Burning Sleep is here!

burningsleep is a brand new music blog, dedicated to a wide genre of music, ranging from little known UK Indie bands, to globally dominating multinational superbands. LosHavros and I are very excited about the project, and hope you visit the site in the near future.

Britney Spears – You are STILL a disgrace to the music industry

Britney Spears, I would love you to read what I’ve written below, however unlikely that may be.

Why did she bother coming to the UK to ‘perform’ on the X Factor last weekend? Seriously, she did not sing one word of her latest tripe offering of a song. Every contestant on the show sings to a very high standard every week, put 100% effort in, and pray and hope for the opportunity for a career in music. Britney got lucky. She was cute and could dance, she was in the right place at the right time. She doesn’t write or even sing her own songs!

She did not mentor any of the contestants – unlike Take That, Will young, even Mariah Carey, the biggest diva on Earth, helped out the contestants with advice, offered encouragement, and actually performed live. Britney swans in at the last moment of the show, prances around in hot-pants for a few minutes, shaking her ass in everyone’s face and somehow thinks everyone loves her.

I know this was last week, the reason I’m writing this article this week is because Paramore performed live recently with their new song, Decode, and completely wiped the floor with Britney’s ‘performance’. With the likes of Britney, the Pussycat Dolls, and all the other big-boobed or long-legged talentless whores in the music today, it’s a relief that there are some skilled people left out there.

So, I just switched to Vista….again

You might want to read this before you continue, but it’s not essential. To summarise, I switched to Vista about 16 months ago, but found it very hard work and my system generally ran very slow, and there were general driver and software incompatible issues. Last week, I decided it had been long enough, and bravely took the plunge (again) into the murky depths of Vista. I’ll try and highlight the key points between the two OS’s and anything else I found along the way.

Upgrading to Vista, (unlike downgrading to XP) was as easy as anything. Just shove in the CD, put in your code, and press next. Done.

Vista instantly looks very good without any customising or setup. This could be because XP is actually very old now, and looks dated by today’s standards. Even so, Vista looks very flash right from the go. After installing key drivers from a CD (supplied with my machine) connecting to the Internet was a breeze, and from there I downloaded all my usual applications such as Firefox, Steam, and such, without any problems.

This was the point last time where I got stuck. Gaming was slow to the point of being unplayable, Firefox worked but was slow, and many applications crashed all the time or were totally incompatible – even with the ‘XP compatibility mode’ enabled. Within a week I had had enough and went back to XP.

This time around however, it was very smooth sailing. Updates all downloaded and installed fine, it looks great and I can’t think of anything that doesn’t run as well as it did on XP. Even anti-virus software, which was a real pain initially, now runs perfectly. If you’re running Windows Aero the Explorer menu’s looks fantastic, and there are so many neat touches (transparency, windows switching, application previews etc) and considering there is no lag in performance when compared to XP, its pleasantly surprising.

So, if you are still on XP and your hardware can manage the demands of Vista, I would highly recommend you make the switch.

Is there anything people won’t complain about?

Seriously. All the controversy and fuss caused over tiny, insignificant things is going crazy.

Jonathan Ross and Russel Brand, two of the UK’s best comics have been wrongly stripped of their jobs. I could write pages on exactly why they have been wronged, but I’ll put it to you this way. The day after the broadcast, 8 complaints were registered, by the end of the week, 19 complaints, two weeks after that, around 30,000 people thought it necessary to vent their anger.

A major part and contributor of this is my arch nemesis – the media. Those bastards that decide what should be popular, who should be famous, and what constitutes as news. Case in point, some papers like the Sun, accept that maybe people don’t buy their paper for cutting edge reporting or highly reputable doumentation, because no offense (irony intended) men buy it for the breasts on page 3, women buy it because it will have reports on the latest crack whore to sell their sympothy story. The Daily Mail tells us of a new reason to slit our wrists every day, and most of the others are biased in some way.

My point is that the media do not actually report news. They tell us what to think and put their own spin on news stories. An excellent quote from a Harry Potter book (can’t remember which) is “the media exists to sell itself, not to report”

Getting back to the whole Ross/Brand/Sachs situation. Because some stuck-up, hypocritical daily mail readers didn’t like comedy coming from two under 60 year olds, close to 8 million listeners have to miss out. If you think about 30,000 complaints out of 8 million – it’s nothing at all.

I’m on the subject of hypocritical whingers, Muslims have been quiet recently, but lets not forget the list of things which have upset them – A kids teddy bear, a danish cartoon, a football, Avril Lavigne, a puppy, Apple. I could go on but thats enough for now.

*Edit – no its not, full list here and discussion here.

If anyone watched ‘Live at the Apollo’ last night on BBC1, fronted by the ‘family-friendly’ Michael McIntyre, you would have noticed that he swore twice, which is twice as much as Jonathon Ross swore on Radio 2 a few weeks ago.

I don’t like a lot of things on the TV and radio. I don’t like for example, Time Team, Terry Wogan, anything with the word ‘celeb’ imbedded in it, but I don’t complain and have a furious meltdown, venting my spleen to anyone who will, or won’t, listen.

My point is that if you don’t like something, don’t watch/listen to it!! Why should I, and millions of other listeners, miss out on the massively talented Ross and Brand shows just because SOME people (a vast minority) don’t like it?

Lostalone – Say No To The World – Album Review

You could be forgiven for not having heard of LostAlone before. They are (as yet) a relatively unknown band from Derbyshire. The trio comprised of lead singer and guitarist Steven Battelle, bassist Tom Kitchen, and drummer Mark Gibson were first introduced to me as the opening act for Paramore in Manchester in mid 2007. I must confess, I hadn’t heard them before but I was really impressed by their set, and was somewhat dazed by the different sound of what is a straight up rock band. Some have described LostAlone as an emo band, but I think this is just because of the current emo trend with bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy going around. Say No To The World is their debut (and only album at time of writing) and I bought it after being impressed by them at a Paramore gig.

Main influences of the band have been cited as Queen, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, and Weezer. Whilst none of these are particularly prevalent in the bands overall sound, there are subtle nods to these bands both musically, lyrically and dynamically in the band’s music. Battelle in particular, embodies the energy and direction of the band. A versatile vocalist and guitarist, he has developed a unique stage style and appeal which has grown to include alternative slide guitar techniques, and the crowd-pleasing ‘flip-catch-guitar-solo-with-shoe’ move. Certainly at the Paramore gig this was unexpected, and the energy and enthusiasm shown rubs off onto the crowd. To sing, play and be a frontman takes tremendous skill and confidence, and when he pulls it off right, it seems like they’re the only band in the world. So, having listened to Say No To The World, here’s what I think.

Elysium is a truly thunderous opening to the album and a slap in the face to anyone who may doubt the bands potential or enthusiasm. (Note; the Youtube version is not the album version.) In a Jesus of Suburbia way, the song incorporates many different styles and rhythms in the one song, and being just shy of 6 minutes long, isn’t overly long either. The tempo starts fast and grows faster and faster until roughly halfway through when the song winds down to a slow drum-dominated beat where its hands in the air clapping/swaying/lighters in the air time. After a brief guitar solo, the song picks up speed again and finishes slightly slower than the start, presumably because Steven is knackered by this time.

Followed by this is Unleash The Sands Of Time, which is easily the catchiest song on the album. ‘To say goodbye is the hardest thing in life’ will stick in your head for weeks after hearing it a few times, and the overall song is probably my personal favourite. As with Elysium, the guitar riffs are very catchy and Steven once again displays his wide vocal range with high and low pitches throughout. At the Paramore gig, this was the song where everyone I could see was clapping and singing along which gives you an idea how good this song is.

Track 3, Silence, reminds me of a heavier version of The Bravery’s song, An Honest Mistake, because of the focus on symbols and short stop gaps in the song. Distortion effects on the vocals are cool and unlike some songs, don’t ruin the sound at the same time. Ethereal and Predators In A Maze are the only real ballad-y song, and is a break from the rest of the 100mph songs. Genevieve is the heaviest song on the album and there are some absolutely fantastic guitar riffs and solo’s thrown into the mix as well as crashing drums, and is the song which shows what the band is about. Playing loud, fast, catchy songs, and Blood Is Sharp is similar, catchy and loud.

LostAlone have toured and performed with some truly big names, including (of course) Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and made a huge impact at the Give It A Name festival. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) has also singled them out to keep an eye on, so have a listen to the links above and see what you think. I think what is great about LostAlone is that while not a totally unique band, they do have their own style and appeal. They’re fresh and just play straight up rock music, which is refreshing in the current indie and emo dominated scene at the moment.

Overall – 8/10

Linkin Park, Paramore and Muse on upcoming Twilight Soundtrack

Amazon.co.uk have posted the track listing for the upcoming Twilight soundtrack.

The score to the film adaptation of Stephanie Mayer’s best selling book will feature two new Paramore tracks as well as songs by Linkin Park, Muse and actor Rob Pattinson who plays Edward Cullen in the movie.

The full track listing is as follows:

01 Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
02 Paramore – Decode
03 The Black Ghosts – Full Moon
04 Linkin Park – Leave Out All The Rest
05 MuteMath – Spotlight (Twilight Mix)
06 Perry Farrell – Go All The Way (Into The Twilight)
07 Collective Soul – Tremble For My Beloved
08 Paramore – I Caught Myself
09 Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire
10 Rob Pattinson – Never Think
11 Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth
12 Carter Burwell – Bella’s Lullaby

The Twilight soundtrack will be released in the UK on November 4.

Source – Kerrang!

The 2 new Paramore songs are tempting, but I won’t be buying the soundtrack. They will be on the album so why not just wait, listen to it on youtube and buy the album when it’s out? The Linkin Park and Muse tracks, while excellent, are quite old now so chances are you probably own the songs – and if not, why not!?

The Orange Box – PC Game Review

I thought I got a good deal when I bought 2 PSP games for the price of one, but the Orange Box retails at £34.99 and is by far the single best gaming deal in the world right now. By Far. And that is not an exaggeration, not one bit. You see, for your £35 you actually get 5 games. The original Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 & 2 (expansion games), Team Fortress 2 (an online FPS) and Portal (an innovative puzzle FPS, more on that later). What’s more, these games are not half-arsed 10 minute long mods or add-ons. True, Episodes 1 & 2 are expansion levels but the design, detail and characters of each is equal to the original, and the HL2 story continues from where it left off.

Like HL2, the graphics are spectacular in episodes 1 & 2, from the very first scene to the very last. Plenty of old favourites return to help out through various parts of the game, and unlike HL2, Alyx will play, fight and interact alongside you in 95% of the game. People I know are divided on whether Alyx is a clever piece of AI, an annoyance, or just an excuse to appeal to a wider audience because of the fresh element. Personally, I think that after hearing the directors commentary (more on that later) you appreciate just how complex the whole AI system is, including Alyx, DOG, and the enemy soldiers. Unlike in other games, the NPC’s in HL2 don’t get in the way, don’t shoot you by mistake, and most importantly; are likeable to the point you actually care whether they live or die. Having Alyx shooting, ducking and climbing alongside you is very refreshing and at times, integral to proceeding through the game. One particular moment has Alyx acting as backup sniper, shooting zombies while you rush forward, and another scene in the dark has Gordon shining light and directing Alyx where to shoot. She also has twice as many facial features for a much wider range of emotions, and you can see the importance placed on her character, as her background is also explored, as well as her connection and relationship to Gordon. Enemy AI is also as sharp as ever, and there are also soldier AI fighting zombie AI, which is great fun, as it gives you the chance to do what you want, a theme throughout the game as there are often multiple ways to solve a puzzle. You can either wade in and shoot anything and everything, take tactical sniper shots, or wait and pick of any remaining enemies. There are also all the usual HL puzzles, intricate level design, and challenging action, and the 2 expansion packs are every bit as good as the original, something I wasn’t expecting.

Team Fortress – I’ve had a go on it and can instantly see why it appeals to so many people. The first thing that TF2 reminded me of was the Timesplitter series on PS2. (Timesplitters is a FPS regarded as one of the PS2’s best FPS series) the graphics are cartoony although somehow realistic and very sharp, and look absolutely beautiful and slick. When joining a team there are several different roles for you to choose, each with unique weapons, abilities and roles. So everyone will have their own tactics and characters. Map designs are varied, look great, and the whole game runs seamlessly – not only graphically, but from a players point of view, the loading times are kept to a minimum, and options are all animated, a nice little touch that not many other games bother to include. Although I’m not hooked like some people are, I can see why people do love it as much as (if not more than) Counter-Strike: Source and other online shooters. I haven’t been drawn in yet, and still mainly play Counter-Strike: Source.

Now, Portal is something special. This is the wheel, this is sliced bread, and this could be the single most brilliant concept ever. Portal is one of those things that come along every now and then and completely change the way games are thought of. I don’t think I can accurately describe just how utterly brilliant this game is, but I’ll give it a go anyway. The game is played like a FPS but is actually a puzzle game. Your only ‘gun’ is a portal device, you shoot 2 portals from it onto certain surfaces and use these portals to travel around and solve the puzzles on each map. I have no idea how the developers made it, but it’s simply astounding. The commentary from the PA is in typical Valve fashion and witty and truly entertaining, with quotes such as “do not attempt this puzzle as it is impossible”, “If you fail the test, the experiment will end – because you will be dead.” I’ve tried to do it justice in my description, but maybe this video will convey the brilliance of the game, and explain the concepts better. And remember this is a new game, and while it uses the HL2 engine, the thought behind each levels design, not to mention the additional way the portals are used. So much thought and effort has gone into the Orange Box that each individual game is worthy of a £30 price tag on its own, so you can see why £35 for the lot is such a great deal. Some other features are directors commentary on Portal and Episodes 1 & 2, bonus maps, loads of community maps are being developed, as is custom content, and add to this all the usual HL2 graphics, AI, physics, level design, characters, everything is in place and done to perfection. Quite simply, this is the single greatest gaming set in the world, and is the benchmark for any games in the future.

Overall – 9.5/10

White Stripes – Icky Thump – Album Review

The White Stripes have always been a bit quirky, a bit deviant from the traditional rock and roll norm. I mean really, what are they? Brother and sister? Married lovers? Aliens? They are in fact, according to which article you may read, all of the above. Additionally, what is just as rare in the music industry is having only two members of the band in Jack and Meg. There is no doubting Jack White’s talent on guitar, piano, cello, banjo, song writing and vocal skills, and has always (no offense to Meg) carried the band. Whether Meg (drums) is not that good or simply does not show off, who knows. She might be a bit of a token person in the band due to whatever relationship she has with Jack. Meg is like a nutty auntie who comes round at Christmas, who is clearly mad but also kind of hot in a peculiar way (you know you would). Jack is like an equally mad scientist who doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.

Whatever, the White Stripes have always been ‘out there’ doing some remarkable and unique songs and videos, and usually, both together. Remember ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’the video made out of Lego, or ‘Button to Button’ which was a stop-start video where a new frame is on each beat? And apart from distinguished videos, they wouldn’t have had success without producing memorable songs, so let’s see what the new album, ‘Icky Thump’ throws at us.

As I said earlier, the White Stripes have always been very different from other rock and roll bands, increasingly you hear different instruments and styles as you listen through the albums. And as a mid-long time fan, from White Blood Cells through to Get Behind Me Satan, the exploration into different sounds increases on each album. What started as a solid drums and guitar band, quickly evolved and introduced piano’s, cello’s, banjo’s and tambourines into the mix. While this worked very well initially in ‘Little Ghost’ and ‘My Doorbell’ which are two truly brilliant songs, on Icky Thump, the deviant style feels a bit lazy. Most of the songs are slow, boring and repetitive to the point where you can’t remember which song you have just listened too. The titletrack ‘Icky Thump’ is very good, not quite as good as the early White Stripes songs mind, but very good nonetheless. But apart from that, the songs sound lifeless, and while there is plenty of guitar and drums, none of these songs are distinguished from each other. Lyrically, the songs are the weakest of any White Stripes album. While it might be unfair to compare albums to each other, as a fan it is hard not to be thinking, ‘this isn’t as good as Elephant’ and if the album was better I would be able to say it is better than previous releases, but it simply isn’t that good. At all. To put it simply, its rubbish.

There is no song which I think will be a future hit, and I haven’t even warmed to the album like I was hoping I would. I am really struggling to find anything positive to say about the album which is a shame, because everyone knows they have the ability to, but haven’t this time around. Maybe they are running out of ideas? I have never been so disappointed with an album before; I heard and watched Icky Thump on Kerrang and was expecting great things, but the album is very samey, the songs are half-arsed, and the overall feel is really boring and repetitive. I never imagined I would dislike the album as much as I do, and I hope that Jack and Meg get back on track next time. With regards to the final rating below, it is only that high because Icky Thump (the titletrack) is good, but still, I almost feel the need to apologise on behalf of the White Stripes for making such a dreadful album.

Overall – 5/10