If you can’t see the above video, click here.

housethegrate, guy in rubber suit, and eric dude compete for the best swing jump.

recorded by: walker texas ranger-X

recorded on: 03/14/2006

 

This is straight outta my archives of old Google Videos. I’m uploading it here because they’re taking down all the Google Videos soon.

On a related note, I’ll be uploading all of my Google Videos here, although I’ll have to break several of them up into smaller, YouTube-friendly chunks. Expect those to be uploaded periodically throughout the month as I reprocess them. Deuces!!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Shizz Olympics

Alrighty, so this is the last Deja Vuesday of 2009!

This week, we’ll be going back only a year ago to when I was making my New Year’s Resolutions:

Currently Watching:
G3 – Live in Tokyo

Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. Just wanted to clear that up.

The Year of The Ox Is Upon Us

So what have I been up to this past week? Well, I hung out with my friends and watched UFC. That was fun. We also ordered an enormous pizza from Cole’s Carry-Out called the King Cole. It was definitely good to get out of the house and do something with my friends again!

Besides that, I’ve been feeling trapped inside the house. Although I now have the freedom to go anywhere since I have a car, I don’t want to waste gas because my savings ran out and I have no money now.

Despite all of that, 2009 is gonna be my year, especially since I was born in the year of the ox (1985)! Here is a list of my new year’s resolutions:

1. Get a Job

Let’s face it, I don’t do much offline. Aside from eating, sleeping, showering, or shitting, I do nothing.

Getting the right job can help me get back on my feet mentally because it’ll be a break from my monotonous routine and I’ll be around some like-minded people for a change.

Also, I’ll have money again. That’s a plus! With this money, I’ll be able to fulfill several of my other resolutions as well as meet my needs.

Throughout this month, I’ve been hanging out with my friends as much as I could since they were in town for the holidays. Now, they’re on their way back to college so it might be awhile before I see them again.

I’ve been looking into several job openings as of late, and I think I might be hired soon. This is great news since I’ll be able to make more money and be able to live on my own again!

2. Live On My Own

I was debating on living with my parents until all of my debt had been paid off, but after reading Steve Pavlina’s newest article on overcoming indecision, I decided to make moving out on my own a priority.

Although I’ll have less money to allocate towards my other debts, my growth as a person is far more important. If I continue to live with my parents, then I’ll be constantly stifled and will be too scared to commit to paying off my debts. I noticed this when I looked at some of my old posts about my debts. I still haven’t done anything towards fixing this problem, and I blame it on living with others that hold me down instead of striking out on my own. Speaking of debts:

Although it was for 2 1/2 months, living on my own has been my most satisfying accomplishment to-date! It’s a no-brainer that I should go back to living on my own since I won’t have my family holding me back from working on my website.

When I get a job, I’ll begin to save up to move out and this time, I’ll do it right and save up the equivalent of at least four months’ rent. This way, if something bad happens to me again, I’ll have the means to cover it without it completely draining me.

3. Budget My Money To Pay Off My Debts

I’ve been in debt for far too long, and I want out! By properly budgeting my money, I will set aside money to pay off my debts. Before I pay off anything, I’ll get my credit report so that I know all of what I owe.

To start things off, I’ll pay a little on my student loans so that I don’t go into default and then I’ll work my way up focusing on one debt at a time. I don’t expect to be 100% debt-free by 2009′s end, but I do expect to have at least taken out a good-sized chunk of my debt by then.

Although I intended to at least work on my debts in 2009, I haven’t done anything. Next year, if I’m financially able to, I want to at least work on some of my smaller debts so that I’m one step closer to being debt-free!

4. Buy Myself Some New & Exciting Things

With all this talk about getting out of debt, I also want to have some fun too! There are several things that I’ve been wanting to buy for years, but I never got around to it because of one reason or another.

I want to get myself a new computer first. Two actually. I want to get the Acer Inspire One netbook so that I can have the portability advantage of a laptop without the outrageous price tag. Also, the thing’s pimp as hell!

The second computer that I want to get is a Dell XPS 420 desktop/monitor bundle. It features a quad-core, which will make everything that I do online a breeze. Also, a flat-screen monitor and USB 2.0!! It’s pretty sad to admit that my desktop still uses USB 1.1, hehe. My current CRT monitor is so bulky that it’s right in front of my face when I sit down at my desk. My eyes will thank me!

Ever since I first heard of Carvin Guitars by listening to housethegrate and his brother Ashane, I’ve wanted a Carvin axe of my own!! For 2009, I want to get either a DC-127C or a V220C model. They’re both under $2,000 (the Dc-127C is $1,709 and the V220C is $1,654) and will be simply amazing!

Buying a new guitar amplifier is also on my list. Even though I started playing guitar again on January of 2005 (I can’t believe that it’s been almost 4 years already!), I still have the same amp I started out with. It would be different if it sounded good, but it’s just a crappy 15-watt practice amp. The two amps that I’m debating between are the Bugera 6262 combo and the Peavey Vypyr Tube 120 combo. I’ve read great reviews and watched demos of both on YouTube, and I gotta say that they have what appears to be a dynamite sound! I’m leaning more towards the Vypyr since it’s so versatile, but I’m not for sure until I play on them both.

Also, I might have to put some money towards my car just in case this one dies on me. If all else fails, I can temporarily put all of my saved-up money towards either fixing the car or purchasing another car.

I might not have gotten the netbook that I wanted, but I got a way-better laptop instead! Thanks eBay!!

In July, I tried to save up for a new guitar or amp with my tip money and spare change, but I had to ultimately use it to help me move back in with my parents. After I move out again and get all settled in, I want to save up again for a new guitar or amp.

5. Go On A Trip

I’ve always wanted to take a trip around the country, especially with my friends! The big question is where. I’m thinking someplace on the west coast. I’ve never been to that part of the US and I really want to.

There is also the possibility of MAGfest. According to their site,

“MAGFest is a video and computer gaming festival run by fans, for fans. It’s similar to most fan-based (anime, scifi, etc) conventions, but aims to be more of a laid-back video game party atmosphere. No crowded show floors here, but rather lots of fan art, film and music, and room to relax. Our special guests fit right in and socialize with the rest of the crowd. Game movies and cartoons are shown weekend-long. In addition to our 10 000 square foot game room, lots of attendees set up games in their rooms and invite others inside.

Perhaps most importantly, MAGFest has a huge focus on game music — multiple concerts worth — filled with video game music tributes, some even with the original composers! On Friday and Saturday nights multiple bands perform on our main stage, and our ‘JamSpace’ is open 24 hours for collaborative music and special treats alike.”

Although I’m not as big of a gamer as I used to be, the main reason I would go is for the video game music. Since I can’t attend the MAGfest that’s coming up in a couple days, I would be aiming for the one at the beginning of 2010. What a way to start off a new decade, huh?!

Once again, I’ll be missing MAGfest . It’s really a shame since both The Angry Video Game Nerd and LittleKuriboh will be there! What is it about winters that seem to spell financial doom for me?

6. Make A Living From This Website

As I’ve said before, I want to make this website my main source of income. Right now, I’m making about $24 a month. For 2009, I want to make at least $1,000 a month by year’s end. This isn’t an unreasonable goal at all considering that the income for this site seems to double every month ($5 in September, $10 in October, $20 in November).

So how am I going to make $1,000 a month? First, by continuing to make quality content. Second, by selling private ads here. Lastly, by searching for new methods of making money that I’m currently unaware of and experimenting with them.

Making $1,000 a month online seemed daunting at the time I made the resolution, which is probably why it hasn’t happened this year. Instead, I’m shooting for at least $50 a month by December 2010. Since I’m making about $34 a month already, it should be within my ability to make $50 a month as well.

Throwing It Back At You

So what resolutions are you planning to do for 2009? Are you going to buy something that was previously out of your financial reach? Are you gonna go on a trip? Or are you going to do something completely different?

Tell me what your new year’s resolutions are in the comments. See-ya!

TheAndySan

Out of the resolutions that I made for myself at the end of 2008, I’ve done half of them: I moved out, got a job, and bought my first new computer in five years. Granted, I had to quit that job and move back in with my parents, but still!

So what are your resolutions for 2010? Are they the same as last year’s or are they different? Please leave me your thoughts in the comments below!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Deja Vuesday – Resolutions For A New Year

Buy Tokyo Jukebox

If you can’t see the above video, click here.

I’m really excited about today’s album review because I’m finally reviewing Tokyo Jukebox, the latest CD from one of my all-time favorite guitarists, Marty Friedman, or マーティ・フリードマン as he’s known in Japan!!

This album has (to my knowledge) only been sold in Japan because it’s actually a collection of Japanese cover tunes, but I was able to get my hands on it from America and without further ado, let’s start the review:

Personal Backstory

Just like with housethegrate, my discovery of Marty Friedman is almost a whole post onto itself.

Speaking of house, it was through him that I heard about Marty. I was reading through house’s bio on his website (back when housethegrate.com was still up) and I read about his influences; of which, Marty was one.

At the time, I had known Marty only from his work in Megadeth, and even then, I only knew their radio hits like Symphony of Destruction and Angry Again. I had no idea even who the band members in Megadeth were. Then again, since the lineup often changed, I know that I wasn’t alone .

I then looked up clips of him from YouTube on Japanese TV shows like Rock Fujiyama, Hebi-Meta San, and even a cooking show. I absolutely LOVED how he turned the vocal lines in J-pop into killer guitar lines and meshed it with songs that are well-known here in America!!

Back in 2006-2007 when I was still going to UU, I came across a two-part guitar tutorial that he did that changed my life: Electric Guitar Day One and Two. It was the simplest, back-to-basics guitar video that I have ever come across, but the best thing was that Marty didn’t seem to look down on you like I’ve seen so many other teachers in beginner tutorials do. They also try to teach you how to play Ode To Joy or something when you really want to play Four Seasons by Vivaldi or a Metallica song. In addition to showing you what each part on a guitar and amp do and how to change strings and all that, when it came to playing, Marty just laid down the basics like power chords and some simple scales. He also gave some pieces of advise here and there for the burgeoning player.

Don’t get me wrong; Marty’s other guitar tutorial videos are pretty boss too, but they just didn’t have the same impact on me as Electric Guitar Day One and Two.

From there, I’ve been constantly watching clips of him on YouTube and keeping on the up-and-up with his singles and album releases, all the while learning more and more about not only guitar, but music in general.

The Track Breakdown

The first track, Tsume Tsume Tsume, hit me in the face with a hardcore romp that seemed out-of-character for Marty and yet it works wonderfully for him! The breakdown at 3:28 always gets my fist pumping like jams (l33t Jersey Shore reference)!

The next song, Gift, is a rock-meets-techno-meets-Hawaiian number that is one hell of a ride! This song combines so many different musical elements that it’s almost a fusion song.

Track 3 is Amagigoe, which would fit in just fine on Marty’s album Loudspeaker. It also has bits that remind me a lot of the Mute City theme from the SNES game F-Zero.

Up next is Story, a song that has quite an impressively upbeat melody! An image of Top Gun and maids from a maid cafe comes to mind for some reason.

After that, it’s Polyrhythm, which is probably my favorite song on Tokyo Jukebox! The original song by Perfume is also pretty good too, if you’re not turned off by the at-times abuse of auto-tune that is.

Kaeri Taku Natta Yo is probably what Green Day would sound like if they were a J-pop group. I can see this song being played at school talent shows like in the anime/manga BECK, but I’m not by any means downplaying this song!

The seventh track, Tsunami, is an epic rock track that is definitely multi-faceted! Just when you got this song figured out, Marty throws you a curveball that still fits with the song somehow!

Yuki no Hana has recently become one of my favorite tracks from Tokyo Jukebox, mostly due to the opening melody that cuts right through me! What was once a melancholic piano ballad quickly turns into an explosion of heavy metal flavor!

Eki starts off with an almost synth-like octave guitar line that kicks into a crying melody characteristic of Marty’s playing style. We also get to hear Marty really go to town on some exotic scales!

Track 10 is Sekai Ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana, a cover of a SMAP song that was originally on Loudspeaker. He didn’t redo it or anything, and although it’s really good, I hate how it seems like it was thrown on Tokyo Jukebox at the last minute to fill up space.

The next track, Romance No Kamisama, is a mellow piano-and-acoustic number that is nice to relax to. I also like that Marty’s getting to show off his acoustic skills more and more instead of just shredding on an electric all the time.

After that is the 12th and final track on this album, Asu E No Sanka, which continues the relaxing feel from Romance No Kamisama and closes out the album nicely. It would certainly sound right at home on Marty’s album Introduction, that’s for sure!

The Goodies, The Baddies & The Uglies

Since Marty moved to Japan going on 10 years now, I think his music has dramatically improved! Sure, I love the stuff he did with Cacophony and Megadeth and even on his early solo albums, but his playing became insanely versitle when he left Megadeth and moved to Japan on January 2000. With every album that Marty has ever done, he has saught to constantly improve and outdo himself, and Tokyo Jukebox is no exception!

Although the majority of Marty’s non-Japanese audience wants him to just drop the whole J-pop thing and get back with Megadeth already, I for one think it would be a huge step-back for Marty if he did that, unless it was for a short run (i.e: a Rust In Peace lineup reunion).

Besides, Dave Mustaine isn’t quite done gushing over how much better Chris Broderick is from any other Megadeth guitarist aside from Dave himself. Sure Chris is incredibly skilled as a guitar player, but on Endgame, he sounded incredibly stiff and generic. Hell, it sounded like Dave did all of the guitar parts by himself.

As I said in my review for Endgame, it would be a compliment in most cases to sound like Dave Mustaine, but when it comes to being the second guitarist in Megadeth, you can get easily lost in the mix if you’re sounding like Dave, unless of course you’re Dave Mustaine.

One of the things that I love about Marty’s playing is that no matter who he’s playing with, I can listen to a solo or a riff and say, “Hey, that sounds like Marty Friedman!” I can’t do that with Chris Broderick.

The Verdict

Despite adding in a song from one of his previous albums and the Megadeth fanboys wretching at his affinity towards J-pop and whining for the classic lineup to get back together, Marty Friedman’s Tokyo Jukebox is a solid album that goes well with his other post-Megadeth solo albums like Loudspeaker! Too bad the J-Haters don’t know what they’re missing…

7 Tracks To Give a Clicky-Click

- Tsume Tsume Tsume

- Gift

- Polyrhythm

- Kaeri Taku Natta Yo

- Tsunami

- Yuki No Hana

- Eki

Buy Tokyo Jukebox

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

WAR 06 – Marty Friedman TOKYO JUKEBOX Album Review

Keeping in the spirit of sharing myself with the world, I’d like to tell you the 24 things I want to do before I die:

1. I want to go to Japan.

2. I want to learn Japanese & dabble in other foreign languages.

3. I want to live in California.

4. I want to be on the cast of a TV show.

5. I want to write a book.

6. I want to be able to at least live on my own from doing what I love.

7. I want to meet all of my guitar heroes like Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Al Di Meola, & more!

8. I want to drive a car that’s worth more than a house.

9. I want to be a voice actor.

10. I want to have my own band & tour the world.

11. I want to inspire people.

12. I want to be a stand-up comedian.

13. I want to be the first American to create a successful anime series in Japan.

14. I want to travel around the world.

15. I want to build my own guitar.

16. I want to get my 4-year college degree.

17. I want to be a motivational speaker.

18. I want to get in better physical shape.

19. I want to improve my guitar playing.

20. I want to learn how to properly play the piano.

21. I want to have kids after I’m 30 years old.

22. I want a new wardrobe.

23. I want to move out on my own again.

24. I want to be happy.

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

On My 24th Birthday, I Give You 24 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

So I was browsing around my messages from TheShizz.org today, and I came across a new email from housethegrate:

thanks for the comments on the myspace tracks. those are recent jams i’ve done, completely improvised, so yes, very much lacking focus. i’ve had difficulty in the past few years focusing on music, which is one reason i haven’t had much in the way of new releases and shit. i’m working on my craft, though, for sure, trying to get solid on guitar for real. i appreciate you still diggin my tunes and i hope i can have some new stuff for you to enjoy soon.

i’ll keep in touch man.

-house

I replied by sending him this:

It’s good to hear that you’re still working to improve yourself! To be honest, aside from the jammy stuff and the gigs you did with Shawn Phase and Spamtron, I haven’t heard much new material from you since Houseworks was released.

When I get stuck in a funk playing guitar, I usually listen to my main inspirational players like Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, and Al Di Meola.

I even watch videos on how to play guitar for beginners, which may seem beneath players like us who’ve been playing for awhile (January 2010 marks my 5th year of picking up the guitar again), but we tend to forget things along the way as we progress as musicians.

Another thing I like to do is listen to music that I don’t normally listen to, which is not necessarily new music. I’ve been getting into jazz fusion beyond Al Di Meola like Casiopea a lot lately, although I still can’t get into Allan Holdsworth as much as I’d like to (his solos are dynamite, but his chords are too spacey and Muzak-y for me). I normally listen to a lot of classic 80s-90s metal so I popped in some new stuff like Atreyu’s new CD *hint-hint*. The throaty screams annoy me, but the guitar work is solid.

I’d love for you (and your bro too) to participate in DoD again! It’s been ages since you’ve done that, and I think it would help you get back into creating music again, regardless of the quality of the song!

Keep me posted!

Andy

P.S: The MySpace link still isn’t working.

So what do you guys do to break out of a funk, musical or otherwise? Leave me a comment below!

TheAndySan

P.S: I’m thinking about starting up a Question of the Week kinda post for Fridays. What do you guys think of that?

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

How To Get Out of a Musician’s Rut

Before I begin this week’s Twitter Thursday Throwdown, let me wish my bro Jon a happy 19th birthday!! Pretty soon, he won’t be a teenager anymore! God, I feel so friggin’ old! Happy birthday, bro!

With that in mind, let’s begin this week’s Twitter Thursday Throwdown:

I favorited a YouTube video — Fireflies-Owl City http://bit.ly/1TLuNM11:14 PM Oct 29th from Google

I subscribed to NewMuffaniaStar’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/2myJFw11:08 PM Oct 29th from Google

I subscribed to salguodlima’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/48ebtg9:02 PM Oct 29th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — SXE Phil Theme Song | Typography | HD http://bit.ly/vDJB45:35 PM Oct 29th from Google

I subscribed to OwnagePranks’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/vkY6s4:48 PM Oct 29th from Google

posted Vlog 02 – A Cloudy Day http://bit.ly/2ld9fX4:00 PM Oct 29th from twitterfeed

just posted Vlog 02 – A Cloudy Day http://bit.ly/eT2WC3:39 PM Oct 29th from TweetMyBlog

I subscribed to Rakukojin’s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/p2qSY3:38 PM Oct 29th from Google

says #urdoing2muchif you can’t read the tabs on Chrome/Firefox/IE because you have so many up.2:56 PM Oct 29th from web

posted Twitter Thursday Throwdown: October 15, 2009 – October 28, 2009 http://bit.ly/17OWeD2:30 PM Oct 29th from twitterfeed

I favorited a YouTube video — PRS SE Custom and Singlecut guitarhttp://bit.ly/3iXN9f1:27 PM Oct 29th from Google

is working on this week’s double-stuffed Twitter Thursday Throwdown.12:09 PM Oct 29th from web

I favorited a YouTube video — Jane Carrey Band – Simple Beauty (HD) http://bit.ly/3hsFFm12:08 PM Oct 29th from Google

I subscribed to hellsing129′s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/Rl71i11:58 AM Oct 29th from Google

I subscribed to clydesdale1234′s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1Wasq011:51 AM Oct 29th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Fender hot rod Deville 212http://bit.ly/1Jjg6a3:08 AM Oct 29th from Google

@cat8416 – I love New Found Glory!3:01 AM Oct 29th from web in reply to cat8416

is tired and going to bed. Night-night!3:00 AM Oct 29th from web

I subscribed to NewNuma’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/10DSHU2:45 AM Oct 29th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — New Found Glory “Kiss Me” music video http://bit.ly/SSVk51:14 AM Oct 29th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Water Sounds in Japanese Rice Fields http://bit.ly/2P4rfL12:57 AM Oct 29th from Google

After dicking around too much with formatting my Tweets and having them go schizo on me (“We are everywhere on these posts, even within ourselves!!”), I decided to change it up. Instead of doing the copy-paste straight from my Twitter to here like I used to, I copy-paste from my Twitter to Microsoft Word, clean it up, and then copy-paste it here. Although the colors aren’t as Twitter-authentic, I like the overall cleanliness of this new format. What do you guys think?

I’m really diggin’ what Jane Carrey is doing musically and yes, she’s the daughter of one of my comedic idols, Jim Carrey!

Also, I’m both glad and mad that Paul Reed Smith drastically lowered their prices on some of the SE models, more specifically the SE Custom 24 which has gone down from $665 to a paltry $499. If I was still working at Myles’ Dairy Queen and living at The Enclave II, that guitar would be mine come Christmas time!!

I subscribed to sixstringzach’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1ZoMsj10:45 PM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to arockettothemoonfans’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1ZMSUH8:51 PM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to hasserl’s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/eMKrS8:35 PM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to happypugproductionz’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/10Z7y57:46 PM Oct 30th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Mighty Smoshin POWER RANGERShttp://bit.ly/1JMSWk5:52 PM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to CaliBoyinJapan’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/9sjbs5:28 PM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to LumaPerrete’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/azHO5:15 PM Oct 30th from Google

is online for today! After today, he will be offline until Monday-ish. Huzzah!5:01 PM Oct 30th from web

@orianthi – Thanks for following me, Ori!! Did you catch my review of Believe? Check it out: http://su.pr/6sWsRl4:55 PM Oct 30th from Su.pr

is heading for bed. He’ll be back online on Monday. See ya then and goodnight!3:55 AM Oct 30th from web

@jennyfenig – Not a problem! I really enjoyed reading it!3:55 AM Oct 30th from web in reply to jennyfenig

I favorited a YouTube video — A day in the life in Japan (Winter)http://bit.ly/4ybjZz2:20 AM Oct 30th from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Jackson King V – Megadeth Medleyhttp://bit.ly/4b8dZM2:05 AM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to Eyedol5′s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/1hqxZv2:05 AM Oct 30th from Google

I subscribed to norsehawk’s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/1iVC42:04 AM Oct 30th from Google

The highlight of my day was when Orianthi followed me on Twitter. I even gave her a link to my review of her new CD Believe. What did you guys think of my review of it? More importantly, what did you think of Believe? Hit me up with a comment!

posted Happy Halloween 2009!!! http://bit.ly/1ThZsI5:30 AM Oct 31st from twitterfeed

is going to bed. He’ll be back online on Monday, and with a new video of him speaking Japanese too! Goodnight!3:25 AM Oct 31st from web

just posted Happy Halloween 2009!!! http://bit.ly/2WcZBf2:38 AM Oct 31st from TweetMyBlog

I subscribed to JustintheMystifyer’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/FEaUv2:20 AM Oct 31st from Google

I subscribed to IAmTrentz’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1L5aEC2:20 AM Oct 31st from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Peacock Scare http://bit.ly/z09Sm1:50 AM Oct 31st from Google

I was only online for a short time on Halloween (and not at all on November 1st), but it was long enough to wish you guys a happy one! How did you spend your Halloween? Did you get a lot of candy?

I subscribed to getoutofmyband’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/vZ4eO9:07 PM Nov 2nd from Google

I subscribed to AdamOfficial’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1aokNJ8:51 PM Nov 2nd from Google

posted Japanese Video 02 – College Goals http://bit.ly/1qsv4f7:00 PM Nov 2nd from twitterfeed

just finished recording and converting the raw footage of the new Japanese video. He’s editing it and it’ll be up in about two hours or so..2:55 PM Nov 2nd from web

I favorited a YouTube video — How To Calm Down Fasthttp://bit.ly/UICFz2:20 PM Nov 2nd from Google

is laughing his ass off watching the trailer for the anime Princess Robot Bubblegum, from GTA – The Ballad of Gay Tony:http://su.pr/1qhiqr.12:45 PM Nov 2nd from Su.pr

I favorited a YouTube video — Manga Trailer http://bit.ly/1W0uNp12:45 PM Nov 2nd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — What To Do When Your Unemployment Ends http://bit.ly/1JJtXf12:45 PM Nov 2nd from Google

I subscribed to ronaproject’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/28ubpP12:45 PM Nov 2nd from Google

is back online! After lunch, he’s gonna work on a new Japanese video. Stay tuned!!12:39 PM Nov 2nd from web

@cat8416 – That’s awesome, Kate!! Did they do any of their cover songs?12:38 PM Nov 2nd from web in reply to cat8416

posted Vlog 24 – Apologies, Frustration, & Goalshttp://bit.ly/3g1mYF1:00 AM Nov 2nd from twitterfeed

I have some very good news on the TV-selling front! After I posted the apology video and redid the auction, we’ve been getting a lot of bids on it! Although the TV’s not sold yet (the auction ends tomorrow so you’d better hurry and place your bids!!), I’d like to thank you guys for helping me out!! I really appreciate it! Click here for the eBay auction!

I’d also like to point out that while my Japanese introduction video has easily become one of my most-viewed videos as of late, my second Japanese video hasn’t had much viewer action. Was my Japanese that bad?

I favorited a YouTube video — MYSPEECH! http://bit.ly/3Woull10:37 PM Nov 3rd from Google

is going offline for tonight. He’ll be back online tomorrow with this week’s WAR, where he’ll review housethegrate’s Houseworks. Goodnight!!10:26 PM Nov 3rd from web

I subscribed to trsluvmsrock’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/3LY1Ov10:16 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Love Hotels – Japanhttp://bit.ly/1r7RAR10:06 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Castlevania III Music (NES) – Clockwork http://bit.ly/2mdsgK8:21 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I subscribed to explod2A03′s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/1xpOYe8:16 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Boys Wear Bra’s! (11.01.09 – Day 185) http://bit.ly/2Hn9TO7:45 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Time Warp: Cotton Candyhttp://bit.ly/27MEWW7:22 PM Nov 3rd from Google

is watching the new episode of The Big Bang Theory that he missed yesterday: http://su.pr/2lvpZJ. CBS needs to get on the Hulu bandwagon!!!!6:55 PM Nov 3rd from Su.pr

I favorited a YouTube video — Stockings Galore !!!http://bit.ly/o9Abt6:41 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — owl city-the saltwater room coverhttp://bit.ly/1WsL0r2:34 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — LittleKuriboh’s Freeza Auditionhttp://bit.ly/8olKe2:06 PM Nov 3rd from Google

posted Deja Vuesday Double Feature: “I’m Goin’ Home” and “My Online Revenue” http://bit.ly/4d72Qj2:00 PM Nov 3rd from twitterfeed

I subscribed to TaylorQualityGuitars’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/8hFAB1:22 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Serj Tankian T5 http://bit.ly/FkmGm1:22 PM Nov 3rd from Google

I subscribed to officialtaylorguitar’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/h0eR1:22 PM Nov 3rd from Google

just found out that Serj Tankian has a signature Taylor guitar and nobody ever told him about it: http://su.pr/4XY1sV.1:17 PM Nov 3rd from Su.pr

@SeanieMic – Welcome back, winter once again. And put on your warm fuzzy sweater cuz you’ll feel much better. When… – Owl City12:07 PM Nov 3rd from web in reply to SeanieMic

has been working on this week’s Wednesday Album/Anime Review for over two hours, and it’s going to be a killer!!12:05 PM Nov 3rd from web

I favorited a YouTube video — Adam and Eve in the Friend Zonehttp://bit.ly/2Q1h4a10:51 AM Nov 3rd from Google

On Tuesday, I found out that Serj Tankian has his own signature guitar with Taylor, and it’s pretty bad-ass looking! Check it out!

Although I did a Deja Vuesday Double Feature, for the majority of Tuesday, I was working on the album review for housethegrate’s Houseworks. If you’re wondering about where to buy his album, I emailed him a couple of days ago and he still hasn’t gotten back with me yet. I’ll keep you all informed on the situation.

just got done watching the first 4 episodes of the dubbed Bamboo Blade and is looking forward to more! Here’s Episode 1:http://su.pr/1irHnyabout 12 hours ago from Su.pr

I subscribed to 1game1music’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/4kBpJOabout 13 hours ago from Google

I subscribed to akkude’s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/2Y5sUQabout 13 hours ago from Google

I subscribed to dovecrow2525′s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/45HRCkabout 13 hours ago from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — Final Fantasy VII Battle Theme on guitar http://bit.ly/aqAV5about 14 hours ago from Google

I subscribed to guitarpromoter’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/G53gJabout 16 hours ago from Google

I subscribed to Bazhenov’s channel on YouTube http://bit.ly/1vbtIoabout 17 hours ago from Google

I favorited a YouTube video — The Middle Class Musician – Topspinhttp://bit.ly/eYfniabout 17 hours ago from Google

I subscribed to kaapiovuohi’s channel on YouTubehttp://bit.ly/4CCbjrabout 18 hours ago from Google

posted WAR 02 – housethegrate HOUSEWORKS Album Reviewhttp://bit.ly/4rXKoAabout 20 hours ago from twitterfeed

is going out to eat at Burger King today!!! He’ll upload the new album review when he gets back. BRB!about 23 hours ago from web

@TokyoCooney – Yes!! Do it!! Go Cooney!!about 23 hours ago from web in reply to TokyoCooney

Yesterday was a good day! I got paid from my website, bought $20 worth of gas, a 10-pack of DVD+Rs, and tried out those newly-priced double cheeseburgers from Burger King. They were good, but boy were they filling! I didn’t end up eating supper until around 6 or 7, and I ate the burgers around noon!!

I also watched the first 4 episodes of the English-dubbed version of Bamboo Blade yesterday. Although I’m tickled pink at the fact that it’s coming out in America, I do have some gripes about the voice actors. I love Kirino’s VA and have grown to like Tama’s VA too, but I think that Dan’s VA is a very bad fit and Miya-Miya’s VA’s pronunciation of Dan’s name makes it sound like his name is Don.

I know that she’s trying to be accurate with the Japanese pronunciation and I really appreciate that she’s giving her performance that little bit of extra effort, but when it comes to something that could confuse the casual American anime watchers (“Is his name Dan or Don?”), it’s okay to Americanize it and call him Dan.

Well kiddos, I think it’s time to go out and get myself some lunch. Keep it real, homies!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Twitter Thursday Throwdown: October 29, 2009 – November 4, 2009 (Happy 19th Birthday Jon!)

If you can’t see the video above, click here.

*Update 03-12-2011 – Buy HouseWorks Here*

For today’s album review, I’d thought that we’d review an independant release that most of you might be unaware of. This week, I popped in Houseworks, the debut album that I bought straight from the artist himself, housethegrate (a.k.a. house).

I had put off buying it for a very long time because my inner chronic music downloader thought it was flat-out retarded to buy music, regardless of its quality or whether or not I wanted to support the musicians.

Eventually, I just bought the album because I wanted to give back to house for being a high-caliber musician and for giving me so much good music already to listen to. I’ll admit, I was also curious as to how the new songs, as well as the songs that I practically burned into my cerebellum, turned out for the album. Let’s find out:

Personal Backstory

How I came to find housethegrate is almost an entire post onto itself.

You see, back when I was in ITT Tech, my friends and I would often go during our breaks to websites like Fugly.com and KillSomeTime.com and eBaumsWorld.com to watch funny video clips. For those of you who don’t know what these sites are, they were basically the YouTube of their day, but instead of people vlogging all the time, they just put up funny clips that were found on TV or that people recorded themselves or what-have-you.

One day, we stumbled upon (before StumbleUpon was around lol!) a clip of this androgyneous Asian (I still to this day don’t know if he/she is a he or a she) playing Super Mario Bros on an electric guitar, complete with sound effects! Needless to say, I was blown away by not only his/her playing, but by the concept of people using rock instruments like guitars to play music that was on video games that was mostly done with keyboards! I then was on a mission to see if anyone else had done something similar. Since YouTube wasn’t around at the time, clips of other people playing video game music were scarce and the quality was mixed.

After doing some extensive site-searching, I came across OCReMix.org (a.k.a. OverClocked ReMix a.k.a OCR), which was basically the jackpot of video game music performances and rearrangements. Although there were no video clips to be had of people playing the music, there was a seemingly never-ending amount of MP3s of video game music from just about every game imaginable! People did all kinds of strange and beautiful things to the arrangements: they would add a killer synth drum beat and techno-fy it, they would perform the music as a rock band would, and they would sometimes change the arrangement so much that it would almost sound like an entirely original piece were it not for the bits and pieces of video game music put in there. I felt like what the first kid who tasted sweetened chocolate for the first time must have felt like! It was bliss!

I eventually came across an excellent remix of a song from Ninja Gaiden 2 for the NES called NinjaScape. It was done by another excellent musician named Ashane, who it turns out had an older brother who also did remixs of video game music. His name was housethegrate. I loved Ashane’s other remixes like Red Cap Assault, which is a remix of the battle theme from Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest for the SNES, so it was a no-brainer to check out what his older brother was doing.

While both brothers share an excellent melodic feel to their music, house’s music seemed slighty more mature and refined than Ashane’s. After talking with them online a couple of times, I found out about an indie rock band called the minibosses that do strictly music from NES games, as well as a monthly competition that Ashane and house participate in that’s held by the people on the minibosses’ forum called the Dwelling of Duels (or DoD).

From there, I got the chance to listen to a lot of perfectly-legal music done by independant artists that strayed far from the norm. Because I was so passionate about the music and the ease of contacting these wonderful musicians, I then started acting like a total attention whore on their message board, which is why most of the members still don’t like me even to this day (keep in mind that I first joined back in 2005), but that’s another story altogether.

The Track Breakdown

This album was released back in 2006 and people are still talking about it even today!

The first track, Sanctuary, is a medley of songs from the CastleVania series. It has a big jazz fusion feel to it, especially in its quick musical changes.

The next song, Light In The Fortress, is a remix of a song from Mega Man X for the Super NES. With it’s keyboard-meets-guitar-meets-techno beats style, it is one of my all-time favorite songs.

Alien Corpses, which is a remix of a song from the game Duke Nukem 2, reminds me a lot of a rhythm section in a Joe Satriani song.

Up next is a short piece from King’s Quest 6 called Murdered By Flora. Although it’s barely over a minute long, I loved the nylon guitar work that house did.

After that, it’s Midnight Cocktails, a song from the game Leisure Suit Larry. This is about as jazzy as you can get without breaking out a semi-hollow guitar and plucking a bunch of jazz chords. The song’s very smooth and an especially good listen if you’re writing.

Madara: 1st Movement is a combination of songs from the game Madara, and another one of my favorites! It feels like a prog-rock song without being a 9-minute+ opus, which works out just fine for me.

The seventh track, Seized With Fury, comes from the game Final Fantasy 6. It is classic house, complete with backing orchestra and smokin’ guitar licks!

Malac’s Cross, a remix of a song from Betrayal at Krondor, is another short-but-sweet nylon acoustic piece in the same vein as Murdered By Flora.

Brinstar Minibossa, a remix of a song from Metroid, is next on the disc. It has more of an old-school 50s-60s jazz flavor to it compared to Midnight Cocktails, which has a contemporary jazz sound to it.

Track 10 is Walk On Water, a remix of a song from Sonic & Knuckles, and the most anticipated of the CD-exclusive tracks. It’s another great jazz fusion song that really reminds me of Al Di Meola in how the song is structured.

The next track, Crumbling Statues, is from the game Magic Sword. Next to Walk On Water, Crumbling Statues is the best of the new CD exclusive material. Once again, I’m getting an Al Di Meola feel from this track in terms of structure and it also reminds me of Light In The Fortress.

After that is one of house’s signature tunes, Waltz of the Dolls from Final Fantasy 4. Only housethegrate could take a waltz and make it rock! This track is also a fine example of house’s overall musical style.

Track 13 is Track 8. Wait, did I read that right? Yes I did! The 13th track is actually called Track 8, and it’s based on the game Metal Gear 2. It’s a slow, industrial-beats-meets-jazz-guitar-sensibilities kind of track.

Up next is Snowflakes on a Rosegarden, a track that house submitted for the DoD competition, but pulled the MP3 from the site because he didn’t like the way it sounded. Thankfully, he redid it an released it on this album! It’s quite a moving classical piano number.

Hurry!, the 15th track on this CD, has some nice alternative guitar picking that makes me think of what a combination between Alex Skolnick and Al Di Meola would sound like.

The 16th and final track on Houseworks is housethegrate’s masterpiece, La Hora Es Tarde, from the CastleVania 3 game. It’s a combination between prog rock, latin jazz, classical, and neoclassical music all rolled into one glorious track! If Jason Becker and Al Di Meola did a song together, this would be what it would sound like! If you only listen to one song on this entire album, listen to La Hora Es Tarde!!

The Goodies, The Baddies & The Uglies

I was estatic when house announced that he was releasing an album, but at the time, I didn’t have the money to buy it. I’m glad I eventually bought it though, as it’s one of my all-time favorite CDs! Housethegrate even sent me a written personal message in the album jacket when he sent the CD to me! How awesome is that?

Although most of the tracks on Houseworks are solid, I do have some gripes about this CD.

I could go into the fact that house put out way too much of his older and freely-available material, but most of it sounds great so I’m not gonna complain about that. What I will complain about is that the production value on the older tracks, and even on some of the new tracks, doesn’t seem like a leap forward that’s expected from an album release.

For example, even though I disliked the redone older songs like The Saltwater Room and Hello Seattle on Owl City’s album Ocean Eyes, I can at least admit that the sound quality was higher even though the overall song quality was not. I know that house didn’t have the budget that Owl City had, but I think that he could have done a better job mixing the songs.

With the re-release of so much older material (10 tracks out of 16 total), I’m disappointed that he didn’t put out a remix or a live version or even an acoustic version of at least one of his older songs.

Also, since the songs were fairly short (exactly half of the songs were over 4 minutes long and only three of them were over 6 minutes long), I’m sure that house could have also included video footage of him playing some of the songs or a behind-the-scenes of the making of Houseworks that would be viewable via computer or DVD player.

The Verdict

Despite the technical shortcomings and the re-release of a lot of otherwise freely available material, housethegrate’s Houseworks is a staple in the small-but-growing collection of rearranged video game music albums available for purchase!

6 Tracks To Give a Clicky-Click

- Light In The Fortress

- Midnight Cocktails

- Madara: 1st Movement

- Walk On Water

- Crumbling Statues

- Waltz of the Dolls

- La Hora Es Tarde

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

WAR 02 – housethegrate HOUSEWORKS Album Review

Currently Watching:
G3 – Live in Tokyo

Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. Just wanted to clear that up.

The Year of The Ox Is Upon Us

So what have I been up to this past week? Well, I hung out with my friends and watched UFC. That was fun. We also ordered an enormous pizza from Cole’s Carry-Out called the King Cole. It was definitely good to get out of the house and do something with my friends again!

Besides that, I’ve been feeling trapped inside the house. Although I now have the freedom to go anywhere since I have a car, I don’t want to waste gas because my savings ran out and I have no money now.

Despite all of that, 2009 is gonna be my year, especially since I was born in the year of the ox (1985)! Here is a list of my new year’s resolutions:

1. Get a Job

Let’s face it, I don’t do much offline. Aside from eating, sleeping, showering, or shitting, I do nothing.

Getting the right job can help me get back on my feet mentally because it’ll be a break from my monotonous routine and I’ll be around some like-minded people for a change.

Also, I’ll have money again. That’s a plus! With this money, I’ll be able to fulfill several of my other resolutions as well as meet my needs.

2. Live On My Own

I was debating on living with my parents until all of my debt had been paid off, but after reading Steve Pavlina’s newest article on overcoming indecision, I decided to make moving out on my own a priority.

Although I’ll have less money to allocate towards my other debts, my growth as a person is far more important. If I continue to live with my parents, then I’ll be constantly stifled and will be too scared to commit to paying off my debts. I noticed this when I looked at some of my old posts about my debts. I still haven’t done anything towards fixing this problem, and I blame it on living with others that hold me down instead of striking out on my own. Speaking of debts:

3. Budget My Money To Pay Off My Debts

I’ve been in debt for far too long, and I want out! By properly budgeting my money, I will set aside money to pay off my debts. Before I pay off anything, I’ll get my credit report so that I know all of what I owe.

To start things off, I’ll pay a little on my student loans so that I don’t go into default and then I’ll work my way up focusing on one debt at a time. I don’t expect to be 100% debt-free by 2009′s end, but I do expect to have at least taken out a good-sized chunk of my debt by then.

4. Buy Myself Some New & Exciting Things

With all this talk about getting out of debt, I also want to have some fun too! There are several things that I’ve been wanting to buy for years, but I never got around to it because of one reason or another.

I want to get myself a new computer first. Two actually. I want to get the Acer Inspire One netbook so that I can have the portability advantage of a laptop without the outrageous price tag. Also, the thing’s pimp as hell!

The second computer that I want to get is a Dell XPS 420 desktop/monitor bundle. It features a quad-core, which will make everything that I do online a breeze. Also, a flat-screen monitor and USB 2.0!! It’s pretty sad to admit that my desktop still uses USB 1.1, hehe. My current CRT monitor is so bulky that it’s right in front of my face when I sit down at my desk. My eyes will thank me!

Ever since I first heard of Carvin Guitars by listening to housethegrate and his brother Ashane, I’ve wanted a Carvin axe of my own!! For 2009, I want to get either a DC-127C or a V220C model. They’re both under $2,000 (the Dc-127C is $1,709 and the V220C is $1,654) and will be simply amazing!

Buying a new guitar amplifier is also on my list. Even though I started playing guitar again on January of 2005 (I can’t believe that it’s been almost 4 years already!), I still have the same amp I started out with. It would be different if it sounded good, but it’s just a crappy 15-watt practice amp. The two amps that I’m debating between are the Bugera 6262 combo and the Peavey Vypyr Tube 120 combo. I’ve read great reviews and watched demos of both on YouTube, and I gotta say that they have what appears to be a dynamite sound! I’m leaning more towards the Vypyr since it’s so versatile, but I’m not for sure until I play on them both.

Also, I might have to put some money towards my car just in case this one dies on me. If all else fails, I can temporarily put all of my saved-up money towards either fixing the car or purchasing another car.

5. Go On A Trip

I’ve always wanted to take a trip around the country, especially with my friends! The big question is where. I’m thinking someplace on the west coast. I’ve never been to that part of the US and I really want to.

There is also the possibility of MAGfest. According to their site,

MAGFest is a video and computer gaming festival run by fans, for fans. It’s similar to most fan-based (anime, scifi, etc) conventions, but aims to be more of a laid-back video game party atmosphere. No crowded show floors here, but rather lots of fan art, film and music, and room to relax. Our special guests fit right in and socialize with the rest of the crowd. Game movies and cartoons are shown weekend-long. In addition to our 10 000 square foot game room, lots of attendees set up games in their rooms and invite others inside.

Perhaps most importantly, MAGFest has a huge focus on game music — multiple concerts worth — filled with video game music tributes, some even with the original composers! On Friday and Saturday nights multiple bands perform on our main stage, and our ‘JamSpace’ is open 24 hours for collaborative music and special treats alike.

Although I’m not as big of a gamer as I used to be, the main reason I would go is for the video game music. Since I can’t attend the MAGfest that’s coming up in a couple days, I would be aiming for the one at the beginning of 2010. What a way to start off a new decade, huh?!

6. Make A Living From This Website

As I’ve said before, I want to make this website my main source of income. Right now, I’m making about $24 a month. For 2009, I want to make at least $1,000 a month by year’s end. This isn’t an unreasonable goal at all considering that the income for this site seems to double every month ($5 in September, $10 in October, $20 in November).

So how am I going to make $1,000 a month? First, by continuing to make quality content. Second, by selling private ads here. Lastly, by searching for new methods of making money that I’m currently unaware of and experimenting with them.

Throwing It Back At You

So what resolutions are you planning to do for 2009? Are you going to buy something that was previously out of your financial reach? Are you gonna go on a trip? Or are you going to do something completely different?

Tell me what your new year’s resolutions are in the comments. See-ya!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Resolutions For A New Year

Currently Listening To:
Skillet – Comatose
10 – Whispers In The Dark

In the spirit of sharing myself with the world, I give you 23 Facts You Didn’t Know About Me:

1. The knuckles on my thumbs make my thumbs look different. It’s kinda hard to explain, so click on the picture to see what I’m talking about.

2. Almost all of my birthday cakes are homemade and extremely chocolaty. One time, my mom did buy me a red velvet cake from Wal-Mart to do something different, but I didn’t like it very much.

3. I got an Optimal Optimus for my 11th birthday. It’s the pride and joy of my Beast Wars Transformers collection!!

4. I got nothing for my 9th birthday because we were so poor back then. Fun times…

5. I saw my first pair of real boobs in the back of my friend Eriopolis’ car. They were my friend Ben’s ex’s, and they were spectacular!

6. I think that Nickelodeon TV in the 90s is waaaay better than anything on today!!! Doug, Salute Your Shorts, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Secret World of Alex Mack, classic Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life, I could go on forever! C’mon, Nick; make a Classic Nick station! You could call it ClassNick or something like that.

7. My first CD was Killer Cuts from the Super NES game Killer Instinct. My old friend Chris gave it to me because he didn’t want it. It’s pretty Rare to find these days (pun intended, hehe) so I feel glad that I still have it.

8. My favorite live album (it’s also my favorite double-album) is Tripping The Live Fantastic by Paul McCartney. Oddly enough, it was released when my brother Jon was born. Coincidence?

9. I used to wear Superman pajamas when I was a little kid. My grandma even sewed on velcro straps for my cape too!

10. The first anime that I watched obsessively was Pokemon. The very first anime that I watched, although I didn’t know what it was at the time, was My Neighbor Totoro. I was like, “WTF, mate?”

11. I can’t “mentally get into” porn. I dunno, maybe there’s something wrong with me or maybe I like the real thing. Weird…

12. I can’t play drums. At all.

13. One Saturday night in college when I was playing my guitar, some drunk people came to my door and thought I was playing Guitar Hero. I failed to impress the ladies with my tapping frenzy (I should have stuck with chords, lol!), but the guys loved it and I got a couple handshakes from it.

14. I got my first pair of glasses on my 14th birthday. Subsequently, I got my second pair on my 19th birthday. What is it with birthdays and glasses?

15. My favorite color is blue. It was probably because my dad drove a blue Chevy Sprint when I was little.

16. Back in the early 90s, I used to live in Fowlerville Michigan at Garden Lane for a couple of years before we moved back to Ohio. I miss living there sometimes…

17. The first CD that I bought online was Houseworks by housethegrate. He even gave me his autograph on a piece of paper that he put in with it! How neat is that?!

18. I love Chinese food, especially their chicken! Slap some jalapeno peppers in with the honey chicken and it’s pure heaven! The best advise I can give to you about Chinese buffets is to go when it’s busy. Sure, you may not get the table you want, but the food’s always top-notch when it’s busy. Also, the restaurant that I go to, Mongolian Grill in Celina Ohio near the Wal-Mart, is the best that I’ve been to! From the service to the selection, it hasn’t been beat yet!

19. The nickname Andy-San was given to me by Jake, one of Ben’s former friends. I liked it so it stuck with me ever since. I changed it to TheAndySan so that I don’t get confused with the other Andy-Sans out there. Or Andy San Dimas, whoever that is…

20. I learned to love window shopping from being so friggin’ poor. It also has helped me curb unnecessary spending when I do have money.

21. I made a Dragon Ball fanfic called DragonBall-X when I was 15 or 16 on a typewriter that my dad had bought and/or found. It takes place after DragonBall-GT. In it, Goku and Vegeta turn out to be alive because their rate of aging is different than a regular human. A Sayian can live to be 1,000 human years because the planet Vegeta rotated at a different speed. Because of something that happened that I don’t remember, Goku and Vegeta can’t leave the dojo and they’re training Goku Jr and Vegeta Jr in a cool dojo in the mountains where Goku grew up in order for them to be the new defenders of Earth. DBX also is kinda a throwback to the good ol’ pre-DBZ Dragon Ball in its lighthearted humor. I didn’t write much of it, but that’s what I can remember. Oh, and Bulma transfered her brain into a robot. Excellent!

22. The 4-Hour Workweek is the most recent book that I’ve purchased. It helped me to stop procrastinating leaving Wal-Mart and just quit already. That Wal-Mart hasn’t carried the book ever since I quit. Coincidence? Hmm…

23. I haven’t missed a single issue of the English Shonen Jump ever since I saw the first issue in Big Bear. Except for one; January 2005 with the Yu-Gi-Oh! card Archfiend of Gilfer inside.

Well, I hope that you learned a little something about me today. I’m off to enjoy my birthday!! See ya!

TheAndySan, now a Level 23 Bard (Chaotic-Neutral of course)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

On My 23rd Birthday, I Give You 23 Facts You Didn’t Know About Me

Yeah, I decided to get in on this thing and tell you guys five things you might not have known about me:

5 Bands I Like That You May Not Have Heard Of

1. Owl City: Adam Young (the only apparent member) is a bloody musical genius! His music is quite soft and smooth, despite some oddly-timed lyrics. Check out their MySpace for more about them!

Recommended songs: I’ll Meet You There, Hello Seattle, The Saltwater Room, and Rainbow Veins.

2. the pillows: If anyone out there’s an anime fan, I’m positive that you’ve heard of these guys. They contributed a good portion of songs to the soundtrack of legendary wacky anime FLCL. They remind me of 60′s British rock mixed with garage rock, or to be more accurate, a hard rock Japanese version of The Beatles. Here’s their MySpace so you can check out some of their songs.

Recommended songs: Little Busters, Carnival, Runner’s High, Last Dinosaur, I Think I Can, Ladybird Girl, too many to list!

3. Housethegrate / Ashane: I’ve been following this guy for years now, at times obsessively. He does covers and remixes of video game music. His guitar playing is quite technical (he’s what got me into guys like Marty Friedman and Jason Becker in the first place). However, he doesn’t shred for shredding’s sake and is quite melodic.

His younger brother Ashane, who I discovered House through, also does video game remixes/covers and can definitely hold his own against his brother. Here’s House’s website and Ashane’s, where you can download their music and watch videos of them for free.

Recommended Songs by Housethegrate: La Hora es Tarde, Light In The Fortress, Murdered By Flora, Waltz of the Dolls.

Recommended Songs by Ashane: Ninjascape, Red Cap Assault, Rose Of Solemn, and Zealous Entropy.

4. Frou Frou / Imogen Heap: Their music, which can be called ambient indie pop, sometimes combines real instruments like acoustic guitars and a string section with ambient synths and drum machine grooves. To alleviate some confusion, Frou Frou is the group Imogen Heap was in before she decided to go solo. Be sure to check out Frou Frou and Imogen Heap’s MySpaces for a sample of their music.

Recommended Songs by Frou Frou: Must Be Dreaming, Let Go, and Breathe In.

Recommended Songs by Imogen Heap: Hide and Seak and Speeding Cars.

5. Al Di Meola: This guy’s an amazing guitar player! He combines jazz, latin, and fusion and whether he’s playing an acoustic or an electric guitar, he burns up the fretboard with every song. When I’m writing a blog entry, I usually have a good playlist of Al Di Meola that I listen to.

Recommended Songs: Kiss My Axe (Live), Cruisin’, Race With The Devil On A Spanish Highway, Mediterranean Sundance, and Elegant Gypsy Suite.

There you have it; five bands I like that you may not have known about! So, what five bands do you listen to that aren’t well-known? Leave me your comments below!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

The Five Things Meme – 5 Bands I Like That You May Not Have Heard Of