Weezer: Happy 18 Year and 4 Month Anniversary!

On June 11 2010 Weezer released their self-proclaimed 'unofficial US anthem' to the World Cup entitled 'Represent'. This marks the latest track from a band which formed over 18 years ago, so join Denial as he casts a critical ear over the last decade and a half of this most unique of bands.

Let me take you back to 1992, Valentine's Day to be precise and the band now known as Weezer had their first practice together. This was to be the early seeds of a long and eventful career which continues to this day. Coming off the back of the Grunge movement, Weezer, and Rivers Cuomo specifically, made no secret of a love for bands such as Nirvana, Pixies and Sonic Youth and the early demos are a testament to this. However when it came to the recording of their first album, the first of three self-titled releases since nicknamed 'The Blue Album', the sound had changed somewhat and the signature tones of Weezer had begun to be established

The Blue Album (1994) was incredibly well received and has achieved triple platinum status in the USA, many of the bands now legendary tracks feature on this recording including "Buddy Holly", "Undone - The Sweater Song" and the near-perfect 'Say It Ain't So". The album was clearly written from a lot of personal experience and saw Cuomo exercising many demons in the recording process. Weezer had solidified their image as rock geeks and this has, in one way or another, endured to this day.

The bands second album was a complete segway both musically and commercially. A significant legal battle just prior to release about the album's title, Pinkerton, almost completely destroyed any pre-release publicity and the album's somewhat quirky, more leftfield sound put off a lot of fans of the debut. I personally rate this as one of the best records the band has produced, many did, and do, disagree. At the time of it's release Rolling Stone proclaimed it the second worst album of 1996. Despite the early setbacks, Pinkerton has garnered a fair amount of retrospective approval and even Cuomo himself has apparently changed his opinion of it.

It was five years before another Weezer album would be heard by fans and the hiatus was filled with the band members pursuing other projects and Cuomo's own depression and self-seclusion. Creative differences forced the members apart and all seemed lost until the offer of a large gig in Japan brought them back together. Soon afterwards, in 2001, the second self-titled album was released (the green album) and with it the latecomers' favourites "Hash Pipe" and "Island In The Sun". The album saw a rejuvenation in the bands creativity as well as their popularity and the songs began to flow again.

The follow-up 'Maladroit' further served to reinforce Cuomo's songwriting prowess and the band's status within the music community (despite the title's meaning). The singles 'Dope Nose' and 'Keep Fishin'' again saw Weezer attaining a large amount of mainstream coverage and playtime on MTV and radio.

Weezer have, since released a further three albums: 'Make Believe', 'The Red Album' (the third self-titled release) and Raditude are all somewhat interchangeable. They have all garnered a significant amount of criticism for being 'insincere' or 'disposable' and to some extent there is truth in this. The albums all feature some seemingly arrogant and shallow lyrics about drinking, women and parties. Which all seem somewhat out of place coming from a man who has settled down with his wife and daughter. However, there has always been a definite degree of irony in Weezer's music and maybe people, myself included, are trying to take the albums too seriously. Weezer did get somewhat experimental with The Red Album which saw the other band member taking on more of a front seat with songwriting and singing roles and trying out different instruments. This yields some interesting results and of the three, this record is undoubtedly the best.

Weezer still maintains a significant loyal fanbase most of which will undoubtedly be with them until the end. But I cannot shake the feeling that the band may be running out of steam. Certainly not with regards to their commitment and productivity as they continue to be an incredibly hard-working band, but it looks doubtful they will ever quite reach the peaks they did with their very first release all that time ago. Perhaps the bar was set too high, the stratospheric popularity of the debut album combined with the media attention, Spike Jonze directed video spots and simply having something significant to write about, it was kind of inevitable that the releases which followed would not be up to this high standard. In all honesty, I still love Weezer, I still buy all their albums but to any newcomers wondering where to start with this band, there is only one clear answer.......the beginning.

E3 2010: Portal 2

The long awaited sequel to the incredibly popular Portal was presented at this weeks expo as well as the reveal of the 'surprise' promised by the creators Valve. Just S&N brings you the details fans have been waiting for and without a single cliche'd mention of cake.....damnit.

The overwhelming success of the original Portal was, in some respects, unexpected. Not least by it's creators who opted to include it as part of the Orange Box bundle rather than release it in it's own right. This was clearly an underestimation of it's success as the title went on to be incredibly well received by both gamers and the industry in general. The long awaited follow up has now been scheduled for a release in 2011 and the anticipation grows as this game looks set to raise the bar on it's predecessor.

The game's story continues on from the previous title, albeit a very long time afterwards and the player controls the same character who has been in suspended animation since the close of the first game. In the previous title the character utilised the portal gun to solve a series of physics based puzzles, in this new installment the player will have a large amount of new toys at their disposal, these include tractor beams, concentrated lasers, launch pads, vacuum tubes and strange paint which allows the character to bounce off hard surfaces or move at very high speeds. All of these new features can be used in conjunction with the portal gun to provide an incredibly wide variety of solutions to the puzzles.

The other new feature is the inclusion of a multiplayer cooperative mode. A series of unique levels have been devised which have challenges specifically developed to be completed by two people either over an internet connection or locally.

The game seems to maintain the strange sense of humour popularised by the first and there are reports that Jonathan Coulton has returned for musical duties (which is unsurprising considering the popularity of 'Still Alive'), hopefully the balance of addictive gameplay and black humour will be successuly carried over into this new title.

The teaser trailer and early gameplay footage show an incredibly more complex environment and more 'behind the scenes' gameplay, allowing the player to escape the prying eyes of GLaDOS for parts of the story offering a new dimension to the story. All in all the game looks to be a step up from the previous title and shouldn't disappoint. Fans and newbies alike will HAVE to give this a look, on pain of death (and not understanding the torrent of internet in-jokes that are sure to follow).

Then came the surprise....Gabe Newell shuffled on to the stage during the Sony Press Conference and amidst a somewhat apologetic speech about his criticism of the PS3 announced that Portal 2 will be coming to Sony's console, with Steam support. To top it all off he also stated that he believes the PS3 version of the game will be the best. This remains to be seen but nonetheless, Portal 2 is already shaping up to be a triumph, only a year to wait.....

It Came From The Mind Of The Pastry Champion

If anything can be attributed to the JustSandN staff having consistently low test scores during our school years it's Weebl's Stuff. This isn't our way of saying that Weebl's Stuff is damaging to the human brain, although all those flashing lights can't be good for you, what we're saying is that Weebl's Stuff is addictive. Honestly, we grew up watching Weebl's Stuff when what we should have been doing was learning to build rocket ships, cure world epidemics and maintain websites. Clearly Weebl has something to answer for, so join Denial and Drew as they take an extended trip into the weird and wonderful world of Weebl's Stuff.

Over the years Jonti Picking's creations have become the stuff of legend. In the early days what attracted us to Weebl's Stuff was the randomness. Quirky, hideously catchy and ever-so-slightly insane music over short, looping videos depicting strange and unusual images. Obvious examples of these being 'Scampi', 'Kenya' and the ever-enduring 'Patrick Moore Plays the Xylophone'. These glory-nuggets entertained a generation and gave us something to talk about during alleged IT lessons at school. On the flip-side of these were the series', several of which were restricted to a small handful of episodes (the brilliant 'Mr Stabby' and 'Lardman' spring to mind) but some went on to become institutions in their own right.

Weebl and Bob is by far Jonti Picking's most popular and well-known creation having, over the course of it's life, been featured on MTV2 in the UK and also a twisted version of them being using in an advertising campaign for butter. While Weebl's contribution to butter has had limited impact on the lives of the Justsandn team, many afternoons were taken out of school enjoying a blend of alternative music and the antics of Picking's imagination. With this in mind Weebl's Stuff has become a cultural phenomenon as much as an escape from learning. Our earliest memories of the internet are of trawling for amusing flash videos while taking part in aimless MSN messenger conversations with friends we would inevitably see the next morning in school. As such the internet is awash with sites like Weebl's Stuff and Newgrounds all offering their own brand of lunch hour escapism.

However, don't be fooled into thinking that the likes of Weebl's Stuff are simply forgettable flashes against the backdrop of the evolution of the internet and cult culture. Whether wittingly or not, Picking's contributions have helped lead a digital revolution in user created content and an uprising of young artists, programmers and writers.

Many sites have appeared over the years which promote user generated flash content. Weebl's Stuff itself has an 'Upload Your Toon' section where users can submit their own creations, whereas Newgrounds is a massive hub for user generated content and has been a source for a vast array of the memes we have all come to love, including the substantial portion that have come directly from the brain of Mr Picking himself. In addition the sheer volume of content these sites have attracted has resulted in several artists being able to promote their videos and games and attract users to their own sites. There are far too many to mention in one article but some key examples include the 'Brackenwood' series, Homestar Runner and the videos at Fat-Pie.com, host of the infamous Salad Fingers series.

Returning to Weebl's Stuff, the site has continued to evolve since our now hazily remembered childhood's and Picking has, while remaining faithful to the feel of the older content, moved on into the terrifying world of commercialism, becoming a business in it's own right (and presumably keeping Mr P in pies for the rest of his life). The videos on the site have a distinctively polished look to them these days and the trend has become that we see more episodic content than one-off videos but rest assured, the distinctive roots of Weebl's Stuff remain and those first pioneering videos are still available for your perusal. Fans will be happy to hear that Weebl's stuff has grown to accommodate various forms of merchandise ranging from t-shirts through to mp3 downloads on iTunes and Amazon, so that you'll never be short of the means to amaze and annoy friends with the content of Weebl's stuff.

So that's our trip into the land of Weebl's Stuff, now go forth and sail the seas for nonsense for yourselves, to help you on your quest Denial and Drew leave you with the following recommendations. Follow them at your own risk. And remember kids - don't be a porky chancer.    

Drew: Lardman, Owls and Cat Face - I love Lardman, he is irrefutable proof that you can waste time just as well at university as you can at school.

Denial: Australia, Kenya and On the Moon - Evidence that Possums, Lions and testicle-rolling Prawns are certainly not to be trusted.

Skate 3: Review

Skate 3 is, unsurprisingly, the third installment in the EA Skate series. It is much anticipated by the previous games' fans but does it hold up to the high expectations created by it's predecessors? Has the brand had it's day? Is it all downhill from here? (pun intended)

Many among you will be aware of the rise and fall of the Tony Hawks series of games and the series' subsequent downfall. From the start, these games were released annually and the franchise eventually ran out of steam, losing a large chunk of audience in the process. So, with only a year since the last Skate game, is there a danger that this series is heading the same way? The answer.....no.....well, kind of.....maybe....lets read on.

The story loosely continues on from the previous game. Your character, the legend of San Vanelona, has decided to start a brand, and with it a skate team. This is the basis for the new online and cooperative features included in the game. Career mode missions can now be completed cooperatively online and with your assembled team. To an extent you are therefore penalised to a degree if, like me, you don't have friends who play the game. There is plenty of opportunity, however to use the online modes to meet people with which to start a team and this adds to the community feel of the game.

The game takes place in the new city of Port Carverton and the developers have clearly listened to players frustrations with the previous games. There are no more security guards to spoil your fun, You can make pedestrians move out of your way when they crowd around a spot you are trying to trick on, You can even knock opponents over in races (tremendously satisfying).

Your career progression is marked by board sales which is indicative of your brands success. In addition to this any uploaded content such as videos, photos and skate parks (which we will come to shortly), which are viewed and rated by other players in the community, earn you royalties, therefore progressing your career. You get a quick update each time you sign in detailing any royalties earned while offline. Royalties can also be earned if you appear in another players video which then goes on to get coverage within the community. All of this serves to encourage players to open the Pandora's box of online features.

The game also sees the first time difficulty settings have been included in the series. For those who found previous titles just right the normal setting offers no change to the gameplay, but either side of that there is an easy and a hardcore mode (self-explanatory really). Also for those challenges where a low angled camera just doesn't give you the view you need you can raise it to a more conventional third person viewpoint. All of these aspects can be changed in game.

Aside from the obvious additions, there is little change to the challenges the game offers. Mostly comprising of races, competitions, spot challenges and the usual 'do [insert trick] on [insert obstacle]' photo and film challenges. Far from a limitation, it seems that there is little scope to add objectives as the previous game was very comprehensive in this area.

Trick-wise, again, the previous game filled in most of the gaps, the only additions in this title are Darkslides and Underflips, both of which are incredibly satisfying to pull off.

One major addition is the park creator. The games have always allowed customisation of characters, boards and clothing but the environment often went untouched. Taking the ability from the last game to move objects one step further, players can now spawn obstacles and objects at will. These are unlocked as the game progress and offer an almost infinite customisation element to the already enormous city. In addition to this there are a handful of empty skateparks and a comprehensive park editor allowing creation and upload of custom skate parks. These, as previously mentioned, contribute to your career progression when downloaded and offer a free alternative to the inevitable DLC locations which will be released in the future.

Visually there is little to report, the game uses the same engine as the previous two titles and there is little change, the environment in which the game is set does, however, seem better crafted and a lot more attention to detail has been paid around your characters interaction with the environment. Gone are the days of senseless ragdoll physics every time you clip a curb. The character will trip and catch himself (or herself). The best part being that these run outs don't end your turn in some modes, which was a major frustration in the previous titles. There is also a nice little animation if you get onto your board at the top of a quarter pipe which sees your character walking to the edge and gracefully dropping in.

This brings me neatly on to my favourite aspect of Skate 3, the smoothness. It seems strange but the most satisfying aspect for me and many players is to chuck on the free-roaming mode, crank up the music (of which there is an impressive variety) and cruise the streets. The whole game seems so much more fluent and the controls do a lot to help that. Many of the control bugs from the previous games, not least the diabolical off-board controls from Skate 2, have been improved and the developers have seemingly found the sweet spot, vastly improving the immersiveness of this game. You truly feel that there is a connection between what you are doing with the pad and what the on-screen character performs.

In terms of sound, Skate 3 does not disappoint on the whole. The effects in-game are well crafted and add to the immersiveness. The voice acting is not so great but this is to be expected when using pro-skaters and not pro-voice actors. The Skate series has always successfully built a comprehensive soundtrack and this installment is no exception. There is a little something for everyone in there and, AT LONG LAST, players can now skip tracks in game.

My only major criticisms of the game are the continued absence of a local multiplayer and the direction taken by the Hall of Meat challenges. In these tasks players are required to throw themselves off various high points and either cause significant damage to themselves or crash into certain objects and in this installment the whole thing feels more arcade-like than ever before. This is, I suppose, a good way of relieving stress when you just cannot land that trick you've been working on but seems to detract somewhat from the realistic gameplay EA have been plugging all this time. It is nice to see this has been effectively segregated from the main gameplay now but it still, for the completionists in the audience, has to be done at some point. I found myself with an extremely long list of these challenges to do after I had completed the main story.

Overall the game offers a much smoother experience and good selection of new features. EA have been trying to push the online and community aspects of the series since it's conception and this time round they have come as close as possible without making it completely mandatory. Those who enjoyed the previous games will struggle to find fault with it and the new difficulty settings mean that there is a way in for those who haven't had three years to get to grips with the control system. This could easily be the end of a good thing if EA start pushing the annual releases and it is difficult to see where the story can go next. Your character has gone from nothing to superstar in the first game, re-built a career in the second and now started a new franchise and spearheaded a comeback in the most recent game. It is easy to forget just how young this title is and the amount it has progressed in it's short life is remarkable, we must just hope that it will not burn out as quickly.

Gogol Bordello: Trans-Continental Hustle

Released 27 April 2010 Trans-Continental Hustle is the fifth studio album from Gogol Bordello. It marks the band's first major label release (Columbia Records) since they formed in 1999. The band are famed for their trademark 'Gypsy Punk' style and feature a tremendously wide range of cultural influences. The bands sound is rooted in eastern european folk music but the band features musicians from all over the world (Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Scotland and the USA in the current lineup). This has resulted in a very distinctive feel to the music produced and the presentation of live shows.

I became aware of Gogol Bordello through the 'Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike' album (or 'Gypsy Punks' to those who can only read large letters), a tremendously exciting and somewhat anarchic album clearly designed to make you dance. The fact that some of the lyrics flirt with various languages is no obstacle, it simply served to draw the attention of the english speaking audience members straight to the music which, aside from drawing influence from the wide-ranging ethnic backgrounds of the band, cover so many different styles that I have been medically forbidden from attempting to name them all for fear of sustaining a finger injury.

The 2007 follow up, 'Super Taranta!' was more of the same but unfortunately the novelty had begun to wear a little thin for many listeners. There was a real feeling of something missing with the album. That was until I caught a live show. I was lucky enough to catch the band in a relatively small venue while they toured Super Taranta and as they worked their way through the songs I had dismissed so readily from the album it all began to make sense. As great as this album was for parties, without the band leaping around an overcrowded stage and throwing themselves recklessly into the audience (and headbutting me in the face in the process......Eugene....) it is just a little......incomplete.

I was unsure what to expect when I heard the announcement of the new album but hearing Rick Rubin and Columbia had got their grubby mits all over it I simply had to hear what mainstream success had done for the band. And the answer.....not an awful lot. It's clearly the same Gogol but there is a definite reduction in the anarchy previous albums contained. Don't get me wrong, Hutz still strums that guitar like a lunatic and the fiddles still zip through the songs like flies but it just seems, overall, toned down.

In some respects this serves to remove the sensation of listening to a gig from the next room and the songs are 'good', but 'good' isn't really enough when a band has previously produced stunning albums like 'Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike'. Highlights on this record include the very chilled out 'Sun Is On My Side' which will be a perfect song to add to your summer playlist and 'Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)' which is simply insanely catchy and comes close to the punk frenzy of previous recordings.

My personal recommendation would be to either get hold of older material which is arguably far superior, or check out their recent live DVD which will contextualise the band's style. Or even better, since they tour almost endlessly catch them at a gig......just make sure it's a small one, or they might end up on stage with Madonna again.....and we shall pretend THAT never happened.

LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

Released 17 May 2010 (UK) and 18 May 2010 (US), This Is Happening is the third studio album released by Punk/Electronica outfit: LCD Soundsystem. It has also been suggested that this will be the band's final release. 

I have to admit, I wasn't overly familiar with LCD Soundsystem until hearing the Sound of Silver album courtesy of a friend. Aside from this the only real memory I have of them is hearing 'Daft Punk is Playing at My House' on MTV2 at some ungodly hour of the morning as a child. Although it would appear I have missed the building of legends.

From their conception in the early 2000's (or arguably earlier than that in the brain of mastermind James Murphy) they have very quickly gone from an underground band with a significant cult following, to a successful mainstream act with several prestigious music awards under their belt as well as a pretty consistent record of critical acclaim.

It has been two years since the last album (Sound of Silver in 2008) and fans have been waiting with anticipation. It is clear that a lot of love went into the writing and recording process, understandable amidst all the rumours of an imminent split. Murphy has even gone on record practically begging people who managed to get an early leaked copy not to release it: "If you got a copy of the record early and you feel like sharing it with the rest of the world, then please don't ... We spent two years making this record and we want to put it out when we want to put it out. I don't care about money – after it comes out, give it to whoever you want for free but until then, keep it to yourself."

I hate to use the term 'fans of the genre' in a review but, previous LCD Soundsystem albums have required a certain penchant for electronica to get the most out them. There have always been tracks which are easily accessible to a mainstream audience, the aforementioned 'Daft Punk is Playing at My House' being a prime example. However some of the more (for want of a better word) 'hardcore' electronica pieces can be difficult for the casual listener. Fortunately, 'casual' listeners aren't what makes up the majority of their fan base.

'This is Happening' offers an eclectic cross section of influences, all layed out delicately over the backdrop of electronica. From the obvious punk influences of 'Drunk Girls' to the atmospheric drone of 'Somebody's Calling Me', the poetic and sometimes tongue-in-cheek lyrics are simply the icing on an already delicious cake.....probably a gateaux, or a massive cheesecake.....BRB...

On the whole 'This is Happening' is a lot more accessible (although not exactly radio friendly, most tracks on the album ranging from 7-9 minutes), without sacrificing the commendable musicianship and poetic lyrics of the previous productions. It's difficult to find much to criticise in an album which has clearly had such a significant amount of time and work put into it, not to mention the obvious talent that drives the whole project. Were this the final LCD album then it would be a triumphant finale, if not then it will be exciting to see where Murphy takes us next.

The Black Keys: Brothers

Released 18 May 2010, 'Brothers' is the sixth studio album from the Ohio duo 'The Black Keys (discounting EP's, solo projects and collaborations) and in some respects it is a return to the band's roots. Anyone who is familiar with their recordings will know the gritty delta-blues fuelled noise the pair have been making for years now and for those with a taste for that sound this album doesn't disappoint. However, this album provides a little something more than that.

Since the last Black Keys studio album, a lot has happened to the boys, guitarist and lead singer: Dan Auerbach embarked on a solo project and released the album 'Keep it Hid' which saw him delving into bluegrass and CCR style rock (I may be imagining it but I also detect a little taste of Nick Drake in there too). While Auerbach was off touring his new creation. Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney (presumably suffering from itchy feet) decided to start a little something of his own. This came in the form of the somewhat more lighthearted band 'drummer', a super-group made up of, you guessed it, drummers; all of whom came from bands based in Carney's home state of Ohio.

The pair came back together for the 2009 collaboration project 'Blakroc' which saw an intriguing mixture of the Keys signature blues sound and some big names in Hip Hop and R'n'B (Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, ODB and Rza to name but a few). The collaboration was widely well-received by critics and fans of both genres.

Then came the time for another Black Keys album. It is immediately clear from hearing 'Brothers' that the duo have brought something back to the table after their experimentation with other styles and artists, Auerbach's vocal range has notably improved, the album's opening track 'Everlasting Light' is carried through by a sweet falsetto and throughout the record his singing style varies hugely.

(As an aside I had to mention the genius album artwork......does exactly what it says on the tin)

As with previous albums there is the recognisable mix of dirty blues tunes and the more ballad-like, all of them conveying a deep and thorough understanding of the blues. This album will keep those who have enjoyed the bands previous releases happy and could also serve as a way in for those wishing to hear more of the band. In my opinion the best way to fall in love with these guys, should the opportunity arise, is to see them in a small venue. You will be amazed at the size of the sound made by these two men and will immediately want more.

(X/10)Y  = Z 
Where 'Z' = a review score

Skate 3 Demo: Reviewed

I downloaded the new demo of EA's Skate 3 with trepidation. As a huge fan of the series and the genre in general I am all too aware of how these sequels can go. Many of the older gamers among you will be familiar with the Tony Hawks franchise, the first 3 or 4 games of which arguable went from strength to strength breaking ground and entertaining the hell out of us in the process. Then it all went sour, at the time 'Jackass' was at an all time high and the introduction of people like Bam Margera to the franchise seemed to be the first nail in the coffin. The series lost it's feel as the focus became adolescent antics and loud abrasive voices. Story modes were dull and the arcade style gameplay simply got too repetitive.

EA Skate came at a perfect time for me. I had become utterly disillusioned with the THPS series (that's right THPS, not THUG or THAW or THP8) and needed a breath of fresh air. The early videos of Skate got me excited, the first demo had me trembling and by the time the game came around I was close to peeing myself. It combined a truly innovative control system with a very serene and immersive atmosphere. I have never spent so much time devoted to a game's free-roaming option before but it felt good to cruise the streets of San Vanelona.

When the second installment came around I was even more impressed. It was like they had listened to every gripe we had with the original, introducing cool new tricks and techniques and finally allowing us to get off the board (no more standing at the bottom of a staircase looking defeatedly at the summit).

When Skate 3 was announced I became nervous. I had flashbacks to how content I was with the original Tony Hawk's games and the cynic in me knew that the good thing has to end sometime. The bails aspect of the game has been becoming more popular and they were running out of foreseeable places to go, it seemed inevitable that the next installment would be the beginning of the downward spiral.

Fast forward to the present day and I started the demo for the first time. First of all let me get the criticisms out of the way. Now I know Jason Lee is very popular amongst the young'uns these days and he used to be a professional skater and all but it took around about 5 minutes of him repeatedly shouting 'Coach Frank' at me for the sound of his voice to begin to grate. Fortunately it would appear that he only screams over the tutorials so I won't be playing the full game on mute. Secondly (and I know this a demo-specific gripe) I hate time-limited demos, you've already limited us to a small playing area so why limit us in time as well. There are only so many dimensions you can control EA!

New features include Darkslides!

I am yet to decide whether I like the addition of difficulty settings. I understand that this makes the game more accessible to players of different abilities (I have had one too many kids crying down their mic over X Box live), but part of the appeal of the previous titles was the learning process. On the flip-side however the new 'Hardcore' mode is a new challenge for those of us who played the previous two titles to death, It's a whole new feeling of satisfaction every time you land something which takes me right back to my first experience with the control system. In addition to this setting, players now have the option to move the camera to a high angle, I tried this and immediately moved it back, it just didn't feel like Skate anymore but more like Tony Hawks, obviously this has been included due to the complaints the developers have received about the low angle previously forced upon players which does, admittedly, somewhat restrict the view.

The 'object dropper' feature adds a new element enabling the player to place various items (ramps, pipes, rails, obstacles etc) almost anywhere. Essentially this gives the player the ability to modify the various locations in the game and offers a raft of new possibilities. There are, as would be expected, a limited choice of objects in the demo but enough to give a god idea and allow a certain amount of customisation.

Challenges and tricks are almost identical to the previous games with the additions of darkslides and underflips. Both of which are tricky but veeeeery satisfying to pull off. The demo also offers the chance to test out some of the game's online features. In the full game this looks like it will be a welcome new feature, taking the online challenges from the previous game in a fantastic new direction utilising cooperative gameplay on career challenges. The demo is somewhat limited in this and with the host of a session being the only one able to start a challenge you will be lucky to find a game to check this feature out (as the majority of online players seem content with skating in circles and getting in each other's way).

The physics in the game have been given a re-working as well. Losing your board no longer results in instant ragdolling but characters stumble catch themselves with their hands and trip over their boards. This is quite a refreshing change but I have not yet put in the hours to see whether it is as detailed as it looks or just a collection of pre-set animations.

Now for a bone of contention: the bails. the previous games have been increasing the scope of the 'hall of meat' challenges whereby the player is encouraged to cause as much damage to himself (or indeed herself) as possible (usually by hurling themselves off high buildings). As previously mentioned, this kind of gameplay was a large part of the Tony Hawk's series' downfall and the inclusion of this mode has divided the game's fans. However, despite being somewhat more arcade-y in it's feel, 'Hall of Meat' has been made to feel much slicker in this game. It's not too overdone and doesn't detract from the splendour of the rest of game.
All in all the game looks quite promising, not the step down I had expected but not really offering the level of advancement that we got from 1 to 2. As expected, EA have given just enough in this demo to get a healthy taste and ensure people will be purchasing this game in droves on release day. Come May Stuff and Nonsense will, of course, be giving you a full review of the game so stay tuned, and if you simply cannot wait, download the demo.

Valleys of Neptune: Reviewed

It’s been a while since I’ve heard an album about which I simply cannot make up my mind, but Valleys of Neptune is just that. Upon hearing that a disc-full of previously unheard Hendrix material was on the horizon I placed a pre-order without a second thought. What I received, however, was not as straightforward as simply another dip in the glorious waters I knew so well.

On face value VON is incredible. I have been a fan of Hendrix for a long time and had not heard many of the tracks on the album. On my initial play-through I felt the familiar buzz I got on my first hearing of ‘Are You Experienced’ here was the great man delving into yet more strange and unusual territory and giving his very unique take on the blues, it took awhile to get over my own prejudice: as far as I was aware Jimi had a midas touch when it came to music. I don't believe this album is an instant classic by any means but it does have a few gems.

It is hard to be critical of an album made up of what are essentially bootlegs, outtakes and jams but......it's Hendrix! so the gloves came off.

There are some highlights to be heard: the instrumental cover of Cream’s ’Sunshine of your Love’ is breathtaking and I defy anyone to listen to ‘Mr Bad Luck’ or 'Hear My Train A Comin' without a smile on their face. The re-workings of classics such as ‘Red House’ and ‘Fire' simply pale in comparison to the originals, however and there just seems little point in including them. The opening track of the album is another reworking, an alternative rendition of 'Stone Free' which I believe is the only classic song on the album on a par to the original.

On the whole the album does offer a decent mix of songs, some of which are outstanding, some less so, but all convey the magic fans are familiar with. As long as the listener doesn't approach it as a 'new' album and takes it for exactly what it is: an small taste of where the man was going, what might have been. It can become quite a poignant reminder of a talent stolen far too early.

There will be obsessive Hendrix completionists out there who will undoubtedly want this album to take pride of place in their collections, however the majority of the new tracks have already been excavated by such people and those of us who have 'experienced' Hendrix (pun intended) will get some enjoyment from the album's highlights but will, i feel, ultimately return to the more established albums to quench that thirst when it arises. I therefore struggle to see where the target audience lies.

Should anyone who is new to the world of Hendrix be considering purchasing this album as an introduction I advise, nay, INSIST that they do not. Start with ‘Are You Experienced’, 'Electric Ladyland' or at the very least one of the Greatest Hits collections knocking about and fall in love as so many of us have in the past.

As I finish writing this 'Sunshine of Your Love' is playing again and I am reminded of just why this man's reputation has endured through the decades.

Homogenisation (good for milk, bad for music)

Everyone is familiar with the rivalry that exists between what has been labelled as 'mainstream' music and that which is considered alternative. This conflict has raged on since the advent of the first record company and will likely continue on for the foreseeable future. For the most part this is good clean fun and the topic of much heated debate. However, there does appear to be a darker and potentially more dangerous side to this issue, at least in my humble opinion.

Music is an art form, and one which has diversified as time has gone by. At one time, the type of music you would hear would be entirely dependant on geography and cultural heritage. However, as centuries have passed music began to be shared and new methods, styles and instruments were developed. These days any one person can be listening to any variety of incredibly different kinds of music. The genres and artists out there are uncountable.

However, in a time of such delicious variance, there is also a further influence which comes in the form of industry. The music industry's sole purpose is to make money. The people who run it are not influential musicians with creative minds and a thirst for new sounds but entrepreneurs who know how to sell a product.......and know how to make you want it.

Thus, radio, TV and music magazines have become saturated with an incredibly narrow spectrum of musicians leaving many new and interesting artists in the dust.

Occasionally something truly unique will break through, however history has shown this will invariably be followed by record contracts being dished out to countless artists or bands who simply replicate the sound.

The most satisfying thing about music for me is to hear something new which inspires and my concern is that, as music becomes more homogenised, this is an experience which will become increasingly more rare.

Perhaps, therefore, it is not the tastes of individuals that should be the focus of concern but the neglectful attitude that has developed around what is arguably one of our species' most precious creations.

Boots 'n' Cats

As technology improves, so does music in both studio recordings and live performances.

There has been a dramatic increase, over recent years, in the amount of artists employing 'live-looping' techniques to enhance live shows and it has opened new doors for musicians wishing to explore the limits of live improvisation.

Finally, the one man band is cool!

'Live-looping' performers range greatly in the tools they use. Some, such as J'm Black (not a typo), will utilise a single instrument to produce rhythm, bass, harmony and melody (in his case guitar). However, I'm going to focus on vocalists.

'Live-looping' has provided new possibilities for beatboxers. It has allowed them to go beyond simply replicating rhythms and simple sounds on stage and, with practice, experience and a good ear, they can construct entire songs without the previous constraints (i.e. only having one mouth), and beatboxing becomes less of a limitation and more the foundations on which a piece of music is built.

One such artist, and arguably one of the best, is Beardyman. It would be impossible to encapsulate the variety of music he covers in one video but the following will provide a small example:



Beardyman has a tendency to perform either renditions of existing songs or willl (impressively) improvise songs based on audience requests. However, there are artists who write and record songs using the same techniques. I give you Dub FX:



Dub FX has wandered the globe performing his songs on street corners and has, in the process, gathered a substantial cult following. His instantly recognisable style has perfectly demonstrated the creative possibilities live-looping offers.

With vocalists using live-looping more frequently, beatboxing has gone from being almost a novelty act or simply backing, to being the basis of an art form in it's own right. Artists are no longer limited by the array of instruments they can cram onto a stage but, with a microphone and effects pedals, only by their own brains.

Beardyman has assembled a group of live-loopers using various instruments and I encourage anyone with an interest to check out Beardyman's Utter Shambles. Otherwise, simply explore the multitude of videos on YouTube. But not, of course, before thoroughly exploring Stuff and Nonsense.

Mourning Doug Fieger

Since the inception of the singles charts in the middle of the 20th Century (1940 in America and 1952 in the UK) the world has had the one-hit wonder. These usually disposable nuggets of musical history normally fade away as quickly as they appear. Once in a blue moon, however, one refuses to go down without a fight, and even more rarely one will survive for decades beyond it's seemingly more successful contemporaries.

Come as They Were

It is often said that history repeats itself and the history of modern music is no exception. The 21st century has so far seen revivals of the classic rock of the 60's and 70's, jazz, blues, soul, folk and punk to name but a few.

Recently there has been a resurrected interest in the metal scene of around 20 years ago. Bands like The Darkness and Steel Panther with their screaming lead guitars and wailing falsetto voices singing of conquests and debauchery, regaling the audience with stories of lives dreamed of by many but lived by few.

At the end of the 80's the disenfranchised youths of Seattle developed into a somewhat inbred subculture and, armed with little more than budget guitars and bucket-loads of angst, began to wage war on popular music. With Sub-Pop records being their base of operations bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden and, of course, Nirvana soon began to gain popularity (thanks, I might add, to the support of the British musical press) and the characteristic 'seattle sound' began to spread like the plague.

It wasn't long before the kids of the world turned to this new phenomena and Grunge was accepted into the global scene. Here was music they could play themselves, artists who perfectly expressed how they were feeling and in a way they could relate to. The Grunge movement was born and it wasn't long before seemingly everyone had that naked baby in their music collection.

In the years since it's conception grunge has continued to be a marked influence on alternative music in one way or another. Be it explicitly in the sounds created or less obviously in the processes, fashions or attitudes of artists. It is difficult to imagine what the musical landscape would have been like without grunge (and of course it's similarly anti-conventional predecessors).

It seems that a Grunge revival is almost inevitable in the current climate. Music has once again become a relatively exclusive club, young people are as angry as ever, fashion and celebrity have continued to homogenise our society and of course, the older generations would hate it.

Over recent years we have seen reunions from some of Grunge's titans. Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins have all either produced new albums or are working on new material while Soundgarden have announced they will be reforming. Some bands, such as Mudhoney and Pearl Jam never really went away in the first place.

Perhaps this renewed dominance of the archetypal Seattle bands will be the spark that is needed, or maybe the apathy of the young will be all that is required, whichever route we take I believe we haven't heard the last of the big G....

.....and I, for one, am glad.