I Heart Weezer

Weezer - Keep Fishin'

Ever since the Blue Album, I have been a fan of Weezer. I admit I lean to the older stuff than the newer, but the new stuff is just as good in their own right.

Their latest song "(If you're wondering if I want you to) I want you to," is pretty high up in the charts. I was attempting to get the music video for it as of the date of this blog, but there doesn't seem to be any. It's alright, the song is on their website and it's getting a lot of radio airplay.

I've always noticed how Weezer straddles that line between pop and alternative. You can very well say they are pop since they are "pop"ular, but there is a degree of playfulness around that idea. From the Red Album, "Pork and Beans" had a music video showing some of the more popular viral videos out there; again popular but there is a geek tendency to that. We're a little hard pressed to bring geek and popular together, but there it is.

Even early on there was that geek factor that made Weezer all the more awesome. From the Blue Album I listened to "In the garage," where Rivers sings, "I've got a Dungeon Masters Guide, Ive got a 12-sided die," resonating my own D&D days. Many years later, I got to see them with Tenacious D in concert. It was a very popular show, but also very geeky in who came to see it, I saw many people sporting the same glasses Rivers wears.

Through the years, Weezer just keeps churning out the hits. Each album had a successful song or two, and from there the albums, in my opinion, would get better through age. Pinkerton, which was given a rather dismal review early on, seem to have gained strength in opinion, after so many years. For a while, the emo-kids were calling it their favorite album.

That riff heavy sound and catchy lyric formula that Weezer employs is still evident in "I Want you to" so I can see their seventh album Raditude, making a very strong showing when it finally comes out in November. Now I'm just wondering when they will come out with their next Weezer album that is a color. Blue, Green, and Red are now done, what will be next?

Halloween must be approaching

Originally uploaded by jonasfiel

Hey look! Little Red Riding Hood made an appearance at my work today.

Among those donating to Approve R-71...

Good job Microsoft. Click-y for details.

Hostels growing in Seattle

For some reason, Ive always had this romantic view of hostels. I think it goes hand-in-hand with my vision of backpacking through Europe. I know there are hostels in the US but it doesn't have the same feel. However, it seems there is an increase in hostels for Seattle.

Two years after Hostelling International's 130-bed building near Pike Place Market closed and became apartments, Seattle is seeing a boom in affordable lodging for budget-minded travelers.

The cost: About $35 per night per person for both young and old.

Way better than over $100 a night at a hotel. Those that are opening or have been opened recently are all being renovated to appeal to the traveler. Maybe the romantic notion can come to the US now.

Click-y for article.

All of a Sudden My Day Got Better

Originally uploaded by jonasfiel

I was suffering from the Mondays earlier today, but during lunch I caught this view outside the break room window. I see this everyday, but I especially needed this today; the sunshine and fall colors that are happening just brightened my mood.

What It Feel Like to be Devil Ducky

Devil Ducky has aspirations. He got to this point because of patience, tenacity, work-ethic, and a little help. He likes what he does but always believes he could do more.
After all, Devil Ducky can only do so much before he feels like he's doing the same thing over and over. It does get a bit mundane after a while.
However, Devil Ducky can be a bit over-cautious sometimes. He likes to make sure he is doing things right and don't want to go into anything unknown without a little research.
Unfortunately, it can cause him to stall. It would be great to do more, but what if he can't handle it? Can he go back? He kinda gets what would happen, but the fear of unknown still makes him leary.
Maybe he should tackle something a little more manageable first, then move on to bigger better things.

Um... This may need a little more research...

The Bravery - Slow Poison

The Bravery's third album -- "Slow Poison," due out Nov. 10 -- will be "darker and angrier" than its predecessors, according to frontman Sam Endicott. But it's not a wholesale reinvention of the band, either.

-by Gary Graff

The first time I heard of The Bravery is when MTV still played videos, (hey, funny that.) It was the video for "An Honest Mistake."

First thing I thought just from the video,"Hey that's different and I like it." The whole black and white just accented the look they have - post punk and new wave. You hear synth and see punk clothing, but if you listen to them they don't sound 80s, but rather took elements from that time and brought it now. I liked them because they are brought a new sound then what was currently out there.

Now they are coming out with a new album Slow Poison and the title track is their first single. Dark, angry, uptempo - I can name a few bands from the 80s that were given those descriptions. I like it though. It gives the music scene a different angle. Plus, it can give the angst-ridden people of this era of music an outlet. There is not that many moody songs out there so this seems like a good prospect.

So for your moody listening pleasure here is "Slow Poison" by the Bravery