I found the following story, partially typed up and partially hand written, while in downtown Philadelphia for a training for work. It was being given away in front of a small indie bookstore, bound together by staples, as if it was a DIY fanzine. After reading it and unsuccessfully trying to find the author, I decided that it was simply too enjoyable not to share with others. Thus, I submit to my readers, a novella by the yet unknown horror novelist Andrew Ash. It will be shared as one chapter per week, as it will take me time to transcribe it into digital format. This week, I have the first two chapters ready. Enjoy it and feel free to leave feedback. Perhaps Andrew will stumble upon this and be able to take credit for this, and I’m sure he’d appreciate any feedback you leave for him.

Without further adieu:

Oktoberfest

… or How I Learned to Stop Living in Denial and Embrace World War Z

by Andrew Ash

Chapter One: Beginnings

It was the year 2007, Philadelphia, PA was a great city, despite a recent spike in violent crime. Some had dubbed it “Kill-adelphia” as it ranked #1 in gun violence and murders per capita for any big city in the country. The most interesting and positive outcome of this horrible spike in violence was that the people of the city banded together in a way that was very rarely seen. Neighborhoods that once ran with the unspoken motto of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” now held town meetings about enacting neighborhood watches and how to run the drug dealers and gang bangers out of their communities. Areas of Philadelphia that previously found themselves as rivals worked together to strengthen gun laws and hotlines to anonymously report crime. The strength of Philadelphia grew and it looked as if it may once again be a true city of “Brotherly Love.” …more… »

Rocks like: The Starting Line, Jimmy Eat World, and River City High.
The Status on Myspace | Doghouse Records on Myspace | Buy it on Amazon

The Status has teamed up with indie powerhouse Doghouse Records to release their first full length album, entitled So This is Progress. Now out for a month, the album is starting to make waves and the band is wrapping up the final leg of a tour supporting Bayside, The Matches, and Valencia. With moments evoking Something to Write Home About… era Get Up Kids, vocal harmonies as solid as Midtown’s, and hooks reminiscent of The Starting Line, The Status is what I loved about emo when I was in high school in the late 90s.

Amidst the generic pop punk and emo of the past few years, this album easily stand out as one of the better ones released in the genre. At brief moments, the CD can sound a bit generic or a bit stale, but the overall product harkens back to a time when the emo scene was just starting to break into the mainstream with the success of Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity. …more… »

Rocks like: Sigur Ros, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, and Radiohead.
pssprtt on Myspace | Cassowaries on Myspace | Download the EP for free

A Ghost with Teeth is the digital split EP from Cassowaries and pssprtt. Never heard of Cassowaries or pssprtt? That’s okay, neither have I. This presented me with the choice of either researching the two artists or composing an organic review based solely on the EP itself. I, dear friends, have chosen the latter, partially due to my laziness in the matter and partially due to my belief that listening to music free of preconceived notions can often produce the truest examination of said music. My ramblings aside, I present you with my organic, albeit relatively terse, thoughts on A Ghost with Teeth.

The digital EP is comprised of six tracks, the first three by Cassowaries and the latter three by pssprtt. All of the tracks have an ambient to them where the focus is never on the lyrical content, but rather on the music. If the tracks were not labeled as being by two different artists, one would unlikely be able to delineate between the two acts without a good amount of scrutiny, at least at first. The biggest difference to note is that Cassowaries seem to float into a harder, more abrasive realm in two of their three tracks. …more… »

I decided that in addition to all the other wonderful things on this great website of mine, I would begin to share with you some of my favorite recipes. My first recipe is a simple one, and it’s all mine. “Justin’s Black Bean Crockpot Chili” has wowed the masses for about 3 years now, so it’s only appropriate that I continue to spread the love by sharing the recipe with all of you. I have copied it word for word from the 3×5 recipe card that resides in my recipe box.

A few quick tips: there is no set order for mixing the ingredients, really. And, as mentioned in the recipe, I like to serve it with chips, cheddar, and sour cream. It has also been enjoyed with fresh rolls and on hot dogs. Do not drain the contents of any canned ingredients, as the juices in the cans add their own flavors. I use venison, beef works too but I find that the recipe works better with some good ole deer meat.

Enjoy! And, let me know how it turns out. …more… »

Barack Obama will be our next President. I’m nearly certain in my heart… and not just because the Washington Redskins lost last night. I just believe that he has struck a chord in the people of this country that are hurting and believe change is necessary. Despite his inability to avoid it completely, he and his camp have shunned letting their campaign focus on the opponent’s faults and have focused primarily on what the Obama/Biden ticket brings to the table. I believe that this was important in keeping people like me, who are sick of mudslingers and finger-pointers, on board.

I hope I’m right, I feel pretty sure, but I still am nervous. Will racism play a role in the minds of the voters? I believe it most certainly can be an issue, especially in places where it will be unexpected. There are those with their “Keep the white in the White House” mentality, but that is already documented and has already been accounted for. The more troubling type of racism is the variety where the seemingly open-minded suburban white folk find last minute excuses not to vote for Obama because something about him worries them. This is the type of racism that not even those who are practicing it recognize. It resides in the backs of their minds and rears its ugly head just seconds before they step into the voting booth. …more… »

Can you say Oscar favorite?

This is a web video of an old friend of mine reviewing Max Payne. He (known in this video as “Lawrence Saltzman”) and his “brother” have a couple more of these web videos available for your enjoyment at funnyordie.com. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Rocks like: Simple Plan, Bowling for Soup, and Yellowcard.
Buy TBL Merch on MerchNow | Band on Myspace | The Bigger Lights on PureVolume

First things first… Fiction Fever is a generic pop punk EP, no quips about it… but this band reeks of TRL Top 40 fame, in a good way. Like some bands that I am often too quick to dismiss in this genre (Good Charlotte, Bowling for Soup, and Simple Pan), these kids are a tight unit that doesn’t miss a beat. Production quality, palatable sound, and the right look are all essential ingredients to marketing this type of music to the masses. The Bigger Lights possess all of these ingredients in abundance.

Much of my distaste for what I call “generic pop punk” is strictly elitism. I was a pop punk loving teeny bopper not too long ago, so why should I look down on others for being so. Did I or did I not grow up going to see Jersey staples like Midtown and The Youth Ahead? Did I or did I not spend my summers at Warped Tour and Blink 182 concerts? Who am I to judge? In fact, am I simply a self-loathing closet pop punk fiend to this day? Quite possibly. …more… »