It just got even better.

Right after the announcement of Blink 182's reunion, the other pop-punk giant Green Day released some new info on their highly anticipated new album, "21st Century Breakdown". Apart from revealing the new album's name, they also revealed its artwork.

Now personally I think it looks really emo and cliche but hell, I just care about the music. The album itself will be divided into three acts: "Heroes And Cons", "Charlatans And Saints", and "Horseshoes And Handgrenades". To me that sounds like American Idiot Part II, so it's evident that they're not going to return to their old roots as was hoped by some.

2009 looks like it's going to be dominated by the revival of pop-punk, as The Offspring will be touring America in support of their latest album "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace".

As if this wasn't enough, something very unexpected just very recently happened. A band, who at one point had the world in its hands, has reformed to tour and record a new album. You'll never guess who. Ok maybe you did. I'm talking about Limp Bizkit. Yes, Wes Borland and Fred Durst have set aside their differences, stating that they "were more disgusted and bored with the state of heavy popular music than [they] were with each other".

I think... I jizzed in my pants.

The best news in music history.

February 8, 2009 is the day every single Blink-182 fan has been waiting for since early 2005. At Sunday’s 51st Annual Grammy Award Ceremony, all three members of Blink-182 were reunited on stage for the first time in over four years to present the award for Best Rock Album. Coldplay won for "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends" and that’s all well and good, but the real news came just moments before when the band took the stage.

In response to the performance by the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder right before them, co-lead vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus joked, "Isn’t it great to see the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder back together again?" Drummer Travis Barker then added, "We used to play music together, and we decided to play music together once again." Excitedly, Hoppus yelled, "Blink-182 is back!"

But if that wasn’t proof enough, the band decided to make things a little more official and released the following statement on their website:

"Hi, we're blink-182. This past week there've been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, we're back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy. Summer 2009. Thanks and get ready..."

The last new music we’ve heard from the Blink-182 was 2003’s self-titled album. The last time the band performed together was on December 16, 2004. Since splitting up in 2005, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker created Plus 44 while guitarist Tom Delonge founded Angels & Airwaves along with former Box Car Racer band mate David Kennedy.

So where does this leave the projects that Mark, Tom, and Travis have been working on since taking a break from Blink-182? Plus 44’s future is still uncertain; however, Mark Hoppus spoke with MTV last month and informed them that both he and Travis Barker are working on their own solo projects. Also, guitarist David Kennedy of Angels & Airwaves reassured fans that while Blink-182 is coming back, Angels & Airwaves will live on and that this "will be a good creative year."

Courtesy of Ultimate-Guitar.com

Celebrate the end of your exams.

Mine aren't really exams, they're just tests which don't count for anything. But if you're currently doing exams which make you want to tighten that noose you set up in your room around your neck, relax and chill out with this:

Now that's my kind of lineup.

Forming the ultimate band.

I get first dibs on the ukulele. Anyone wanting to play harmonica, kazoo or banjo contact me.

Dancer? Denser? What are you saying, man?

Everyone's heard the song. Voted Best Song of 2008 by readers of Rolling Stone, the first single "Human" from The Killers' new album has got everyone singing those 2 lines: "Are we human?/ Or are we dancer?" while thinking "It's dancer, right? It doesn't make sense to me but hell, it sounds like dancer!"

The lyrics stirred up so much confusion that it even has its own section in Wikipedia now:

There has been considerable confusion and debate over the line "Are we human or are we dancer?" in the song's chorus. Many have incorrectly heard "denser" instead of "dancer", a change which significantly alters the interpretation of the song's meaning. On the band's official website, the biography section states that Flowers is singing "Are we human, or are we dancer?" and also says that the lyrics were inspired by a disparaging comment made by Hunter S. Thompson.

Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch section called this line the "silliest lyrics of the week". They were puzzled by the interpretation, stating "most dancers are generally human". Ganz with Rolling Stone called the line "classic Killers' nonsense."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Flowers said that he was irritated over the confusion: "It's supposed to be a dance song, [the beat] goes with the chorus...If you can't put that together, you're an idiot. I just don't get why there's a confusion about it."

Well, Mr. Flowers, I guess I'm an idiot. Me and a few million others. Despite stating where you got the inspiration from I still don't know shit about "Are we DANCER?". Even if it's metaphorical, shouldn't it be "dancers"? I know it must make sense in some way, so come on and tell us how.

Learn 4 chords and become a millionaire.

Do you feel alive?

I do. Hope y'all had a great year. I know I did.

R.I.P. - 4 years on and still not forgotten.

"On December 8, 2004, while performing with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Abbott was shot onstage by a mentally ill former US Marine named Nathan Gale. Abbott was shot three times in the head, killing him instantly."

Dimebag Darrell Abbott, guitarist for the bands Pantera and Damageplan, was brutally murdered on stage four years ago, doing what he loved to do best. An influence to many guitarists and metalheads alike, he will always be remembered for his memorable songs and the passion he had for his music.

My heart goes out especially to his brother Vinnie Paul, who witnessed the violent act when he was playing drums behind Dimebag that night.

Help The Imagery out just a bit more.

Keep voting for The Imagery on 5061 5230, just a few more votes and they'll have a chance of making it to the Lidea Band Challenge Finals, eventually leading them to perform in Holland if they win.

For more info check out http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=42671652126

A punk rock Christmas.

It's that time of the year again where we dish out the old Christmas classics from the back of the CD rack and play them non-stop, whether the whole family likes it or not. Not me though, I have my own playlist.

Yes, you guessed it, they're mainly rock-driven songs, but they're still great to play anywhere during the festive season. Here's a few of the songs from my Christmas playlist - download them or ask me to send them to you if you're interested.

• My Chemical Romance's version of "All I want for Christmas is You". Upbeat, fast, and headbangable.
• "I Won't be Home for Christmas" by Blink-182. It's not exactly the cheeriest of festive songs, but it's funny as hell. I love running the scenes through my head as I listen to the lyrics.
• Simple Plan's "My Christmas List". The whiny pop-punk band offers a great singalong for whiny teenagers. Honestly, I don't know why they came up with such childish lyrics but it's a fun Christmas song.
• "Punk Rock Christmas" - The Sex Pistols. Yeah, what else would these guys name the song.

Linkin Park - Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes

I should become a professional music journalist.

I didn't include this in yesterday's entry because I didn't want to overload your tiny brains with my opinions on today's music. But now you have to read some more today. Nene.


Linkin Park's new live DVD/CD set, the second official one to be released after 2003's Live in Texas, portrays a much more cinematic and diverse performance from the band since the Meteora days. They used to be coined as nu-metal giants, but with new songs from Minutes to Midnight introduced to their ever-changing setlist, they're becoming more of a rock n' roll band without completely abandoning their roots.


The set first starts out with some of the heavy classics such as "One Step Closer" and "From the Inside" along the newer heavy stuff "Given Up" and "No More Sorrow". Then it slows down with popular singles like "Leave Out All the Rest" and "Breaking the Habit". Their longest song ever, "The Little Things Give You Away", almost reminds me of Pink Floyd, giving a psychedelic feel during the solo. Great guitar work by Brad Delson. There's some more classics from the Hybrid Theory album, some more of the new stuff, and even a couple of songs with Jay-Z which were mashed up for the Collision Course CD.


Some things which I like to point out from the performance are:

• What used to be the band's setlist closer is now the opener. Yes, I'm, talking about "One Step Closer".
• One of Phoenix's bass guitars is like, wow, totally fucked up. Half the body is practically missing. How cool is that?
• Mike's singing has improved immensely. Chester has gotten better too.
• Chester plays guitar during the end of "Shadow of the Day". I had never seen him play guitar before.
• The drummer Rob Bourdon looks a LOT like my own drummer friend Toffer (hi Toffy, hope you're reading this).
• Phoenix sings during "The Little Things Give You Away". That's the only time another member of the band apart from Mike and Chester sings in a song.
• Jay-Z looks so awkward during the end of "Jigga What/Faint" because the whole band is rocking out like hell and he's just standing there. Hah.
• The piano version of "Pushing Me Away" is absolutely beautiful, it almost made me cry.
• The band is improvising their songs a lot, with extended intros and outros.

If you think Live in Texas was good, this DVD will blow you away. There's a total of 18 tracks on both the DVD and the CD, and a bonus extra 3 songs on the DVD which are unlocked when you watch the full concert. There's a good mix of songs from their three albums, so there's something for everyone who likes Linkin Park. One of the bands I must see perform live before I die.

This or that?

A few rock albums have been recently released. Namely, the infamous Chinese Democracy by Axl & Friends (fuck off, I'm not calling them Guns 'n Roses) and Nickelback's Dark Horse.

Let's start off with the former shall we? When you haven't released music for a while, you have to make sure that you keep up with the constant changing of the music scene around you. Bands mature and discover new grounds to maintain their popularity. Axl Rose was apparently aware of that. However there's a difference between extending your sound while keeping SOME of your roots and, well, doing something completely new and unrelated to previous works.

You see, if Axl Rose had named the band something else, there wouldn't have to be any connotations with Guns n' Roses' old work. But he had to stick to the damn name, now everyone's comparing the new to the old, and well, Chinese Democracy is the band's own St. Anger. I don't know, maybe die-hard G'n'R fans accept the huge change of sound, but I couldn't stand listening to more than a minute of some of the songs, let alone the whole album. I managed to listen to "Street of Dreams" in its entirety though, that song isn't that bad. I won't say the album SUCKS, because there are those who like it and have every right to. I personally just don't enjoy it. Hell, the new album "Day & Age" by The Killers managed to beat Axl out on the UK charts. On a side note, I think that album is pretty good except for, well, the first single. They could have started out with a song that defines their album more.

Now, Dark Horse. Chad Kroeger's unique voice and band has made the Canadian rockers the most loved and the most hated across the world. For those who love the band, this album is one giant present to you. For the haters, it's a huge FUCK YOU right in your face. Piling up on the success of their previous albums ever since they hit the mainstream with the album Silver Side Up, this album proves that Nickelback still have what it takes, compiling a work of art made up of huge in-your-face guitar riffs (e.g. "S.E.X.") and more mellow heartwarming songs (e.g. "Never Gonna Be Alone"). What makes this album so great is that they managed to maintain their same sound without dishing out the same old formulae over and over again, despite being highly criticised for doing so in the past.

If you're a Nickelback fan, you won't be disappointed. If you know any Nickelback fans, this is the perfect Christmas present. If you like rock n' roll, this album is definitely worth checking out. If you hate the band, you're going to have to deal with hearing them all the time on the radio again (and you were just beginning to enjoy the end of "Rock Star", ha).

Be there or be square. I'm a circle.

A message of hope.

I was locked all day in the summer heat,

In a small brown house in Suburban Street,

With a skateboard and my shit guitar,

I'd dream all day that they would get me far,

My dad would ask me about my grades,

The asshole sports that I never played.

And then I'd ask about the girls he'd date,

Behind our backs when mom would stay up late.

It was near when I turned sixteen,

Got kicked out of school, and so it seemed

that things were closing in and ready to blow,

My dad moved out about that year or so,

It took an hour to start a punk rock band

To offset my fucked up family land

And as I held my mom would start to cry

I swore ourselves a better life

If I had a chance for another try,

I wouldn’t change a thing

It's made me all of who I am inside

And if I could thank God

That I am here, and that I am alive

And everyday I wake

I tell myself a little harmless lie

The whole wide world is mine

The summer's gone,

the years have passed,

My friends have changed,

a few did last,

The smallest dreams got pushed aside,

The largest ones that changed my life,

And all I wish for was come to pass

From rock and roll,

to love and cash

It’s all success if it’s what you need

Do what you like and do it honestly

If I had a chance for another try,

I wouldn’t change a thing

It's made me all of who I am inside

And if I could thank God

That I am here, and that I am alive

And everyday I wake

I tell myself a little harmless lie

The whole wide world is mine

Angels and Airwaves - Rite of Spring

I won't cry wolf.

Sitting on my bed at the flat. No one else is here right now, and I'm just passing the time until my next lecture at 1pm. It's raining and I feel quite relaxed. This song I'm listening to by Adema with the thunder in the distance is very soothing.

Juno's a pretty good movie, Ellen Page is a great actor. Got a bit freaked out at the awkward tension between Juno and Mark, I was almost sure he was gonna try to make out with her. It's funny how Paulie wears short shorts throughout the whole movie.

Meh.

Lights, camera, rock out.

Sometimes when I really get into a song, I start directing a video for it in my head. The more I listen to it, the more ideas I get and the more detailed the scenes I invent become. It's a really fun idea which I wish I could put into practice but that's impossible. I do not have the essential resources or expertise for that matter, so I'm just going to continue playing these videos in my head.

The bands whose songs I really get into the most are Funeral fo a Friend and Angels & Airwaves. Everything about their songs contributes to my ideas of what my videos would be like. The lyrics, the song structure, the overall feel, the heaviness or mellowness of the guitars, they all play a role. I dig even deeper into the song when the visuals run through my head, because the message of the song is amplified with the sense of sight along with that of sound.

Hey who knows, maybe someday I'll do something like this as a side project for fun.

A small tribute.

Before getting into music, my childhood was basically all about hockey. I found this video with shots of some of my greatest idols when I was young, including the likes of Gordie Howe, Mike Modano, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky.

Backing this video is the song they play everytime a goal is scored at a hockey game. Originally by Gary Glitter, "Rock n' Roll Part 2" is now more commonly known as "The Hey Song" by sports fans and athletes alike. It's a great song to chant along to when you're celebrating a goal at the ice rink, or in the living room in front of the television with your hockey buddies and bottles of beer.

For the love of God, know what the hell you're doing on stage.

I wasn't going to bother blogging today, until I was "inspired" to do so.

Many of us have seen this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QAMyQdBWhUw

I thought that nothing could possibly ever be as bad as that.

Well I was wrong. Very wrong.

...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MjWKAnrsUe4

...

Sorry for making you want to rip out your ears like that.

Don't give me that "They're just kids!" bullshit. If I'm 13 and I sound like that, I know not to get my ass on stage anytime soon.

So, what have we learned today kids? Practise, practise, practise. And tune your damn guitar before a live performance.

Idiosyncratic.

The Imagery have just officially launched their first EP, "Idiosyncratic", through a gig at Rookies Sports Bar, Bugibba, Malta.

First off, a little about Rookies. It's a sports bar that pays homage to North American sports along with the typical European soccer and whatnot. Posters and jerseys of hockey and baseball players alongside various pieces of sports equipment stuck to the walls including hockey sticks and pucks. The bar has a very modest stage; the walls riddled with band posters and guitars signed by local talent. In other words, I don't think I'd find a better place for me personally to hang out at frequently if I were to live in Malta. Where else would I be able to find posters of Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Green Day and System of a Down in the same building?

I've been following The Imagery ever since they first started. Over the past couple of years they've grown more accustomed to live performances and have been able to define their own sound without falling into a specific genre. Confidence and stage presence has greatly increased since their first gigs with 3-song setlists, and they are definitely nothing short of entertaining. Last night's setlist included the likes of Wolfmother's "Love Train", Against Me's "Stop!", Muse's "Feeling Good", The Wombats' "Let's Dance to Joy Division", The Raconteurs' "Consolers of the Lonely" and Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To". From such songs you can get the general idea of what kind of sound the band has been able to familiarize with the most. Songs you can dance to, jump around to, headbang to and smash your buddy's head on a table to.

Alongside these songs were the four tracks of their EP:

1. Margie Bloom
2. Vegetarian Bacon Salad
3. Out There
4. Shakespeare's Break

Being a band who I personally think have a sound and stage performance unique to the island of Gozo, they are very well capable of standing out among other acts in the whole country. If you really want to support the band, I suggest you buy the EP, and don't make copies of it or send the songs around.

To conclude, you know you will never be cool or smart enough to name something "Vegetarian Bacon Salad". Leave it to them.

Oh my God we actually did it.

This guy on a forum on http://www.ultimate-gutar.com/ came up with the ingenious idea to Rick Roll the MTV Europe Video Music awards 2008 in Liverpool:

The idea became vastly popular on Ultimate Guitar, and other forum sites such as 4chan, as millions of people cast in their vote, including myself.

Progress was made....




...and finally, the results were in. Needless to say...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfdZqHqh0Y


http://tinyurl.com/ynupj4


...we Rick Rolled MTV and its millions of viewers. Booya!

The funny thing is Rick Astley declined to accept the award, he didn't even appear at the ceremony. Come on Rick,



YOU WERE NEVER GONNA GIVE US UP OR LET US DOWN!

And please don't tell me you were too stupid to click the second link. Otherwise, you got Rick Rolled, baby.