Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister is the new voice of MSNBC. Compare this to CNN's James Earl Jones. Actually, the guy does have a distinctive New York voice, though I'll have to hear the actual IDs before I pass judgement. I will say that I thought Snyder was hysterical as the host of VH1's Top Hair Bands countdown. Unlike Jeff Bridges and other wooden actors they have host these other Top X Countdowns, Snider didn't seem to be taking any of it seriously and just screwed around for most of it, but without coming off like a total idiot. Where Bridges looks like he's reading cold off of cue cards, Snyder seemed like he was ranting off the top of his head -- but he's good at it. If only MSNBC would let him rant off the IDs. "This is MSNBC -- we're in third and we don't give a shit!"
What I'm Listening To
Damn, I need to change the sidebar over there. While those albums still kick booty, it's been several months since they were in heavy rotation. Anyway, I just subscribed to emusic.com for a few months since they carry mp3s from a lot of smaller labels I like, along with lots of metal. I also like the fact that I am paying for the music and at least some of the money is going to these independent labels that are more likely to treat the artists well than the majors. Plus, the files are truel mp3s and not bogged down by "rights management." I had a free 3 month subscription to emusic last year that came with an HP CD burner I bought and I liked it. But there's not enough new stuff every month to justify a continual year-long subscription. So a lot of my new music is coming from there, much of which I record to minidisc for portable listening.
Black Cat Music - "Hands In The Estuary...Torso In The Lake" | This one's really growing on me. It's hard to describe well -- kind of like Robert Smith of the Cure gets into an AC/DC cover band that has way more swagger than power chords. I looked them up because they're playing our local Independent Media Center. Worth a listen for anyone who liked the Strokes, but realize that they're prep school kids rehashing the Velvets, albeit well.
Bad Religion - "The Process of Belief" | You know, it's Bad Religion, which is to say that it's somewhat predictable and comfortable, but good nonetheless. I'd have to say that it's the best thing they've done since 1993's "Recipe for Hate." The tempos are sped up a little -- I'd even say it's a little thrashier, and the thoughtful progressive topics remain on songs like "Kyoto Now."
Killswitch Engage - "Killswitch Engage" | This is powerful metal that embraces many modern influences without coming off as reheated nu-metal. Razor-sharp guitar work, tempo changes, and a vocalist who roars and sings make for a pummeling but rewarding listen. They remind me of Shadows Fall without sounding like a clone -- which makes sense since they both come out of the Massachussets scene. I'll tell ya, if that's the sound of that scene, then I hope there's more of it.
Slayer - "God Hates Us All" | I can't believe this was nominated for a Grammy. It's got to be one of the most scaldingly blasphemous anti-religious screeds set to music that I've heard in a long time. Slayer backs it up with some of the freshest and most brutal music they've cooked up in years. It's probably their best album since "Seasons in the Abyss," and the most bludgeoning since "Regin in Blood," yet demonstrating growth and exposure to newer trends in metal without giving in to them. When Tom Araya screams a cappella "I keep the Bible in a pool of blood so that none of its lies could affect me," in "New Faith" you believe him.