April 19, 2005
 
 
   
 
 
 

Tuesday, April 19th, 2005
First off, I must say that this strip was inspired by Katie and my friend John, though not the John that has appeared in the comic before. He'd kill me if I didn't give a shout-out to him for taking his wittiness and running with it, so thanks, John. But I must admit, John did not have the sexual connotation in mind when he coined this phrase. I just thought it'd be funnier.

Alright, time to work on my game board for color class. I'm making a version of Risk that involves taking over gang territories in New York instead of continents throughout the world.

Later,
-Scott

  
 

 
 

Tuesday, April 19th, 2005
So since I don't see the new Dock Boys until after I write my column, I'd just like to say I thought last week's comic was particularly funny, especially since I have a cat that certainly jumps on me while I'm sleeping too. Oh Flannel and Patton.

Anyhow, strange as it seems to me, I haven't bought a new cd in a bit so I'm going to review an older cd of mine, VHS or Beta's Night on Fire. I do this because it's a pretty good cd, but also because they are coming to town so I thought I might toss them out if any you guys were thinking about going to the show (at the Hurricane on 4/27/05 for $10).

Ok, all that said, Night on Fire is a very solid album. Solid really is the word to describe it. The vocals sound just like Robert Smith (the Cure) and the music is quite catchy. There is nothing outstanding about it, but it is certainly fun and I think that's really the point. So let's be honest, the album's sole purpose is to be a throwback to the 80s.

There are some outstanding tracks on this album though, with the title track surely stealing the show. It is a fantastic song, doesn't overplay its welcome, and is completely danceable. The next best song is Nightwaves, an instrumental that is good, but would be better if it cut about a minute off the song. The new single, The Melting Moon, is also a really fun song that will surely have you moving your foot to the beat. I think Alive is a better song and would have made a better single for them, but eh, who am I to judge these things?

So if you think I sound ambivalent about the album, you're right. It has definite strengths, such as not relying on a synth (aka the Killers) to drive the beat. The guitar and drums really move the music and that is refreshing. The lack of originality is what kills this album. Also, I think they would have been smarter to release an EP of really strong material (like their previous Le Funk)rather than this LP half full of filler tracks. Night on Fire really is a mediocre album. What won't be mediocre is the show in a week. It will be a crazy, dance filled show and for $10, I don't think you'll find a better time. Check the show out and don't worry about the cd unless you really like the show. That's definitely the route to go on this one. So yeah, only going to bust out two Kool-Aid mans for this one, but I do anticipate the show getting 5 Kool-Aid mans. And speaking of Kool-Aid mans, check out the latest Applegeeks comic. It's pretty hilarious. Oh yeah!

VHS or Beta - Night on Fire

-patrick