lately! The big thing for me has just been playing a fair bit of Halo 4 and struggling to maintain my 2.0 k/d, but, it certainly requires a lot of avoidance around variants like big team infinity. For the amount of vehicle control required to do well in that against decent players is incredibly biased when you are in a squad of kamikazes. Although, I will admit that I've been having a blast and a lot of fun with infected. I just hope some of the lag issues get cleared up but this is definitely the best Halo yet in my opinion!

That's all I have for today! I hope this served to be at least remotely interesting and I hope to hear from my fellow bombers on all things music and videogames!

This has been The Musical Corner!