Monday, January 01, 2007

CDs Out This Month - January 2007

So here we go, these are the essential albums that come out this month.

8th January
Gruff Rhys - Candylion
Joanna Newsom - Ys


22nd January

The View - Hats Off To The Buskers
The Good, The Bad and the Queen - The Good, The Bad and the Queen
The Cooper Temple Clause - Make This Your Own
Field Music - Tones Of Town

29th January
Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Little Man Tate - About What You Know
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Battle - Break The Banks
Alkaline Trio - Remains

Next Month
Bloc Party's second offering, John Cale returns, Jamie T debuts and Feeder try to recover their crumbling credibility. But the main event for a lot of people is this lot.



Yes, Fall Out Boy are back.

One Thing Never Changes

You Don't Know Jack January 1st 2007
Category: This One Goes Out To All The People Who Aren't Dead
Questions: 4/7 ($250)
Time Remaining: 19.47 ($1,947)
Score: $2,197

Welcome To 2007

Welcome to a new year, a time to change stuff you don't like, or just forget the mistakes of the last year. Either way you see it, this is a time for a fresh start.

7's the magic number.

So far the only 'person' to say happy new year to me is the disembodied head of Dr Ryuta Kawashima. That's a creepy thought.

Sunday, December 31, 2006

The w00ts 2006!

Yes its time for the w00ts! w00tworld's not quite so annual celebration of the very best and worst of pretty much everything. We have a variety of categories so lets get started.

We start with 3 awards decided by review aggregating score site Metacritic. According to them, these are the best of the best.

Metacritic.com Award For Film Of The Year
Pan's Labyrinth (Metascore: 98)

Metacritic.com Award For Album Of The Year
Ali Farka Toure - Savane (Metascore: 94)

Metacritic.com Award For Game Of The Year
The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Metascore: Wii - 95, Gamecube - 96)

Now for the w00tworld Awards, decided by me. And only me.

Webcomic Of The Year
Penny Arcade
PA didn't miss a step this year. Running closely all the way with VG Cats and Chugworth Academy for this award. The erratic updates of the other 2 knocked them out though, combined with Tycho's always witty commentary and Gabe's superb artwork and events like PAX and Child's Play ensure that Penny Arcade refuses to budge from the top of the pile.

Website Of The Year
Youtube
Unstoppable all year. Has become an essential hub of the internet.

The LOOK AT ME!! Award For Most Viewed Youtube Video Of 2006

37,585,828 views. Judson Laipply destroyed everyone on his way to being crowned the King Of Youtube 2006, beating his nearest rival (an act from America's Got Talent) by over 23million views. The full top 5 goes like this

1: judsonlaipply - Evolution Of Dance (37,585,828)
2: ChrisInScotland - Quick Change Artists (14,061,901)
3: TexMachina - Real Life Simpsons Intro (10,703,795)
4: okgojorge - OK Go - Here It Goes Again (9,308,455)
5: PeaceOnEarth123 - Free Hugs Campaign (8,362,190)

TV Return Of The Year
Finders Keepers
Jeff Brazier proved me wrong by presenting this unexpected comeback very nicely. Shame children's TV is dead so we'll never see him or the show ever again.

Presenter Of The Year
Simon Amstell
Where was there to go after the immense sarcasm and wit of Popworld? Why the only place with more sarcasm and wit, Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Inspired guest choices helped no doubt but Simon cemented himself as Mark Lamarr's true replacement during episode 5 as he proclaimed...

TV Quote Of The Year
"You have out-gayed me Barrowman!"
Simon Amstell to John Barrowman - Never Mind The Buzzcocks - 23rd November

Music Video Of The Year

OK Go - Here It Goes Again
From the album 'Oh No'

Worst Song Of The Year
Bootyluv - Boogie2Nite
Go search Youtube if you feel like cutting off your ears.

Person Of The Year
Brian Crecente
Rocky Mountain News gaming writer, editor of Kotaku. Never afraid to poke fun at himself and even show off his possessions like any other member of the internet. Always a joy to behold.

The President Bush Award For Comedian Of The Year
Jack Thompson
With Bully finally hitting this year Jack was out in full force. Unfortunately for him the threat of jail time and gaming news sites referring to him in anagram form meant that he finally became the figure of universal ridicule that he had been threatened with for years. Gamers all over the place claimed victory but don't think we've heard the last of him.

The Ron Jeremy Award For Biggest Cock
Pete Doherty
Doherty's endless poor behavior and drug relapses make it impossible to endorse anything he does.

The Sonic The Hedgehog Award For Biggest Disappointment
Ctrl+Alt+Del: The Animated Series
Episodes delayed, filler episodes (in a 12 episode series), poor animation and overstretched stories meant that this was cut off after just one series. Wait until next year and you'll start seeing the episodes appearing online.

And that's it. Congratulations and salutations to all our winners and losers and I expect to see more of the same next year.

Quotes

Found this in Something Awful's fallen-from-grace Weekend Web article. It used to be seriously funny but since DocEvil stopped doing it its just become a useless collection of cheap jokes. Can get a few decent quotes out of it though.

"There are 3 types of people, good people, bad people and gay people."

Apparantly this really got asked, much as I try to protect the integrity of homosexuals, some are really just asking for ridicule.

"How does a gay man have biological children?"

Please, please Acetone. Show us that you are worthy of the Weekend Web. Write and compile the article with dignity, pride, and most of all, lose the pathetic easy targets.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

NJ's Tracks Of The Year 2006

So Ethan in Ctrl+Alt+Del is getting drunk, must be the end of the year.

I have picked out at pure random from my Youtube favourites what I deem to be the 15 best songs of 2006. I do have an outright winner but I won't say what it is. Why 15? Because I say so.

Song 1
Song File
Artist: Paris Hilton
Title: Nothing In This World
Album: Paris
Other Album Singles: Stars Are Blind
I'm so, so sorry but this song is like a tapeworm. Do what you will with that information. The video is rather inspiring to me though, a guy gets bullied at school and ends up humiliating everyone by landing Paris as a girlfriend. Nice story, complete bullshit but nice story.

Song 2

Song File
Artist: My Chemical Romance
Title: Famous Last Words
Album: The Black Parade
Other Album Singles: Welcome To The Black Parade
Famous Last Words is the stunning climax to the story of The Patient. The video keeps this up by showing the carnival float from the Welcome To The Black Parade video burning in the background to symbolise the end of the parade. Keep an eye out for the cross in the background right at the end, and the drummer getting burnt.

Song 3

Song File
Artist: U2 and Green Day
Title: The Saints Are Coming
Album: U218
A protest song against the Bush administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina, the video shows how it should have gone. The song itself is a cover of the song by Scottish punks The Skids and the idea to record with Green Day was put forward by U2 guitarist The Edge. First played at the New Orleans Saints' first home game after Katrina. That whole set can be found on Youtube if you look.

Song 4

Song File
Artist: CSS
Title: Lets Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
Album: Cansei de Ser Sexy
Other Album Singles: Alala
Performing at NME.com's 10th birthday party ensured that this lot were set for the big time. Hailing from Sao Paulo in Brazil (lead singer Lovefoxxx is part Japanese) they set the year alight with this crazily addictive tune. I have no idea what the video's about either. The song is downloadable from the band's MySpace.
www.myspace.com/canseidesersexy

Song 5

Song File
Artist: The Young Knives
Title: Here Comes The Rumour Mill
Album: Voices Of Animals And Men
Other Album Singles: The Decision, Weekdays and Bleakdays
The Oxfordshire trio have stormed the year but it was this, their second single that brought me round to the fact that they really could rock. Yes they wear suits, yes the lead singer is called Henry, yes they kick ass. I think the video shows a guy being ripped apart by rumours. I think anyway.

Song 6

Song File
Artist: 'Weird' Al Yankovic
Title: Don't Download This Song
Album: Not on Straight Outta Lynwood, download from www.dontdownloadthissong.com
A stunning video got the attention of everyone, Al was back in a big way and this time he was gunning for the mainstream. The video, created by Bill Plympton, is a brilliant satire of how the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have treated some of the people they've sued. And some people still say he can't write his own songs.

Song 7

Song File
Artist: Take That
Title: Patience
Album: Beautiful World
If you'd told me in January that the greatest boyband of all time would be reforming and recording an incredible new album I wouldn't have believed a word. But Gary, Mark, Jason and Howard all came together for a reunion tour and then shocked everyone with a full scale comeback. This leadoff single, their first since 1996, showed all the pretenders that they were still the ones to beat.

Song 8

Song File
Artist: My Chemical Romance
Song: Welcome To The Black Parade
Album: The Black Parade
Other Album Singles: Famous Last Words
Leadoff single. First showing with the new look. This stunning slice of rock genius gave the outsiders from New Jersey a UK number 1 which no-one was expecting and which stuck around for 2 weeks (taken down by Mcfly's Star Girl). A victory for pretty much everything and everyone. The video shows the death of The Patient and his earliest memory, being taken to see a marching band with his father.

Song 9

Song File
Artist: Kasabian
Title: Empire
Album: Empire
Other Album Singles: Shoot The Runner, Doberman
Title track from the 2nd album by Oasis' favourite band. Its damn fine, just a shame the band are wankers.

Song 10

Song File
Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Title: Twenty Twenty Surgery
Album: Louder Now
Other Album Singles: Makedamnsure, Liar
Johnny Cash's legendary prison gig was homaged in this video to the standout track from Taking Back Sunday's rather painfully average album.

Song 11

Song File
Artist: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Title: Call Me Ishmael
Album: The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager
Other Album Singles: I Spy, Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager, War Of The Worlds
Emo folk was what Sam Duckworth was labelled as, its quite accurate. One man, a guitar and his laptop formed the basis of his stunning debut album, this song is the debut double A-side (paired with I Spy). The video shows several people diving into a hidden underground tunnel to escape their dull jobs, but where does it lead?

Song 12

Song File
Artist: Lostprophets
Title: Rooftops
Album: Liberation Transmission
Other Album Singles: A Town Called Hypocrisy, Can't Catch Tomorrow
The welsh boys have owned the year despite lots of hate that's usually reserved for emo bands get sent their way. The video and song are pure punk, get up, get heard and make the most of things. Oh, and it has the only chorus to come close to matching Monster all year.

Song 13

Song File
Artist: Billy Talent
Title: Devil In A Midnight Mass
Album: Billy Talent II
Other Album Singles: Red Flag
The Canadian punks came storming back after a thunderous debut in 2003 with a follow up that proved that the venom and pure punk spirit that came forth was still there. This raging tirade against the Catholic church's handing of pedophile priests was the only real choice as a leadoff single. The video shows this very subject.

Song 14

Song File
Artist: The Feeling
Title: Fill My Little World
Album: Twelve Stops And Home
Other Album Singles: Sewn, Never Be Lonely, I Love It When You Call
So they were hardly the most respected new band of 2006, but this second single came along vomiting sunshine and happiness and it became impossible to ignore them.

Song 15

Song File
Artist: All American Rejects
Title: Move Along
Album: Move Along
Other Album Singles: Dirty Little Secret
So they hardly set the world alight but this lot couldn't be faulted musically. The video makes very little sense to me.

So that's the 15. But which is my song of the year? This one.

NJ Sykora's Song Of The Year 2006

Song File
Artist: Klaxons
Title: Atlantis To Interzone
Album: Myths Of The Near Future (released January 2007)
Other Album Singles: Gravity's Rainbow, Magick, Golden Skans
Un. Stoppable. Klaxons came flying in and immediately filled the Test Icicles shaped hole in music. This oddly melodic thrash is the perfect introduction to New Rave. The debut album is out in a few weeks, be surprised if it doesn't show up in my albums of 2007.

Friday, December 29, 2006

Faith In Humanity

This was one of those days where I just couldn't be bothered with all the courtesy and faking interest in my fellow employees so I decided to say nothing all day. Which didn't go well in the pure sense, but at least everyone got the message that I was not to be messed with after the breakfast fiasco. When you have to yell (and I really yelled) at two 17 year old guys trying to put the other in a headlock you know its going to be a long day. If I yell at someone for no reason or a bad reason then a manager will inevitably call me on it and tell me to calm down. I didn't get called.

You Don't Know Jack 29th December 2006
Category: Say It Loud! I'm Fighting Crime And I'm Proud!
Questions: 6/7 ($1,250)
Time Remaining: 22.16 ($2,216)
Score: $3,466

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Pokemon Colosseum

At its release I rather unfairly referred to Pokemon Colosseum as Pokemon Stadium 3. I quickly found out while playing it earlier that this isn't the case.

Game Fact File
Name: Pokemon Colosseum
Format: Nintendo Gamecube
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: The Pokemon Company

Pokemon Colosseum is pretty easily described as Pokemon for the big console. Its a full Pokemon game just like the Game Boy games from the GB's Red and Blue through to the DS' Crystal. Fight trainers, catch Pokemon, take on the Gym Leaders to win badges but also take on the added dimension that is brought by Shadow Pokemon. I haven't come across any of these yet but from what I've read they are the first instance of Pokemon that can be captured off other trainers and need to be purified at Pokemon Centers before they can be used.

So basically, its a standard Pokemon RPG with a free battle mode. I approve.

Dirty Stuff

Today I bought Pokemon Colosseum.

I've just listened to a Paris Hilton song.

Which one do you think makes me feel dirtier?

(I also bought Brain Training and Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones)
(I also thought the song was alright)

You Don't Know Jack 28th December 2006
Category: Its Been A Hard Day's Nap
Questions: 4/7 ($250)
Time Remaining: 21.47 ($2,147)
Score: $2,397

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

You Don't Know Jack - December 27th 2006

So I'll post my daily scores here until Jellyvision get their stat-tracking working.

Category - You Can Fool Some Of The Stoners All Of The Time
Correct - 5/7 ($750)
Time Remaining - 21.00 ($2,100)
Score - $2,850