The Far Corners of the Mind

Control the things you can, and handle the things you can't. Every day is a new beginning, if you choose it to be. You decide what will affect your experience in this life. It's too short of a ride to let others run the show.

We don't sleep to dream
We sleep to build stamina
Energy to do our thing
Get your camera
'Cause this ride is about to begin
Sit down and buckle it in
-Fort Minor ft. Lupe Fiasco, Be Somebody

Life can change ya direction, even when you ain't planned it
All you can do it handle it, worst thing you can do is panic
Use it to your advantage, avoid insanity manage
To conquer, every obstacle, make impossible possible
Even when winning illogical, losing still far from optional
-T.I. - No Matter What

You choose a direction in life, and you follow it through. Failure is a state of mind, as is success. I have seen people get everything out of life and act like they have nothing, and I have seen people at the end of their rope appreciating everything they had. You decide what will happen in your life. Period.

Stay Frosty,
Dalibor

Week 3's album was Neko Case - Blacklisted. I have to say that I'm extremely happy about this recommendation. I will be adding this artist to my collection.

Wiki:
Most of the album's fourteen songs are originals, except for covers of "Running Out of Fools", previously a hit for Aretha Franklin, and "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)" by Sarah Vaughan. Blacklisted finds Case even deeper in a "country noir" mood, and was described by critics as lush, bleak, and atmospheric. Case cited filmmaker David Lynch, composer Angelo Badalamenti, and Neil Young's soundtrack to the film Dead Man as influences. One track, "Deep Red Bells", was inspired by Case's memories of being a vulnerable young woman in the Seattle area while the Green River Killer was at large.

THE HAMMER CLICKS IN PLACE. THE WORLD'S GONNA PAY.
RIGHT DOWN IN THE FACE OF GOD, AND HIS SAINTS
WHO CLAIM YOUR SOUL IS NOT FOR SALE
I'M A DYING BREED, WHO STILL BELIEVES
HUNTED BY AMERICAN DREAMS

From the opening lyrics, to the final note, this album is simply fantastic.
Very mellow overall, with deep and meaningful lyrics.

BUT DON'T YOU TRY AND STOP ME
I CLING TIGHTLY... TO THIS LIFE

Overall a fantastic album, I dug it a lot. It got a lot of play during this week. I heavily reccomend it.

A Solid 5/5. I think it can be played during any moood, solid music, solid lyrics.

Next Week is ... Black Keys - Attack and Release.

Also... I'm enjoying the hell out of this experiment :)

With last week's selection running long, I find it only fitting that this week's gets less play than the previous week. Why, you may ask? Frankly, no reason. It is my project however, so I believe that I make the rules. Also, this album is pretty deep, and due to circumstances this week, my mind is no longer in the right state to appreciate this album properly. And to the review.

This week's album is

I have to admit that before listening to Demon Days, I had never listened to an entire Gorillaz album. I mean sure, I knew the singles. Clint Eastwood [Explicit], is of course a favorite. Feel Good, Inc., which is on this album is another good one. I come to think that perhaps Gorillaz music is not to be listened to in part. The album is entertaining in so many ways, as well as deep beyond the few catchy tunes that people remember. Without writing a massive essay, I'll say this much: Definitely listen to this album. I plan on getting all three queued up and taking a day to hear them all. Buy it. Definitely.

Nearly a week ago, I decided that I wanted to expose myself to more music. I have been known to listen to the same selection over a long period of time, and going back through my old mix cds, I realize just how much. So I posted on my facebook, and requested suggestions of music to listen to. In my own mind, I kept the concept of blogging about it. I didn't know what would come of this, or if I'd even get sick of it, and go back to my three mix cds that I have in the car, and jump ship on this project. However, as a music aficionado, and enthusiast, I have to have my say. Maybe ten people read this, or ten thousand, but I have my thoughts that I choose to voice, if for no reason than personal therapy :)

The first week, which ran a bit long, since I work the weekends and I failed to keep to my sleep schedule, ends today. This week's album was chosen by me, since I'd just recently acquired it, and wanted to listen to it.


Lupe Fiasco's Lasers. Much-anticipated by the ever-growing community of Lupe's fans, and myself, I expected a lot from it. Perhaps that's my downfall. I absolutely loved his previous two albums, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor and Lupe Fiasco's the Cool, so I really expected a whole lot from his third album. The concept changed a few times, originally it was to be his final album, allowing him to end his full-time career as a performer, and focus on getting his company First and Fifteenth Ent. off the ground.

Per the Lupe Wiki : "Fiasco announced at a Chicago concert late in 2008 that his next and most likely final album will be a three disc album called LupE.N.D. and that the first disc "Everywhere" would come out in June 2009.^[42] On January 30, 2009, Lupe Fiasco originally announced that LupE.N.D. will be postponed indefinitely. Instead, he would release three albums; The Great American Rap Album in June 2009, two following albums in December 2009 and June 2010, with LupE.N.D. following afterward.^[43] However, it was announced by Fiasco that his next album would instead be titled, "We Are Lasers"; yet later his official rep announced and confirmed that it would instead be titled simply "Lasers"." Also, on the subject of FnF, "...like I got rid of the whole label. It was just such a ‘this isn’t right for you right now. This isn’t gonna work for you right now. You need to be focused on you..."

My hopes drowned slowly, with each album delay, and I nearly missed its release when it did come out.

Now, as far as my thoughts on the album.

Overall, I'd give it a 3/5. It is an album, that as a fan, has grown on me over the week I've listened to it. I have finally, after a week of listening to it, found a song I really need to learn the lyrics to. With "The Cool", Go Go Gadget Flow and Dumb It Down drew me in, and the rest of the album knocked me down. On "Lasers" I had no such pull-in, and sadly even less of a knock-down. The singles that came out were at best "Ok", and the rest of the album does not impress beyond that. The music is good, not great. A few of the songs are really fun beats, but I don't care about the content. The entire thing to me, is entirely overproduced. Too much distortion applied to the vocals, and on more than a few occasions, too many instrumentals and loops at the same time. I haven't a clue as to the concept of the album, without looking to the Wiki. On his facebook, Lupe had a strange campaign over the three years the album was delayed, during which I cared less and less about the concept, and just wanted the damn thing to come out.

At the end of the day, I'd call it a buy, if you're a fan, and can listen to an album you don't love a few times, till you get to like it. I'm off to learn the lyrics to "I Don't Want To Care Right Now".

Next week's album is Gorillaz - Demon Days.

Go!