New Music on my iPod

There has been a dearth of good music in the new millennia.  There have been some bright spots.  Porcupine Tree and Spock’s Beard have satisfied my love of Progressive Rock.  There have been some good folk bands and a few good albums peppered the landscape, but that’s about it.

In the late 80s I lived in New England and enjoyed the Boston music scene.  There were some great bands. The Neighborhoods and The Zulus were staples at places like The Channel and TT The Bears. 

We would go to Providence to see bands like Husker Du at The Living Room.  One show at the Channel in Boston, we saw Soul Asylum open for Husker Du (awesome show).

So, fast forward 23 years and an older father of two teenage girls is surfing the internet and comes across a band that scratches the same itch that those bands of the late 80s and early 90s scratched. I ran across a band from Kitchner, Ontario, comprised of three teenagers who actually rocked hard, Courage My Love.

Why am I writing about this band?  Well, because they renew my faith in music.  The creative force behind this group is twin sisters, Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn. These kids write their own music and lyrics, which is highly commendable in this age of pre-packaged, sanitized music.  Their first EP, For Now, has 7 very good songs that were penned when these girls were 17-18 years old.  They are two years older than my eldest daughter.  Wow, I feel old. 

At any rate, these kids are worth a listen.  They have a ton of talent and potential.

GMO

Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are primarily used in biological and medical research, production of pharmaceutical drugs, experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy), but in recent years they have been a part of agricultural production (e.g. golden rice, resistance to herbicides). The term "genetically modified organism" does not always imply, but can include, targeted insertions of genes from one species into another.  This can be very useful in that some cells can be induced to produce substances that are wonderfully beneficial to man.  However, that benefit is being overshadowed by a misinterpretation of what is actually happening with GMOs in modern agriculture.

We have selectively bread species of animal or plant for centuries to express certain characteristics.  That manipulation in and of itself is genetic modification.  Bacon has the delicious proportion of fat and muscle through those manipulations.  There isn’t a geneticist out there producing a pig who’s fat produces maple syrup or making a tomato plant with the addictive qualities of cigarettes (i.e., Tomacco plants).

  That would be worth serious scrutiny.  No, what we have today is quite nefariously different.  We have companies who trademark the genetic sequence of certain plants as a way to corner the market on those commodities (soy beans, corn, etc…).  That is the vast majority of GMO food that is out there today AND it is relatively harmless.

What is more important than the call for labeling of GMOs, which in my opinion miss the mark and only cause potential trade barriers, is that these genetic patents on plants cause monopolies in the agricultural industry.  Those monopolies then dictate to their farmers what and where to plant.  Labeling isn’t the issue.  The issue is corporate welfare for agricultural companies trying to corner the market on our food supply.  That doesn’t require a label, but rather regulation. 

My “Best Of” Band

While listening to some new music, I was musing on who were the best (based on the music that I listen to) at their various instrument.  While this is a wholly subjective assessment, I will offer some examples of why I think the people I picked for the top slot deserve that title:

Vocals –

In rock music, the band’s front man is usually the lead singer.  A quote from the great movie, Almost Famous, says it all; ‘I work just as hard or harder than anybody on that stage. You know what I do? I connect. I get people off. I look for the guy who isn't getting off, and I make him get off.’  Therefore, for lead vocals, you need a larger than life figure.  For me, there are many.  Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Mick Jagger and Anthony Kiedis are all contenders, but the seminal front man is Jim Morrison:

Guitar –

This is a tough one and I’m going outside the normal box for my selection.  Rock is synonymous with a strong searing guitar and there are MANY that percolate to the top; Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, David Gilmore, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix, and Alex Lifeson (a favorite).  My pick for this spot goes to Phil Manzanera, best known as lead guitarist for Roxy Music, although his solo works shine.  (this pick will probably be the most controversial)  This clip shows Phil with David Gilmore:

Bass –

The bass player is the heart of any band.  The beat of modern rock and roll is dictated by the harmony between the bass and drums.  Good bass players go unnoticed but make mediocre bands great.  Great bass players blow people’s minds.  Some of the best are Geddy Lee, Tony Levin, Greg Lake, Paul McCartney (he’s actually a really good bass player) and John Entwistle.  However, my favorite bass player is Flea (nuff said):

Keyboards –

You don’t need keyboards in a rock band, but when you do have them the sound is elevated beyond that of a simple beat.  Great keyboardists are usually featured in some of the more complex bands, like Yes (Rick Wakeman) and Genesis (Tony Banks), but even Elton John must be recognized as a stellar keyboardist. My favorite is, and always has been Keith Emmerson:

  

Drums –

Along with the bass player, the drummer is the heart of the band.  With a good drummer, the band can venture into the realm of greatness.  Many fit the bill; Carl Palmer, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, and Bill Bruford are among my favorites.  However, the best drummer, by a wide margin really, is Neil Pert.  His musicianship (not to mention his songwriting ability) put him above and beyond the rest:

At any rate, that’s my little rant for today.  Please let me know how you feel and realize that this is my opinion today.  I have the prerogative to change my mind tomorrow.

A Progressive Approach

In 1977, I was sitting in the Air Conditioned Cobo Arena with my friends watching Emerson, Lake & Plamer play their set with a full orchestra.  They were said to be past their prime.  The Works Vol. 1 album was not received like Brain Salad Surgery, but Cobo was still full of fans, listening to one of the best 'progressive rock' bands around.


Progressive Rock is an interesting phenomenon, or at least it seemed like it was, because when the 80s hit, progressive music fell to the background.  The landscape became baron   Genesis became a pop band.  Skinny ties and keytars were the rage.  Progressive rock, on the other hand was complex.  It was music that was rooted in a classical tradition.  It was harder to listen to, and to appreciate it, you had to take the time to listen.

I enjoy that music.  The music of my youth were as follows:

ELP
Roxy Music
Genesis/Peter Gabriel
King Crimson
Yes
Eno
Gentle Giant
Rush
Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull
Talking Heads

The last few were not specifically classified as 'progressive' but I enjoy all music.  I've seen ZZ Top and The Red Hot Chili Peppers almost as many times as I've seen Yes and ELP.

As the years have passed, progressive music has fallen to the background of the musical landscape.  The era where these bands play arenas is over.  I recently saw Asia (a more mainstream band made up of members with a progressive background) at a small sit-down venue (the Ram's Head in Annapolis).

Recently, progressive rock has enjoyed a renaissance.  Great bands like Porcupine Tree and Spock's Beard are out there.

Last week I received the new album from Spock's Beard, Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep.

This project was totally fan sourced through Indiegogo. The project earned almost three times their modest goal and produced a truly excellent album.

I highly recommend this album.  It sent me back to those days of my youth.

OZ

I was going to write a blurb on the movie ‘OZ the Great and Powerful’, but thought it required more than just a few words.  OZ was a good, not a great movie.  I enjoyed it, but upon reflection thought it was doomed from the start.  OZ suffers from three divergent examples of cannon in the land of OZ.

First of all, there is the 1939 classic movie, which is loosely based on the L. Frank Baum novel.  The original movie was, and continues to be, a classic.  The Baum novels should be the definitive cannon for any OZ story, but the original movie overshadows those novels in the popular mindset.  More recently, Wicked, the story of the wicked witch, has essentially become cannon in the popular culture.

So, when OZ, the Great and Powerful hit the streets, it starts off from a point where the audience has multiple expectations that are almost guaranteed to not be met.  OZ acts like a straight up prequel to the 1939 movie with a few items cherry picked from the Baum novels, and it almost works.  One of the major obstacles is that the 1939 movie is owned by Warner Bros. and this movie is produced by Disney and Disney couldn’t buy the rights to the movie.  Therefore, there was no mention of the Ruby Slippers in OZ and the color palate of the new movie was slightly off of the original.  Therefore, the movie doesn’t work as a straight prequel.

Recently, the story of Wicked has entered the pop culture psyche as the unofficial prequel to The Wizard of OZ, and this movie does nothing to even try to acknowledge that work.  The acting in OZ isn’t bad.  I like all of the leads, although Mila Kunis isn’t great when she starts cackling (and it pains me to say so, because I love Mila Kunis).

Therefore, OZ is okay, but not great, but I think that it was doomed from the start.

My rant on guns…

First of all, I believe that responsible people should be allowed to own guns.  Criminals should be vigorously prosecuted when they use or traffic in firearms.  I don’t think that anyone is advocating that the government should take away your firearms.  Now, having said that, it doesn’t mean that firearms shouldn’t be regulated.

A friend of mine gave a very pointed analogy (thanks Larry).  When you want to adopt a kitten from the shelter, you first must submit an application.  That application is subject to a background check, and following that check, the shelter will schedule to go visit your home to see if you live in an environment suitable to bring up a kitten.  People may grouse a little, but everyone accepts that as a viable way to adopt a kitten.  If you want to drive a car, you must take some form of instruction and pass a test in order to be licensed to drive.  Your vehicle must also be registered and regularly inspected to assure that it is functioning properly. 

We accept those intrusions in our lives when we want to drive or own a kitten as a matter of course.  However, when someone suggests the slightest bit of gun control, people start a well-rehearsed chorus of histrionics citing the second amendment and spreading fear that the government wants to take our guns.  The key point is that in a civil society, we need to enact some measures to assure that life is protected; from the life of a kitten to the lives of the passengers in your car.

Guns are instruments that can easily end a life and therefore should be regulated at least to the degree of a kitten.  So let’s look at the intrusive measures that the government wants to impose on gun owners:

- Universal background checks and enhancing the ability to perform those checks

- Restrictions on military style assault weapons. (Personally, I don’t believe in a ban, but that these types of weapons should be limited to registered collectors or specialty firing ranges.)

- Restrictions on high capacity ammunition clips.

There’s nothing there that even elevates to the level of adopting a kitten, let alone driving a car.  People have the right to own a gun, but shouldn’t those people at least be able to demonstrate a basic competency?  Yes, putting restrictions on gun ownership makes it more difficult for honest gun owners, but it also makes it slightly more difficult for criminals to obtain guns, and more importantly, it makes prosecuting gun related crimes easier.

There is no slippery slope on this issue, and people shouldn’t start comparing the Government to the Nazis if it wants to enact minimal gun regulations (an interesting side note is that the Nazis had some of the most liberal gun regulations of any government, for everyone except the Jews).  Therefore, if you are a responsible gun owner, good, I’m in full support of you.  If the zombie apocalypse happens, I want you right there next to me double tapping each and every zombie we find.  However, if we can enact some regulations on firearms in this country that even comes close to the level achieved by a person wanting to adopt a kitten, then I believe we’ve at least made a statement that says we respect the safety of our population.  

Turning Progression on its Ear (a gaming thing)

A vista in GW2

First things first.  I’m an adult gamer.  If you don’t know what that means, go HERE.  I love online games, and recently I’ve come upon Guild Wars 2, and for many reasons I believe that ArenaNet cracked the code.  I loved Skyrim for the open-ended scope where your decisions seemed to really drive your story.  I loved Mass Effect (and even SWtOR) for the story and strong character development.  I loved early Dark Age of Camelot for their focus on accessible and meaningful realm conflict.  Having said all of that, the cornerstone of any Massively Multiplayer Online RPG is end game progression, and that is where I want to focus.  Guild Wars 2 (GW2) has turned progression on its ear and I believe for the better.

End game progression in an MMO is usually characterized by a character reaching max level and then moving through a series of encounters in order to obtain the highest levels of gear that the game can offer.  Your accomplishment is gauged by the type of gear you own, but that gear reflects the progressively higher level of skill necessary to achieve those items.  Additionally those items that you obtain enable you to progress to the next tier of items and so forth.  Progression expands the longevity of an online game, but that longevity can either become a never-ending hamster wheel or can offer multiple possibilities that keep people engaged.

My little Yurtil ready to take on a dungeon

On first glance, you might think that GW2 doesn’t have end game progression.  There are no ‘raid’ dungeons that provide levels of high end gear.  All of their dungeons are 5-man max and start at level 30 (really 35, but I’ll get to that later).  However, what isn’t clear is that the GW2 actually has a different type of progression.  There are 8 dungeons currently in the game.  Each of those dungeons has a story mode and an ‘Explore’ mode that is slated at 5-levels above the dungeon’s level.  Explore mode consists of 2-3 different ‘paths’ within the same dungeon.  That gives around 30 different dungeon experiences for a single character.

I came upon this in a random dungeon encounter

 GW2 automatically levels a character down to the level of a zone so you can group with people below your level and still have a significant challenge.  Therefore, the dungeons in GW2 start at level 30, but all characters level 30 and above can participate in those encounters.  The other BIG change in GW2 is the elimination of the ‘holy trinity’ of tank/healer/dps classes.  Any combination of characters can form a 5-man group and be successful.  Finally, dungeons in GW2 are HARD.  There may be a general strategy for success, but these dungeons are tuned to accommodate multiple strategies and in most cases, you are lucky if you only die a couple times per encounter.  The result is frantic, fun, and very intense.  You feel a real satisfaction when you finish a dungeon and there are times that you might just want to quit in frustration.

everywhere you go is beautiful

Then why do you want to run dungeons in GW2?  If you are leveling your character, the experience is excellent.  You gain about a level of experience per run.  If you are max level, you still gain tokens for each ‘Explore’ run.  Everyone who participates in and finishes a dungeon run in ‘Explore’ mode gets a number of dungeon-specific tokens for each run.  Those tokens can be used to purchase the highest level of armor and weapons from dungeon-specific vendors.  Each set of armor and weapons looks differently and has different stats.  Additionally, you can augment those stats with runes that you can purchase at these vendors as well.  Therefore, you can build your unique look, with the stats that work best for you by running these dungeons in ‘Explore’ mode multiple times.

More vistas. Beautiful artwork abounds.

Progression in GW2 starts at level 30, but runs well through level 80.  Gear choices are huge and with the addition of crafting, world-vs-world competition, small team pvp competition, and the various challenges involving platforming puzzles and zone unlocks there is a whole lot to keep the player engaged in just the base game.  Knowing that the original Guild Wars had a number of expansions, there is a lot to keep a player involved, and this is from a game that has NO subscription fee.  That is why I’m loving GW2 and think that ArenaNet has cracked the code with respect to MMORPGs.  I would encourage all my gamer friends to give it a try.  The price is only the cost of the game, the cost of any other console or PC game out on the market, but the value of the game is huge.