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[31 May 2006|10:03 pm] |
Axver's notes for the day:
1. Some U2 fans really, really annoy me. I am specifically referring to the types that consider Pop a "challenging" or "difficult" album. How agonisingly mainstream can their tastes possibly be? I hope no-one ever tells them that Porcupine Tree has a 40 minute song; just being told about it may stun their bland self to death. People, Pop is not exactly the most musically adventurous or challenging album ever made. It's only "difficult" if your musical tastes are confined to what top 40 pop radio tells you to listen to. I imagine it is quite a mind-blowing album if your musical adventures are confined to the Backstreet Boys, Ashlee Simpson, Blink 182, Christina Aguilera, and Jet (all of whom no-one will remember in 10 years). But seriously, Pop is ridiculously mainstream compared to something like what's in note #2, which I shall get to right now.
2. Agalloch's new album, Ashes Against The Grain, has just leaked. Let me just say that these guys have, thus far, been a band of ridiculously consistent good quality. If you have even a passing interest in metal, become acquianted with their genius immediately. This album is just as good as their first two, but with a more consistently heavy approach. Agalloch haven't lost their touch for painting haunting and chilling sonic landscapes at all - in fact, I know no band better at painting landscapes in the listener's mind. It seems a common theme is that those who listen to Agalloch get transported to the depths of a forest in the northern US or Canada. This is great music for those who appreciate atmosphere and metal, but if you live more on the pop side of life, well ... ask yourself: do you really think you'll enjoy a band whose songs are titled This White Mountain On Which You Will Die, ...And The Great Cold Death Of The Earth, She Painted Fire Across The Skyline, and Our Fortress Is Burning?
3. My computer has decided it hates me, or more specifically, one of my computer's fans has. For much of today, it's been whirring rather loudly, and when I opened up my computer, I discovered it's contained within a box I can't open, so I can't tinker with it to see what the problem is. The best I can do is stick a paintbrush through a vent to try to collect the dust I can see on it - which doesn't really accomplish much! But it seems to have quietened down now. It was sounding sicker and sicker, like it was about to die (as if it was running on a battery that was dying), but now it's operating with just minimal noise. I hope everything's OK.
4. I would just like to address some false impressions from my last post. University, in general, isn't getting me that down. Part (but not all) of my absence through May can be explained due to busily working on essays. Exams are on 15, 16, 19, and 20 June, so I should be studying for those. My results thus far are making me very happy. I've received two major essays back this week, both with marks of 7. I'm not sure about my class standing in the Geneva essay I mentioned yesterday, but I got the equal highest mark on the Modern Political Ideologies essay I received today. I couldn't believe it, as I wrote the damn thing in a mad panic over just a couple of days. When class started, the lecturer wrote the average, highest, and lowest marks on the board, and when I received my essay back, I opened it up to the marking sheet and blurted out "HOLY CRAP!" I think I smiled for the next two hours. I really wasn't expecting to do so well!
And that's all for now. It's late, so I shall turn in for the night. Have a good one, folks. |
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Somewhat cheerful