Top Ten Video Games of 2010

Here is a list of the Top Ten Video Games I played in 2010

1.  Red Dead Redemption (XBOX 360)
2.  God of War III (PS3)
3.  Super Mario Galaxy 2 (WII)
4.  Donkey Kong Country Returns (WII)
5.  Call of Duty: Black Ops (XBOX 360)
6.  Alan Wake (XBOX 360)
7.  Madden 11 (XBOX 360)
8.  Scott Pilgrim vs The World (XBOX 360)
9.  Halo: Reach (XBOX 360)
10.  Metroid: Other M (WII)

Now there are some games I haven't played that would probably make this list.  They are:

Epic Mickey (WII)
Mass Effect 2 (XBOX 360)
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PS3)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (WII)
GoldenEye (WII)

Top Ten Movies of 2010

Here is a list of the Top Ten Movies I saw in 2010.

1.  Inception
2.  Toy Story 3
3.  127 Hours
4.  Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
5.  The Social Network
6.  How to Train Your Dragon
7.  The Kids Are Alright
8.  Never Let Me Go
9.  Winter's Bone
10.  Kick-Ass

Now there are some big movies I haven't seen yet that may make it into my top ten once I see them.  Here are those films:

The Town
Black Swan
The Fighter
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
King's Speech

My Take on Paste Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2010

Paste Magazine just released their picks for the Top 50 Albums of 2010/  The list can be found here: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2010/12/the-50-best-albums-of-2010.html

Out of the 50 albums they have listed, I have so far listened to 28 of them.  Because I have listened to more than half the albums, I've decided that I would start with the lowest ranked album on their list that, that I've listened to, and work my way up to number one. I will rank each album as I listen to them and see if I feel they should be higher or lower on the list.  Here is my list so far (I have placed the Paste ranking in parenthesis):

29. Phosphorescent: Here's to Taking it Easy (8)
28. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (5)
27. Anais Mitchell: Hadestown (41)
26. Freelance Whales: Weathervanes (29)
25. Vampire Weekend: Contra (27)
24. Josh Ritter:  So Runs The World Away (38)
23. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void (33)
22. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty (37)
21. Beach House: Teen Dream (24)
20. She & Him: Volume 2 (30)
19. Girl Talk: All Day (34)
18. The Roots: How I Got Over (31)
17. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (14)
16. Spoon: Transference (36)
15. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer (18)
14. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (1)
13. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues (15)
12. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (10)
11. Sleigh Bells: Treats (6)
10. Suckers: Wild Smile (20)
9. Lissie: Catching a Tiger (26)
8. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More (3)
7. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt (22)
6. Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz (9)
5. Janelle Monae:  The ArchAndroid (2)
4. The National: High Violet (11)
3. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (4)
2. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (48)
1. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs (7)

Top Ten Albums of 2010

1.  Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
2.  Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
3.  Kanye West:  My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
4.  Avi Buffalo: Avi Buffalo
5.  The National:  High Violet
6.  Janelle Monae:  The ArchAndroid
7.  Sufjan Stevens:  The Age of Adz
8.  The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt
9.  Mumford and Sons: Sign No More
10.  Lissie:  Catching a Tiger

2010 NFL Preview

Are you ready for some football???  I sure am.  Tonight is the first game of the 2010 National Football League schedule.  First up is the Minnesota Vikings playing at the New Orleans Saints.  This game is a rematch of last years NFC Championship game that New Orleans won and then ended up winning the Super Bowl.  Both Minnesota and New Orleans had high powered offenses last year that scored a ton of points and you can expect more of the same this season with both returning a majority of their offensive firepower.  But this is just the start of what should be a great season of football.

Most people know that my team is the Green Bay Packers and this season I am feeling a bit antsy.  Last season the Packers lost in a shootout with the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs.  This year the expectations are extremely high, many are saying Super Bowl or bust.  I've spent the last couple days reading expert opinions and many have the Packers reaching the Super Bowl and some even have them winning it.  Most fans would probably love hearing that their team is good enough to make the Super Bowl, but to me that's a lot of pressure and can lead to major disappointments.  I did have the chance to see the Packers play in Seattle this preseason and they did look great, but you never know what will happen once the games start to count.  When you look at the Packers schedule you will see many tough, but winnable games.  Their first opponent is the Philadelphia Eagles, who are starting a new quarterback, Kevin Kolb.  The Packers on paper should easily win the game, but playing in Philly is never easy.  The Packers also play in a division that includes the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre and everyone knows that storyline.  Hopefully this season the Packers can go out and beat Favre.  The Packers will also play Dallas, the NY Jets, the Niners and New England, all Super Bowl contenders.

The expectations for the Packers are high and I would love for them to win the Super Bowl, but I'm not sure if I can handle another Super Bowl loss.  This is my favorite time of year and I will enjoy watching how the season plays out.  Hopefully all will work out and the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be coming back to the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  GO PACKERS!!!!!

Arcade Fire Live on YouTube

Tonight Arcade Fire is holding a live webcast of their concert at Madison Square Garden on YouTube.  Not gonna lie, I am excited for this show.  I've read on many occasions that Arcade Fire is incredible live, but being in the Inland Northwest I highly doubt they will play anywhere near here (well maybe Seattle).  This live webcast will give me the chance to finally see what an Arcade Fire show is all about.

Another thing I am looking forward to with the concert is that Terry Gilliam is set to direct the concert.  You may be asking who is Terry Gilliam?  Well he is the on of the guys behind Monty Python and the director of movies like 12 Monkeys, Brazil and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Heath Ledger's last film).  If you have every experienced anything Terry has done you know that his projects tend to be visually stunning.  Because of that I am interested to see what he has planned for a concert.

The combination of Arcade Fire and Terry Gilliam makes the concert a must see.  I highly recommend everyone tune in and check it out.  Here is the link for the webcast.

http://www.youtube.com/ArcadeFireVEVO

The concert starts at 7 pm PST.  Be sure to check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Arcade Fire's New Album "The Suburbs" Initial Thoughts

Today is the official release date for the new Arcade Fire called "The Suburbs".  I've spent the last few days listening to it and I love it.  I don't think it is quite as good as their debut album "Funeral", but I do enjoy it more than their last album "Neon Bible".

 

I would like to spend a little more time with the album before I give it a full detailed review.  I mean I have only been listening to it while working at my desk so it hasn't gotten 100% of my attention.  I am able to give a few insights about it though.  I would have to say my favorite song so far on the album is Modern Man.  I don't know what it is about it, but it's fun and when I first heard it I immediately enjoyed it.  The song right after Modern Man, Rococo is a great song to sing in the car.  Just repeating Rococo over and over again.


I feel like the first album packs more of a bunch and is more upbeat and enjoyable to listen to, while the later half just kind of strolls along with songs that tend to blend together.  My favorite song in the second half of the album is probably Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).  I think part of the reason for me enjoying this song is because Regina is the main singer so it's a nice change of pace from Win, the bands lead singer and Regina's husband.  I also really enjoy this line from the song: "Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains and theres no end in sight".  


I haven't really looked too much into the lyrics but the overall theme of the album is about suburbian life and the highs and lows of it.


Right now I would have to say that this album is my favorite of the year so far.  Arcade Fire has come out with another outstanding album and don't appear to be losing their touch.  I highly recommend the album and feel that people should start appreciating the good music that's out there and support a band like Arcade Fire.

Top Ten Albums of 2010 (so far)

1.  Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
2.  Suckers: Wild Smile
3.  The National:  High Violet
4.  Shearwater:  The Golden Archipelago
5.  Frightened Rabbit:  The Winter of Mixed Drinks
6.  The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt
7.  Spoon:  Transference
8.  Broken Bells:  Broken Bells
9.  Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void
10.  Band of Horses:  Infinite Arms

Honorable Mention:  The Morning Benders, Titus Andronicus, Janelle Monae, Big Boi, The Roots, Avi Buffalo, Sleigh Bells, Josh Ritter

Inception Review

Masterpiece.  Incredible.  Amazing.  Easily the best film of 2010.  These are just a few of the words I would use to describe Inception.  For those of you that don't know Inception is the new film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the same director that made Memento and The Dark Knight.  Christopher Nolan apparently started writing this film when he was 16 and then spent the better part of the past 10 years perfecting it and perfecting it he did.

I should probably start with a little rundown of what the film is about, which may be hard to do without giving away to many details.  Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, a man who is an expert at accessing peoples dreams and extracting information for them.  Cobb is hired by Saito, played by Ken Watanabe, to go beyond extracting information by trying to implant information instead.  This is known as Inception and it is something that has never really been tried before.  Cobb must construct a team that will help him complete this task.  Cobb recruits his usual partner, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), along with Eames (Tom Hardy), Ariadne (Ellen Page), and Yusuf (Dileep Rao).  The man whose mind they are to enter is Robert Fischer Jr (Cillian Murphy), he is the son and heir of a company that rivals Saito's.  This is where I should stop with the plot synopsis.

Once Cobb and his team enters Fischer's mind, that is where the fun begins.  This is when the mind boggling special effects start coming at you one after another.  One of the best scenes in the movie is one you may recall from the trailers.  This is where Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character, Arthur, is in a hotel hallway and he encounters some security guards and the hallway begins to rotate.  Arthur and the security guards are chasing each other while climbing on the walls, ceiling and floor.  It's pretty hard to describe but when you see it, you can't help but be blown away.  This is just one of many scenes throughout Inception where you just shake your head and wonder how they did that.  I look forward to the DVD so I can watch the making of featurettes for these scenes.

I remember seeing The Dark Knight opening night and being blown away and feeling that it was absolutely incredible.  Once again that is how I walked out after seeing Inception.  When trying to decide which one I enjoyed more I have to say Inception.  With Inception there was not one single dull moment, I was never bored.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and kept being blown away with the special effects.  And after the movie you can't help but want to sit down and discuss it.  If you are like me you will immediately want to see it again.

Inception is by far the best movie of 2010.  It's got the action of a big summer blockbuster and a great original story that you don't see anymore in this age of remakes and sequels.  Go see Inception and be blown away.  You will want to see it multiple times and will have many highly entertaining discussions about it.  Stop reading this and go see it NOW!!!

Inception Preview

Today is the release day for the new Christopher Nolan film called Inception.  This is Nolan's first film since The Dark Knight which set box office records all over the place.  Inception has an incredible cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Caine.

Inception is a film that has been on my radar for quite sometime now, initially because I have enjoyed all of Christopher Nolan's films and lately because of how incredible the cast is and how original the story is.  One of my very first encounters with this film was a teaser website that was created that contained only a spinning top.  When I came across this website, I loved it.  It appeared that this movie would have the same viral marketing campaign that The Dark Knight had.  Thats also when I decided I wasn't going to engulf myself in the viral marketing like I did with The Dark Knight.  I decided that I was going to try and stay in the dark when it came to Inception.  I wasn't going to read any articles about it, watch any featurettes about it and learn to much about it's plot.  Inception just seems like the type of film where going in knowing nothing will make it more of an experience.

As the release date has gotten closer and closer it's been a lot harder to not find out too much about Inception.  One thing I have decided to let myself know is the reviews the film has been getting.  I haven't been reading the reviews word for word to prevent any major plot details and scene breakdowns but I have been reading the summaries to see if the reviews are positive or not.  Not surprisingly a majority of the reviews have been extremely positive.  Many of the reviews are calling Inception the best film of the year and Nolan's masterpiece.  They say that this could be the film that gives Christopher Nolan the Best Director Oscar nomination he so rightly deserves and a great chance to win the Best Picture award at the Oscars.  Not all the reviews have been positive.  A few of the negative reviews say that the film lacks emotion and can be quite confusing.  But given the strong nature of the positive reviews, I have extremely high expectations for this film.

Tonight I will be seeing Inception at the IMAX so stay tuned for a review.  I look forward to being blown away from this film like I was with The Dark Knight.

World Cup Final

Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day we have been waiting for, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final.  For the past month the best soccer the world has to over has been on display in South Africa.  Today it all comes down to a historic match between the Netherlands and Spain.  Neither team has one the World Cup before.

To reach the finals, the Netherlands had to win Group E, then beat Slovakia (2-1), Brazil (2-1) and Uruguay (3-2).  All games were close and extremely enjoyable to watch.  The Brazil game wasn't 100% watchable since I wanted Brazil to win, but as a soccer fan it was a good game to watch. The leading scorer for the Netherlands is Wesley Sneijder who currently has 5 goals, putting him in a tie for the Golden Boot, which goes to the leading goal scorer throughout the entire World Cup.

For Spain to reach the finals, they had to win Group H, then beat Portugal (1-0), Paraguay (1-0), and Germany (1-0).  Looking at that road to the final, you can tell they had a tough road.  Portugal was ranked the 3rd best team in the world and Germany was probably the hottest team in the World Cup.  Spain also has a player on their team that is tied in the lead for the Golden Boot, David Villa.  Villa has actually scored 5 of the teams 7 goals.

When you look at both teams, it's hard to determine which one will win the game.  Spain has been winning low scoring games showing that they are strong defensively.  Netherlands has been showing that they are strong offensively by winning high scoring games.  So which style of play will win when it all matters?  I put my money on Spain, I mean they do always say defense wins championships.  But I also feel that Spain has the quality of players with David Villa and Fernando Torres to score plenty of goals to win the game.  I have a feeling this game will be a classic and go down as one of the greatest World Cup games ever.  No matter who you want to win, enjoy the last game in what has been a great month of soccer.

Twilight Thoughts

Tonight at midnight is the opening of the latest movie in the Twilight Saga, Eclipse.  This is the third movie of the four book series (the last book will be made into 2 movies).  For those of you that don't know anything about the series, it is about this average girl, Bella, that falls in love with a boy, Edward, at her school.  It turns out that Edward is a vampire, but that doesn't stop Bella from falling for him.  Edward tries to tell Bella it won't work but she doesn't care.  Bella has this family friend named Jacob.  Jacob ends up falling for Bella.  But of course Jacob turns out to be a werewolf and warns Bella of the dangers of Edward and vampires.  Bella becomes torn between Jacob and Edward, but she knows she must make a decision.

Now I'm no expert on this series, I have read 3 of the 4 books and saw the first movie.  I found the books to be enjoyable but nowhere near being masterpieces.  They were easy to read and near the end of each book hard to put down.  While reading them it's not hard to see why girls enjoy them so much.  They are fairly mushy and deal a lot with Bella's feelings for both Edward and Jacob.  I feel another aspect that may attract the females is the idea of forbidden love.  The idea that Bella and Edward do love each other but know it may not work out because of Edward being a vampire.  Another draw to the series may be the fact that Jacob and Edward will pretty much do anything they can to protect Bella and keep her from harms way.

Even if I did find the books to be enjoyable, the movies are a completely different monster.  The first movie, Twilight, seems like it was rushed and made as cheaply as possible.  The special effects in the movie are down right laughable.  I remember sitting in the movie theater and laughing out loud when Bella and Edward are running through the forest and climbing up trees.  It was so bad, you could find better effects in a made for TV Sci-Fi channel movie.  Not only were the effects bad, but the acting was downright horrid.  The books are emotional, you can feel the attraction, in the movies you wonder if they even like each other.  There are no looks of desire and passion, just emptiness.  I can't really comment on the second movie, New Moon, since I never saw it, but judging from reviews it is worse than the first movie.  The reviews for the latest movie, Eclipse, have started rolling in and it appears that the consensus is that it is the best of the three movies, but not that great.

Even though the books are alright and some of the movies may be watchable, there is one thing you can't deny, Twilight is a world wide phenomenon.  Everywhere you look you see Twilight this and Twilight that.  Walk into any high school or middle school and Twilight is what you will hear the girls talking about.  Walk down any magazine aisle in a grocery store and you will see pictures of Bella, Edward and Jacob on at least 50% of the covers.  When you watch TV you will find ads asking whether you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob.  Saturday Night Live is doing sketches making fun of Twilight.  It's one of those things that has completely encompassed all of society.  No matter who you talk to, someone has something to say about the series.

Whether you absolutely love Twilight or hate it with every bone in your body, you can't deny it's success.  Will it still be a topic of conversation 15 years from now?  Probably not, but it is the current sensation that you can't get around no matter how hard you try.  If you are looking for a way better vampire movie based off a book see Let The Right One In.  And guys if your girlfriend wants to see the movies, be lucky that they aren't as bad as movies like Valentine's Day.

USA vs Ghana 2nd Half/Extra Time

I don't know what Coach Bradley said at halftime but whatever it was it fired up the US soccer team.  The USA came out for the 2nd half with an energy and fire that was missing in the 1st half.  They were able to start getting decent shots on goal and put Ghana on their heels.  In the 62nd minute, the US finally caught a break when Clint Dempsey was fouled in the penalty box.  This allowed Landon Donovan a chance to take the penalty kick.  Donovan waited for the ref's whistle and once that sounded he kicked the ball and hit the right post, the ball sneaking into the goal.  Finally the US was on the board and the score was tied 1-1.

For the rest of the game the US tried hard to score again, but nothing went their way.  Ghana seemed content and didn't really have any chance at scoring.  Since nothing was going the American's way, the game ended in a 1-1 tie, but since this was the knockout round their would be another 30 minutes of play and if it was still tied after that, the game would come down to penalty kicks.  Three minutes into the overtime play, the US defense once again gave up a ball and Ghana was on the run and scored a goal that should never have happened.  This goal completely deflated the US.  They seemed to lose all the energy they had and Ghana was able to control the game.  The final whistle blew with the score Ghana 2, the US 1.  The US players dropped to their knees in despair while the Ghana players jumped in the air in celebration.

To me the US weren't that impressive during the World Cup.  They never played to their potential until their backs were against the wall, whether it was being down 2-0 to Slovenia or waiting until the 90th minute to finally score against Algeria.  Playing that way will catch up to you sooner or later and it did against Ghana.  Hopefully in the next few years the US will learn to start a game and not allow early goals and maybe score some themselves.  Heres to 2014 where hopefully the US can show the world they are ready to play with the big boys like Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and Brazil.

USA vs Ghana - First Half

Unless you have been living in a cave, you know that the USA has advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  Their opponent in the first knockout round is Ghana, the only African nation left in the World Cup.  Ghana and the USA have only played once and that was in the 2006 World Cup when Ghana defeated the US in the last game of group play eliminating the USA.

The USA apparently loves giving up early goals in games.  They did it against England in their first game.  Slovenia in their second game and were inches away from giving one up against Algeria in their third game.  So is it really surprising that the USA gave up a goal in the first 5 minutes of the game?  The goal wasn't even that pretty, the defense just gave the ball away near midfield and Ghana was able to counter and score.  From what I can tell that goal hasn't even woke up the US yet.  They are playing sloppy, giving up cheap fouls and have only really had one scoring chance.

The first half of this game has been extremely disappointing and boring.  I hope the US coach is able to give an inspiring halftime speech because they aren't playing like they want to win.

2010 FIFA World Cup: Week 1

The first week of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is almost over.  So far the first week of action hasn't been a disappointment.  Here are some of the highlights so far.

USA-England:  There was a lot of hype leading up to the game and I'm not quite sure the game lived up to it.  England was able to score a goal within the first 4 minutes which caused me to feel that it was gonna be a long game.  The US defense seemed like they didn't want to defend England giving them plenty of chances to score other goals.  The US offense couldn't get anything going.  Luckily in the 40th minute the US was given a gift when the goalie for England misplayed the ball and let it bounce of his hands into the goal.  When I saw Clint Dempsey kick the ball and it hit the goalies hands I thought the ball was stopped so I looked away and missed the ball slowly roll into goal.  There were a couple of chances for both teams in the 2nd half, but neither side was able to capitalize.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw giving both teams just 1 point in group play.  Next up for the US, Slovenia on Friday.

Spain-Switzerland:  Spain is a team that many feel have a chance to win it all.  In my ESPN Bracket Predictor, I selected them to make it to the semifinals.  Switzerland isn't necessarily a bad team, but when going up against Spain, you would expect Spain to dominate.  When you look at the stats of the game Spain appeared to have complete control.  Spain possessed the ball for 63% of the game and had 24 shots compared to Switzerland that had only 8 shots.  But in the 52nd minute Switzerland was able to put one of their shots in the goal and pulled off what many believe to be the biggest upset of the first round.

Germany-Australia:  Australia has a little place in my heart since I took them to the World Cup championship in the 2006 FIFA World Cup video game on the Gamecube.  Unfortunately they had to play the mighty Germany in their first game of the 2010 World Cup and boy to Germany give it to Australia.  Germany dominated the game and scored 4 goals.  The most by any team in the first series of games.  It was hard to not feel bad for Australia, they were dominated in every phase of the game.  Germany looked great and potentially dangerous for any team that has to play them after group play.

Group of Death:  The first big game in the Group of Death was played between Ivory Coast and Portugal.  Both these teams know it will be hard fight to advance since Brazil is in their group.  I had some pretty high expectations for this match but of course was disappointed when the game ended in a scoreless draw.  Either team played exceptionally well.  In the other game within this group, Brazil put on a fairly impressive performance against North Korea, winning the game 2-1.  The first goal of the game for Brazil was scored by Maicon and so for has got to be the best goal of the 2010 World Cup.

These are just a few of the things that have happened so far.  I hope to bring more updates about the World Cup soon.

2010 FIFA World Cup Preview

Today beings the greatest month in sports that only happens every four years, the FIFA World Cup.  This time the World Cup takes place in South Africa and it is the first time the World Cup has been held in Africa.  The World Cup is made up of 32 nations that go through an extensive qualifying process.  Those 32 nations are then separated into eight 4-team groups, where only two teams from each group advance.

One of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup is the United States versus England.  That takes place tomorrow, June 12th.  I think the game will either end in a draw (tie) or England will win by one goal.  One of the best groups in the World Cup has to be Group G and is made up of Brazil, South Korea, Ivory Coast, and Portugal.  It's hard to say what two teams will advance from this group but I believe it will be Brazil and Portugal.

When it comes to predicting a champion I have to go with my favorite team, Brazil.  There are other teams that are capable of winning the World Cup though.  I wouldn't be surprised if Portugal, Spain, or Argentina walk away champions.  Keep checking back throughout the next month, I plan on watching as many of the games as I possibly can and will try to give my opinions on what happens.  Also I will be posting the bracket I picked over on ESPN.com in their World Cup Bracket Predictor.

Enjoy the next month watching the greatest sport in the world!!!

Blitzen Trapper/The Moondoggies Concert

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of getting to see two bands that I really enjoy in concert, Blitzen Trapper and the Moondoggies.  The concert took place at the Knitting Factory in Spokane.  If you haven't been there, it can be a pretty decent venue for a concert.  The audience isn't always the best though and that was the case for this concert.  The crowd was fairly small and some of those in attendance hadn't even heard of either band and decided to talk through most of the concert.  Trust me I was really frustrated.

Even though the crowd was bad, the bands themselves were great.  The Moondoggies started out the night with a pretty good set.  While watching the lead singer, Kevin Murphy, seemed to be channeling his inner My Morning Jacket's Jim James.  Kevin had some great energy and just belted out his songs.  After the performance you could tell the Moondoggies won over a lot of fans.  People were running to the merchandise stand to purchase their album.

After a solid performance by the Moondoggies, Blitzen Trapper took the stage.  They started out the night with "Black River Killer" off their amazing album Furr.  After that they started to mix in numerous songs off their new album, Destroyer of the Void.  Since Destroyer of the Void hadn't been released when the concert happened it was interesting to see the fans reactions to the new songs.  My favorite part of the night was when  Erik Earley, the leader singer, took the stage by himself and sang my favorite song off Destroyer of the Void, "The Man Who Would Speak True".  I really enjoyed how Blitzen Trapper mixed both old and new songs.  Seeing them perform songs off the new album actually made me like the new album even more.

If you haven't listened to Blitzen Trapper yet, they are definitely worth a listen.  I would say listen to Furr and then Destroyer of the Void and then if you have the opportunity see them in concert.  You won't be disappointed.

Here is the setlist from Blitzen Trapper (the first one I've ever gotten):

Black River Killer
Laughing Lover
Fire & Fast Bullets
God & Suicide
Love & Hate
Destroyer of the Void
Evening Star
Heaven & Earth
Below the Hurricane
Lady on the Water
The Tree
The Man Who Would Speak True
Not Your Lover
Furr
Sleepytime in the Western World
Dragon's Song
Lover Leave Me Drowning
Sadie
Wild Mountain Nation

Arcade Fire Announce New Album

Arcade Fire has finally announced their new album, The Suburbs.  This is an album that I have been waiting for years to be released.  I have eagerly anticipated any news about this album, whether it was they have started writing, recording, mixing, about to release, etc.  A couple weeks ago they released a 10 second segment of both sides of the first single.  Even though it was only 10 seconds, it was new Arcade Fire and that alone is amazing.  The new album will be released on August 3rd.  Below is the cover art for The Suburbs.

To pre-order the album go to http://www.arcadefire.com/

Local Natives/Suckers Concert

My ears are ringing like they never have before.  It only adds to the incredible night that was had at the Empyrean in Spokane.  Tonight the Suckers and Local Natives put on an absolutely amazing concert.  When I got to the Empyrean, the Local Natives were just finishing up their sound check.  This was the first time I've ever experienced a sound check.  It was pretty fun to watch.  After that the Suckers took the stage and did their sound check.  Once they were done that was when the waiting began.  I had read somewhere that a local band was supposed to open, but they never took the stage.  I'm not sure if they were no-shows or weren't really scheduled to play.

The Suckers were the first band to take the stage tonight.  I don't really know the Suckers that well.  They only have 4 track EP with a full length album coming out on June 8th.  When they took the stage, they looked just like regular guys until I saw the lead singer, Quinn Walker.  He decided to have war paint on his face.  I was kind of expecting it since I read many articles comparing them to David Bowie.  Once the band started playing I was no longer distracted by the war paint.  The Suckers were completely crazy up on stage.  Quinn's stage presence was awesome.  He took control of the audience and captivated them with his every move.  I can't tell you what their songs were about, but I look forward to hearing their album that comes out.  Their performance made me a fan.

After the Suckers, it was time for the Local Natives.  I am absolutely in love with the Local Natives album, Gorilla Manor.  I can listen to the album on repeat for hours and hours.  Once they got on stage you could feel the audiences excitement.  The energy in the room just exploded with the first strum of the guitar.  The bands lead singer, Taylor Rice, has one of the best Tom Selleck-mustaches in music history.  When Taylor starts playing that guitar and dancing on stage the only emotion possible is happiness and awe.  Each member of the band played multiple instruments throughout the night and did an incredible job showing how talented they are.  For me the highlight of the night was when they played "Airplanes".  I have absolutely loved this song for the first time I heard it and they did not let me down.  Hearing it live sent shivers down my spin.  Another highlight was the last song of the night, "Sun Hands".  The entire audience was anticipating this song, waiting for them to blow us away and that they did.  The Local Natives look at home on the stage and you could see how much they love what they do.

Overall I felt the Local Natives and the Suckers put on one the best concerts I have ever been to.  As I'm typing this my ears are still ringing.  If you have the opportunity to see either of these bands in concert I highly recommend it.  Until then pick up both their albums and be amazed by two highly talented bands.

Local Natives Concert Tonight

Tonight the Local Natives are playing in Spokane at the Empyrean.  I'm pretty excited for this concert.  I absolutely love their album "Gorilla Manor".  If you haven't heard it yet, it is one of the year's best so far.  I would have to say my favorite songs off the album are Sun Hands and Airplanes.  Their harmonies are incredible.

I haven't read anything about how they are in concert but I'm hoping they are amazing.  Since the concert is at the Empyrean it will be a small intimate show.  I have been to a concert at the Empyrean before back when it was The Big Dipper.  I saw the Hold Steady there and found the venue to be pretty sweet for a concert.  It's not like a big arena show where you can barely see the band.  You are right in the bands face and the energy can be incredible.

Opening for the Local Natives are the Suckers and a local band called Sassmatrons.  I have spent a majority of the day listening to the Suckers EP to try and get a feel for them.  From what I've heard I think they should put on a pretty good show.  They only have a 4 track EP out with a full length album coming out in June, so I have a feeling a lot of the songs played will be from that full length album.  I have no idea what the Sassmatrons sound like so it will interesting to see how they are.

Given the small intimate setting of the Empyrean and my enjoyment of the Local Natives, I have a feeling tonights concert will be one to remember.