The Upload

Vincent Laforet

2009-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Vincent Laforet

http://www.vincentlaforet.com/

A New York photographer known for his arial photoshots and his crystal clear views. A photographer for The New York Times, and for Sports events such as, the Olympics. Also for National Geographic Magazines. He and four other photographers were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for their 9/11 photo's.

Posted by
Matt Ryan

2009-10-28T12:39:00.001-07:00

No Ceilings:
01 Swag Surfin'
02 Ice Cream Paint Job
03 D.O.A.
04 Interlude
05 Wasted
06 Watch My Shoes
07 Break Up [ft. Short Dawg & Gudda Gudda]
08 Banned From TV
09 Throw It in the Bag (Remix)
10 I Think I Love Her [ft. Tyga & Shanell]
11 Interlude #2 [ft. Shanell]
12 Wetter
13 I'm Good [ft. T-Streets]
14 Poke Her Face [ft. Jae Millz]
15 Run This Town
16 I Gotta Feeling
17 Outro

Since Lil Wayne released the utterly disappointing Dedication 3 mixtape late last year, there have been about a million cobbled-together, debatably authorized Wayne tapes released. But it's been a while since the man himself actually released one, going nuts over a cluster of popular radio jams the way he did on classics like Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3. For a while, There's been talk about a new tape called No Ceilings for sometime, on which he ditches his guitar, thankfully. On the hour-long tape, we get to hear Wayne do what he does over tracks from Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, Kid Cudi, and, even the Black Eyed Peas. Today, No Ceilings hit the net.

Surfer Blood LP Release

2009-10-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Tracklist:

01 Floating Vibes

02 Swim

03 Take It Easy

04 Harmonix

05 Neighbor Riffs

06 Twin Peaks

07 Fast Jabroni

08 Slow Jabroni

09 Anchorage

10 Catholic Pegasus

When you think of Palm Beach, Florida, what comes to mind? Palm trees swaying gently in the breeze? Girls in bikinis rollerblading down an infinite slab of coral-colored concrete? How about life-affirming indie pop? If the latter didn't occur to you, meet Surfer Blood. They call West Palm Beach home and, while still in their early 20s, have penned an album worth of catchy, summery indie songs that even the most hook-laden power pop band would rightfully be jealous of. Astro Coast is their debut album, on Kanine Records. Their first single release on the album was "Swim (To Reach the End)” and had great feedback which gave them national attention.This is a great band to check out if you're looking for something fresh from the indie scene.

Paranormal Activity Is NOT Normal Horror Flick!!!!

2009-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, the beginning of this movie is BORING!!! The first forty-five minutes made me really want my money back. Once the ghost started on their job, it really freaked me out though! This movie isn't like the other horror flicks out its more modern, even though its just a couple taping stuff on their home camera to see what is going on in their home when they are sleeping. I would recommend people go see this if they really want a scare for the Halloween season. You will really be surprised!!!

Re-Issue of Homesick

2009-10-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Release: 10/27/09

Homesick [Acoustic] - A Day To...

Another Song About The Weekend...

When A Day To Remember sang the words "Mark my words we're taking over the world" on their breakthrough album For Those Who Have Heart, it turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. One of the most talked about forces in their scene, the unstoppable A Day To Remember kicked off this year with the release of their new record Homesick, one of Alternative Press' Most Anticipated Albums of 2009. Two short years since their debut release, ADTR has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the unbelievable live shows and pop-hardcore they have brought to fans and newcomers alike. They are continuing to take their catchy melodies and brutal breakdowns with the positive message of friendship and unfaltering self-belief to the masses with this special re-issue that includes the full Homesick album plus acoustic versions of "Homesick" and "Another Song For The Weekend" on October 27th. There is also a Deluxe Edition of the re-issue available which includes a collectible digi-pack packaging with expanded artwork and a bonus DVD, including a full live performance from Switzerland and a documentary of the band on the road.

Top 10 New Movies Out

2009-10-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

#1)
Couples Retreat

Last Week's Rank: New
Weeks In Release: 1
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Theatre Avg: $11,428

#2)
Zombieland

Last Week's Rank: 1
Weeks In Release: 2
Number of Theaters: 3,038
Theatre Avg: $4,872

#3)
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Last Week's Rank: 2
Weeks In Release: 4
Number of Theaters: 2,992
Theatre Avg: $3,852

#4)
Paranormal Activity

Last Week's Rank: 20
Weeks In Release: 3
Number of Theaters: 160
Theatre Avg: $49,379
Percent Change: 1384%

#5)
Toy Story

Last Week's Rank: 3
Weeks In Release: 2
Number of Theaters: 1,752
Theatre Avg: $4,433

#6)
Surrogates

Last Week's Rank: 4
Weeks In Release: 3
Number of Theaters: 2,992
Theatre Avg: $1,426
#7)
The Invention of Lying

Last Week's Rank: 5
Weeks In Release: 2
Number of Theaters: 1,743
Theatre Avg: $1,915
#8)
Whip It

Last Week's Rank: 6
Weeks In Release: 2
Number of Theaters: 1,738
Theatre Avg: $1,626

#9)
Capitalism: A Love Story

Last Week's Rank: 8
Weeks In Release: 3
Number of Theaters: 995
Theatre Avg: $2,643

#10)
Fame

Last Week's Rank: 7
Weeks In Release: 3
Number of Theaters: 3,110
Theatre Avg: $817

Published by Matt Ryan

Never Back Down

2009-10-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

"Never Back Down", just the name of the movie has you on the edge of your seat! Every second of this movie seems to be filled with high intensity, every fight has your hair on your skin standing straight up! Every single fight has you glued, anticipating every blow, every move that is made. There is even some romantic, lovey scenes mixed in, just a perfect combination making this movie the best action movie ever! Personally I think that this movie proves that the impossible is possible, that anything can be achieved no matter what the circumstance if you believe and "Never Back Down!"

5 Movies You Should See Before You Die

2009-10-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

This list is entirely opinionated but backed with some reasons as to why I chose these movies. These films, even though they may not be the best, have inspired me or made an impression on me.

-The Dark Knight-
The reason this is a movie you should see before you die is a simple one; its the best superhero movie I've seen yet. It has all the aspects you would expect from a movie: action, suspense, drama, and a little romance thrown in. The actors fit all of the parts as close to perfect as you could get. The storyline is drama filled and action packed which is a relief from the previous superhero movies that, in my opinion, were mediocre. This is a must for those comic book and action fans.

-The Hangover-
So this movie may not be the most appropriate movie, but it is definitley one of the funniest movies I've seen. From slapstick to just plain crude humor, this movie is a comedic masterpiece. The plot is hilarious in itself; four friends go to Vegas to have the ultimate bachelor party. But wake up and can't remember that night and the bachelor is missing a day before his big day. Definitley not one to watch with the parents, but a must see.

-The Prestige-
This is arguably one of my favorite movies of all time. This movie has so many twists and turns, its hard to keep up. But despite the little things you need to pay attention to, The Prestige takes you into a world of magic that one might not be used to. Jealousy, betrayal, romance, and mystery plague the plot of this dark movie as two magicians try to outdo the other. Its one of those films were you have to see a couple times to fully understand what happens, but is well worth the second viewing.

-Halloween-
This is definitely my favorite horror movie.The classic storyline The original Halloween was and still is a scary movie today. The diferent camera angles, camera shots and music will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up on first viewing. This film, written and directed by John Carpenter, is a classic and any fan of the horror genre should've seen this movie. And if not, what are you waiting for?

-Saving Private Ryan-
This is my favorite movie. This is one of the Hollywood war film were war isn't glorified, it is shown how it really is: Hell. Director Steven Spielberg definitley outdid himself on this one. The story follows a squad of soldiers that are sent into France to retrieve a soldier being sent home. The locations and sets are amazing. Screenshots make you feel like your next to the characters on screen. It is a violent movie but war is a violent place, so expect blood and gore. Make sure to wear your helmet while watching this one.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack review

2009-10-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Release date: Friday Oct. 16

It's inarguable that New Moon is the most anticipated movie this year (or to be even more cliche, since the series first film adaptation last November). Along with the film comes its soundtrack; also an eagerly awaited must-have which is ironic considering soundtracks are historically (with a few exceptions) known as the red headed step child of the music industry. Twilight's soundtrack was a jaw dropper, having a compilation of “it” bands possessing plenty of hits. Although another impressive piece, I see its successor's soundtrack a little differently.

Modern soundtracks target very definite groups, whether it be children and tweens with the Hannah Montana and High School Musical soundtracks or genre-specific fans like 500 Days of Summer's soundtrack. New Moon breaks down some of those barriers and opens up its audience to a broader spectrum of music. I feel that the soundtrack's bold choice in artists and songs gives it individuality from its predecessor and is less a compilation of potential hit singles and more an abstract album and follows the second film's dismal theme, mood and atmosphere.

Here is a track-by-track analysis of the entire album:

1.Death Cab for Cutie - Meet Me on the Equinox
On my first listen, the vocals have a retro vibe to them. The song is good, moody and driving tune with a bit of an upbeat tempo, but the message in the song fits in with the morose tone of the movie. The music has some great contrasting elements, because it consistently shifts between a gentle sob and a mournful scream. Being a Death Cab fan, I give this one a half way thumbs up.

2.Band of Skulls - Friends
This one is very angst-y and punk-inspired rock. It has a raw sound, and could be mistaken for a Ramones throwback. The chorus sounds like it belongs playing at a 60's high school dance but then this extremely out of harmony lead guitar washes over the song, almost punching you in the face with it's modern touch.

3.Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage
York's contribution to this album starts with a rumbling electronic sound like a broken Nintendo. Once it gets going, the track is very depressive in design. The vocals carry the song more than the music does and the verses are very low in the mix, almost mumbled, as if to convey that the words are not as important as the emotion Yorke is expressing.

4.Lykke Li - Possibility
The song was funny to me because it almost sounds like a kid singing. It sounds like a child who has just finished crying – very raspy and full of sadness and loneliness. Once again the vocals dominate the music. Not much to say about this track besides I wasn't a fan of it.

5.The Killers - A White Demon Love Song
The Killers brought a new sound to the early 2000's that led the way for a new genre of alternative and left behind the 90's rock age. This song, with their new indie-esque sound, does a bit of the opposite. The song has a Modest Mouse sound to it and lulls along almost drunkenly with a dense mood.

6.Anya Marina - Satellite Heart
Marina's track starts with an acoustic guitar and near-whispering vocals. It is another song that invokes confusion and frustration and I see it as a follow-up to the Lykke Li track, enhancing the lost innocence persona. This track will help the film progress with it's transition of emotions.

7.Muse - I Belong To You (New Moon Remix)
This remix from The Resistance album's main difference is the guitar plays the major role and not the piano. The piano is still there, but it has been shoved to the background. It sounds more like an early Maroon 5 song and as most of the songs on New Moon , has a vulnerable rawness to them.

8.Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Rosyln
“Roslyn” slowly emerges with muted guitars, and is another song where the vocalist almost sounds like they have been crying before recording. The vocals are ghostly, and heavily echoed. It is a weepy track with a bit of folk energy to it, especially when the banjo kicks in. Ultimately, it seems to be the changing of chapters rather than an actual song.

9.Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Done All Wrong
Most of the songs on this album use acoustic guitars as introductory devices however, this one stands out because it sounds very determined with a hint of bitterness. Another one of the tracks I didn't exactly enjoy on this album, I'd much rather substitute it with another original from Rob Pattinson and that is sad to say the least.

10.Hurricane Bells - Monsters
Now for something completely different, Hurricane Bells seeps over the album with some heavier rock tones, distorted guitar and a pop-ish melody. There is a distinct New Wave energy about the cut, giving the hipster Twilight fans their fix.

11.Sea Wolf - The Violet Hour
These guys sound almost exactly like early 90s The Cure with its depressive melody and withered vocals. The middle of the song strikes into a marching rhythm that confused me. I'm also puzzled as to how the audience will react to it, because it has such a throwback tone to it and doesn’t really resemble “now.” But hey, I'm sure those indie kids will eat it up.

12.OK Go – Shooting the Moon
OK Go rumbles in with bubbling percussion, acoustic guitar, tambourine, and softly muted vocals. Eventually a keyboard worms its way into the music, which adds to the artsy atmosphere. The song says “Sure things are bad, but they could be a lot worse.” That's exactly how I feel about the song itself.

13. Grizzly Bear (with Victoria Legrand) - Slow Life
Feathery, tranquil acoustic guitar introduces this song. It explores strong romance and the power of emotion. It is something that I could very easily hear during the end credits, bringing about strength of will and a passion which is an excellent conclusion to the movie itself.

14.Editors - No Sound but the Wind
This song has very brash, somewhat creepy vocals. It sounds like something resembling Tom Jones did, and out of all of them, this song has the most difficult time meshing with the theme. Another throwback, a recurring occurrence on this album.

15.Alexandre Desplat – New Moon (The Meadow)
Desplat's track does the best job in my opinion conveying the emotional distress occurring throughout the film. It gives the agonized feeling of not knowing what to think. It’s seriously a very powerful track. The music is structured in such a way that you can almost imagine that the piano is actually singing. It is a great way to close the album, and is the sampler at the candy store for the score when it releases November 24th.

Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of the Day

2009-10-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

1.) In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)

2.) Soundtrack 2 My Life

3.) Simple As...

4.) Solo Dolo (nightmare)

5.)Heart Of A Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)

6.)My World featuring Billy Craven

7.)Day N Nite (nightmare)

8.)Sky Might Fall

9.)Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)

10.)Alive (nightmare) featuring Ratatat

11.)Cudi Zone

12.) Make Her Say featuring "Kanye West"

13.)Pursuit Of Happiness (nightmare) featuring "MGMT", "Ratatat"

14.)Hyyerr featuring "Chip Tha Ripper"

15.)Up Up & Away

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (Kid Cudi) was born January 30th 1984; in Cleveland Ohio. As you can tell he has a heart for music. When his Ep came out "A kid named Cudi" for free downloading people were surprised with the way he fused electronica, hip hop, rap beats to make extraordinary unheard beats. Now with his new album out which hit the shelves September 15, 2009 Cudi is just getting more popular, Now with his new label G.O.O.D. Music signed with big artist like: Travis Barker Jay-Z and Kanye West. His new and first album is ground breaking with his creative beats and mystical lyrics. In my eyes this new album is very good, I'd buy it.

Posted by: Matt R.

Mayday Parade's Anywhere But Here Review

2009-10-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Tracklist:
1. Kids in Love
2. Anywhere But Here
3. The Silence
4. Still Breathing
5. Bruised and Scarred
6. If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet?
7. Save Your Heart
8. Get Up
9. Center of Attention
10. I Swear This Time I Mean It
11. The End

Release Date: 10/06/2009

Call me insensitive but breaking up isn't that hard to do. Yes, there are the few legitimate relationships that end for legitimate reasons but other than that you've got the bunch of shallow, puppy love, waste of time couples that only compare themselves to the real young loves because someone brain washed them into thinking they were “one of the lucky ones” or “the couple who would make it through anything” or any other various crap society feeds our generation today about love and its disintegrating border with lust. Of course, the pop punk genre uses these mindless couples and their “heartbreak” as the arsenal for their hits. Most bands of the genre today do a less than perfect job and with so much competition you'd be lucky to hear anything unique. Luckily in 2007 a stunning album by the Tallahassee, Florida based band Mayday Parade entitled A Lesson In Romantics was released on Fearless Records.

Mayday Parade has been one of the most popular bands of the genre since and their new album Anywhere But Here has been preceded with much anticipation and high expectations. When two of its tracks were released near end of summer I was introduced to a new sound with primary songwriter Jason Lancaster gone. Lead vocals Derek Sanders gave a less than thrilling performance in the track “Anywhere but Here”, however “The Silence” was a refreshing change from tracks on Romantics. The catchy light moments have been replaced with sincerity and a dark undercurrent which is nothing to complain about.

Now with the full album release today on Atlantic Records I can say with even more confidence that A Lesson In Romantics was indeed a tough act to follow. Lancaster leaving the band honestly has set them back tremendously to their own standards yet only a minor setback with the rest of the genre's contemporaries. Tracks like “Get Up” and “Center of Attention” belong on an All Time Low record instead of the emotional Anywhere But Here. Keeping with that general mood, “Save Your Heart” and “Still Breathing”, while not as emotionally gripping as the ballad-esque tracks on Romantics, still help the band excel in their instrumental maturity. Unfortunately the instrumentation takes the backseat to the vocals that I just cannot seem to shake. I truly miss the balance each vocalist gave the other appropriately and its clear there is no return of that with this album.

As I continue to compare Anywhere But Here to its brilliant predecessor I must comment on “Kids in Love”. Honestly the worst track on the album and a poor choice as its opener indeed. Nothing in comparison to “Jamie All Over” that is, and certainly not the first thing I'd want to hear when downloading the album (or for you prehistorics popping the CD in the player). The songs vomit-inducing lyrical cliches and demeaning similarity to the mass of Mayday's competition makes it shameful to the once honorable quintet.

All in all, Anywhere But Here is the record bands like Boys Like Girls and All Time Low wish they could make, however, it lacks the quality I expect from this band and it's past mastery of the genre. The absence of Lancaster's songwriting genius and sorely missed vocals will be a significant let down to familiar fans however newcomers should enjoy this record especially if they fall under that wish-they-had-a-legitimate-breakup/relationship-in-the-first-place-to-cry-about category. I respect Mayday and they'll always be one of my favorites of the seemingly doomed genre but I think I'll stick with their older albums because - and I say this in the most appropriate way I could find - Anywhere But Here in my opinion is, Miserable At Best.

Too Hard To Handle?

2009-10-06T12:12:00.001-07:00

The Black Crowes are a blues/rock band from the early 90s. Their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker was their top selling album (since then none of their albums had the same reception.)

With their long hair, beards, and colorful clothing, the band members look like they should of been jamming in the 60s not during the grunge era. Despite that, the band is a tight band. All of their instruments seamlessly flow together to produce a hard but tight sound that separates the band from other bands of the same genre.

They were at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach on Sunday 10/4. The attendance for the band wasn't the normal turnout for a concert at the HOB, but it wasn't terrible.

The opening band wasn't very good. They had a country/rock sound that I wasn't fond of. After a couple of songs the band left the stage and the roadies started to set up for the Crowes. The only decoration was an American flag set on the barrier between the keyboard player and the guitar player. The flag was different then a normal flag due to the fact that the stars were taken off and replaced by a big white peace sign.

Then the band took the stage. The singer, Chris Robinson, came out first. He was dressed in an oversized tie die shirt and tight brown pants. He was sporting a full beard and long wavy hair (to me it looked like a hippie version of Jesus Christ). Then came the rest of the band Robinson's brother Rich, the lead guitarist, Luther Dickinson, the rythmn guitarist, Adam MacDougall, the keyboardist, Sven Pipien, the bass player, and Steve Gorman, the drummer. All seemed to have a hippy-like theme to their clothing.

They opened up with a song I did not know. It was a hard sounding blues/rock song. Chris Robinson's vocals were so strong. His voice is perfect for the genre. As expected the band's sound was tight, all of the members seemed at ease on the stage.

I heard that the band was known for performing covers of other artists songs for most of their live shows and that proved true. The band quickly went into covers after the first song. The songs varied from country to jam band. I wasn't very interested in the songs at the time, but I realized that the band flowed smoothly through improvised solo sections and full band jam-outs. Its like they were in each others minds.

After a bunch of covers, the band went into one of their famous songs, Jealous Again. The crowd that didn't really seem into it, erupted into a chorus singing the song from start to finish. That recieved a great ell ovation by an estatic crowd. But quickly went into another cover which, to me, ruined what they just had.

Overall, the band is an amazingly tight knit group, but they disappointed me. The fact that they didn't play any of their own songs despite Jealous Again, really curbed my enthusiasim. I was excited to see the band that brought back memories of the Saturday mornings back in Pennsylvania, where I would wake up to my dad making breakfast to the sound of The Black Crowes coming from the CD player. But the quintet, put on a less than average showing.