Go here and watch the SNL Sketch about Taco Town Then click READ on the page to view the Myspace blog that made the real-life pizza-crepe-taco-pancake-chili-bag thing. Oh man. I was crackin' up at the video. The gross part is that people actually made these for real. That's pretty sick, chubs.

Muse is a great band.

I’ve really come to enjoy Origin of Symmetry more than their follow up Absolution. Like a lot of my now favorite bands (such as Say Anything), Muse was introduced to me by my former roommate and good friend, Joe. He played the opening sequence of Absolution for me one day when we were driving in his car. The hard-banging, dark and repetitive piano chords sounded deep and full. I had a feeling I was going to like the album right then.

Singer Matthew Bellamy, who also plays guitar and keyboards, has a powerful voice with a pretty incredible range. And I respect that, as someone who sings. A lot of the time he draws out notes and holds them for long periods. Then he may just bust out some soft, high falsetto.

This threesome is from south west England. I’m not sure why, but I guess when a band from the UK with a powerful singer with a good falsetto voice is backed with intricate tunes of keyboards and guitar distortion they are compared to Radiohead. This happens a lot. If I was in Muse, I’d probably be sort of pissed, but not really. If Radiohead was ever to go darker and more aggressive they’d wish for a sound as solid as Muse. I think it was Muse’s first album, Showbiz, that drew the comparisons. Same producer, I believe, that did Radiohead’s fantastic second album, The Bends, released in 1995.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking Radiohead. I love them, actually.

It’s irritating for people who live for good music when people try to compare bands that aren’t all that similar. If someone wants to say that Muse sounds like Radiohead, I’m sure you could compare them based on the fact that they both use guitars, keyboards, drums and a singer to record albums. In that case, yes. They are similar. I heard someone compare Dispatch to Dave Matthews Band once. I laughed out loud in their face, I think.

Moving on. Back to what I set out to say.

I’ve just found myself rockin’ out to Origin of Symmetry more than Absolution. I think the opening two tracks, "New Born" and "Bliss," set the tone for the album very well. They both use complex synth and build to head banging moments of great aggressive drums and heavy guitar. Of course, strong vocal performances by Bellamy.

Origin of Symmetry is darker, I think. But it manages to be incredibly catchy and engaging. If you’re looking for a taste, check out “Plug in Baby” or “Darkshines” to sample. This album might have more piano too. Another reason why I've latched on so much.

Seriously, Absolution is great too. To me, it’s about overcoming hardship and re-birth. (That explanation sucked.) One day I was listening to the album while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike and it made so much sense to me. I wish I’d had a voice recorder because the underlying themes of the Absolution clicked in my head and I understood what the these three British dudes were trying to convey. It was beautiful, actually.

I was going to a job interview and “Butterflies and Hurricanes” was blaring out of my speakers. The lyrics:
“Don't, Let yourself down / And don't let yourself go / Your last chance has arrived. Best, You've got to be the best / You've got to change the world / And use this chance to be heard / Your time is now”
were… amazing.

For a taste of the musical talent of these guys, Absolution is probably a better showing.

I don’t know which one I like better now.

A new album is coming in July and I’m stoked. They also plan to tour the good ole “U.S. and A.” this fall. I’ll be there.




PS - as an aside, I was just typed "Dispatch fan" (without quotes) into Google and there's an old "Dave Matthews Band and Dispatch Fan Site" hosted on Angelfire that is no longer working right. Oh man, I can't believe it. Some people...

So dark the con of man

The Da Vinci Code is really a fantastic book. I don’t read as much as I should, so coming from someone whose depth of knowledge on literature is about deep as a kiddie pool, take my advice (for what it’s worth): read the book.

Or anything by Dan Brown for that matter. He has four novels out right now and is working on number five. In 1998, he release his first book, Digital Fortress. It was followed by Angels & Demons in 2000 and Deception Point in 2001. It was 2003 that his controversial Da Vinci Code began stirring the pot, much to this dismay of the Catholic Church.

He’s brilliant. Clear and simple. His wife, Blythe (what a horrid name), helps a lot with research and such. And so I guess “Slater” in Dazed & Confused when he said that behind every good man there’s a woman. “And that woman… was Martha Washington.”

The Da Vinci Code moves incredibly quickly. Chapters are short and the language is both rapid and engaging. The pace is really fast. I think the first time I picked it up I got through 90 pages or something like that. It was also probably the fastest I’ve ever read a book in my life, aside from cramming down a novel for some class in high school.

I really enjoyed it. And here we go… “I couldn’t put it down.”

That’s the truth in a certain sense. The story is step up in the first 10 or 15 pages and you just want to know how it ends. A real page turner.

I read Da Vinci Code before Angels & Demons. They’re both really good. I think I’ll read his other works sometime.

Angels & Demons is longer, but still involves the extraordinary adventures of American prof. Robert Langdon. Not quite as fast moving, but still very good. It’s filled with tons of puzzles and code deciphering goodness that make it a stimulating read, yet easy to get through. I’d love to check out the illustrated versions of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.

The Solomon Key is expected no earlier than 2007. We’ll see. I might pre-order.

a pink plant in Atlantis

pink
Originally uploaded by Jeffrey Dean H..

I spent four days in the Bahamas two years ago and this is still one of my favorite photos.