No, this is not talking about unfit HO or graduates who couldn’t practise (but partly about it). Amateur Transplants is out with their new album! ‘Unfit to practise’. If you all are aware with their previous hits like Eternal Clerking, London Underground and Final countdowns, remember to listen to their new album!

This time, most of the songs are short and names according to subjects. Like Paediatrics, Urology and Department of Surgery. They are the songs’ name.

Personally I like the song ‘Paediatrics’, have a look at the lyrics -

You need a little patience,
When you trying to examine a child,
It is source of such a frustration,
When you need them to keep still for a while,
They fiddle, they gargle, they giggle, they struggle, they wriggle,
No matter how many times you give them,
They’ll cryyyyyy
God knows whyyyyyyy
You must employ cunning tactics,
when you do paediatrics,
just tryyyyyy,
when you have a little patient.

Enjoy!

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnie44052/3151568446/

First of all, sorry for the lack of the update. Some of us could not access Volgotimes at all while others were experiencing crawling speed while loading the site about 10 days ago. Then, Volgotimes was hosted in a Malaysian server, and I am not entirely sure but I suspect it has something to do with Streamyx (the date fits) or perhaps it was the host’s problem itself.

I have since migrated Volgotimes to a US server, the downtime was not pleasant but the final outcome is not all disastrous, though. Throughout the ordeal, I learnt to migrate the whole Volgotimes site and now it is faster than ever. Previously I was unable to burn Volgotimes feeds using FeedBurner but on this server, the process of feed burning is as smooth as it ever could be. This also means that you could now subscribe to Volgotimes feeds through email or RSS reader of your choice, so that you would never miss a single update anymore. I shall provide tutorials on how to subscribe either via email or any RSS reader in another post.

I don’t know how the year has been for all of you but if I were to describe my year 2008, then it was mostly uneventful, exciting at times with some balanced ups and downs. However, I am extremely glad and grateful that nothing really unfortunate befell my family and friends and to have learnt many things throughout the year.

Reflecting on a wider scale, I believe the proposal to have summer practical session has brought us all together under the banner of Malaysian Student Association of Volgograd (MSA), it was the first time we have an issue which concerns everyone and which we all contributed in one way or another to solve the problem. Hopefully MSA will continue to be strong and active in looking after our welfare for many years to come.

Back at home, there is massive political upheaval throughout the year but hopefully peace and our unity could be preserved and good things will come from the recent political developments. No doubt, inflations is a serious problem following the unstable world price of oil but I am sure the people has learnt to cope with the inflations and price of commodity now.  I think it is also worth mentioning Datuk Lee Chong Wei has come closest to the feat of winning a first Olympic Gold Medal for Malaysia in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Just when it seemed that all troubles have been left behind, we were shocked by the news of the terrible landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa. There were less than 10 deaths and some property loss but at least the authorities are paying attention to the danger of landslides now and would not blatantly approve hillside development proposals anymore.

There was also much news about United States of America in year 2008 (or should I say in every single year?). Firstly, US finally have an elected colored President, many have said that this is good development and a testimonial to the success of democracy in US, where in a free society, all races are equal and even immigrant race could benefit from it. Lastly the Mumbai terrorist attack at the end of November seemed to be the worst speck in the history of 2008 and best be deplored and may terrorism be wiped from the faced of earth, forever.

So what to expect in 2009, the year of the Ox?

I think this will be my longest rant on Volgotimes, don’t worry because it will rarely happen again unless I have something really important to convey. As I am writing this sub header, I feel like a fortune teller, like Lilian Too.

Well, I am not a fortune teller (yet?) but I am going to speculate, from what little that I have read or heard about the fortunes in 2009. There is already news that more than a few companies will be retrenching their staffs in first quarter of 2009. This is usually what happens during a recession. Some people will be out of their jobs but people who are working with multinational companies should not worry too much because salary for Malaysian employee is relatively low compared to their peers in the region, and a regional executive is more likely to be given the boot rather than a supervisor or secretary in Kuala Lumpur branch.

Year 2009, the year of the Ox will be tough, but people who make the extra effort or work as hard as the Ox should have no problem sailing through it. Although recession is not something to be happy about, it does give us a chance to assess our current lifestyle and get our priorities right. Chinese believe that whenever there is danger, there is also opportunity to be found. So instead of lamenting about your fortunes in 2009 and whining continuously, be ready to improvise and snatch the opportunities when they are present. Do not take success or failure too seriously, for one closed door may lead to another larger open doorway, as long as you are determined, fortunes will not desert you.

Wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous year ahead

“Happy New Year 2009″

“Selamat datang… ke masa depan.”

Yessirree, Butterfingers are back and they came with a vengeance! Debunking all the conspiracy theories behind the name of their last album, the lads churned out another, and some say by far the best, aptly-named malay album, Kembali.

Though in the opening track Emmett welcomed us to the future, the songs themselves are full of subtle references to malay music history. A couple of lines straight from kiddie rhymes, allusions to mystical princesses, a sample of keroncong… Everything about this album shouts pride of being Malaysian.

The first song on this album, Joget Global, started with… get this… a syair! The half-irish lead singer successfully brought me back to my primary school years when our teacher forced us to recite syairs. Just when you get comfortable with the soothing tempo, the boys jumpstarted us with a lat-tali-lat-tali-tampong and a heavy metal-ly guitar. And that’s not all. Again the style changed. And again. Very Bohemian Rhapsody-y. Well, what do you expect from the pioneers of the buttersound genre?

And who wouldn’t love Maharani? The menage-trois between the guitar, violin and drum is super addictive but not as much as the opening lyrics – “Mereke kate kugile, lagilah aku suke.” Yep, not Mereka kata kugila but MerekE katE kugilE. If my BM teacher got a hold of this, she’d probably slaughter the band while singing along to the song. It’s that addictive.

The album closes off with Mati Hidup Kembali, a solo ballad by Loque on piano. The word on the street says that it was written by the guitarist for his girl but if you look at it in another way, the romantic lyrics could really be referencing to being high. Umm… right. And there’s something about the chorus that reminds me of an old song but I can’t put my finger on which.

In closing, let me say this. I generally abhor malaysian bands. They sound like they’re cheap rip-off of each other or international icons. But with Butterfingers, I say, they really raised my expectation of the local music scene to an astronomical height. And they do not have to resort to English to rock, either.

Oh, and if you hear radio-rosak sounds, don’t be alarmed. They’re experimenting with sound effects and whatnot which is not my cup of tea.

Track listing:
1.  Joget Global
2.  Bebas
3.  Maharani
4.  Terus Terang
5.  Air Liur di Kuala Lumpur
6.  Lengkap Semula
7.  Merdeka
8.  1000 Tahun (Mahu Hidup)
9.  Gelombang Cinta
10. Mendaki Menara Condong
11. Mati Hidup Kembali

Right to left: Kadak, Loque, Emmett, Loco

Band Members:
Emmett – Vocals, Guitar, Violin
Loque – Guitar, Samples, Piano
Kadak – Bass, Vocals
Loco – Drums

Links:
Official Website
YouTube Channel
Facebook
Blog

Let me be honest with you. Before I heard this album, I only know Panic at the Disco as a conversational piece. You know when people say, “Eh, You heard the new Panic at the Disco song? Damn cool la!” And you go, “Yes meh?” or “Ya ya ya!” when you actually heard the PatD for the first time. Then, when those people argue why it’s cool, you take mental notes so that it would seem that you know about the song when you talk to other people.

So, I experimented this album by pulling off the network. Let’s talk music: the style is an obvious rip-off of / tribute to the Beatles, particularly circa Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: the psychadelic lyrics, the baroque-ness of the horns and trumpets, the album opening. Hell, take Nine in the Afternoon video: Sgt Pepper’s costume, scenes from Help! and the band playing in the ice cream theme thing was because of a typo, actually. They were supposed to be playing in a desert – which, with the animal masks, would definitely be a copy of The Beatles’ I am the Walrus video – but somebody mistyped it into dessert. See:

What I usually do with bands that I just start to like is scour the internet for their previous albums. PatD has really changed since it was Panic! at the Disco instead. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out is good-God-that’s-Emo, while Pretty. Odd. is anything but. The band was labeled as an Emo band and decidedly hated it. It shows. They’re obviously trying to stay away from the genre as far as possible. Every song in the latter have an upbeat sound and theme, maybe with the exception of “Northern Downpour” but even that gave a feel good vibe.

It seems they went mature, the cliche of all punk bands that started with Blink 182′s the Cure route and going on to My Chemical Romance’s Queen influence.

Gone were the days when the titles of their songs were “London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and “Build God, then We Talk”. Instead, they’re now “That Green Gentleman”, “Folkin’ Around” and “Pas de Cheval”. A loss, I think because the former way was so funny.

Lyrics. Lord Almighty, Ryan Ross seems to pull a Lennon on “I am the Walrus” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and then decided that’s not psychadelic enough, so supplemented his acid trip with drags of MILF weed. Let me just turn on the shuffle on my Winamp and show a nonsensical lyric of the song. The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know. Even the title is confusing. Onto a piece of the song:

“I wont cut my beard, I wont change my hair.
It grows like fancy flowers but it grows nowhere.
My hair, my hair.

If I could build my house just like the Trojan horse,
I’d put a statue of myself upon the shelf. Of course,
Of course, of course…”

Trying to make sense of these two opening stanzas almost made me pull my hair in frustration. I might not be deep enough to understand the hidden meaning, though. So, please, enlighten me if you do. Indeed, Pas de Cheval is the only song that makes sense to me.

Rereading my review, I must say it sounds like I hate the album. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Originality comes hard for artists these days. You have to give credit to these kids for standing out in the crowd. That’s why I favor the ‘tribute to’ instead of ‘rip-off of’ the Beatles.

The album’s are the only contemporary songs I listen to. The beat and theme are enjoyable, the silliness of the lyrics is really fun to sing-along to, the collaboration of the vocals of Urie and Ross in some of the songs work extremely well. But most importantly it made me nostalgic of the Beatles.

Overall, I give the album a B+ – losing points through the trying too hard.

Track listing:

1. “We’re So Starving” – 1:21
2. “Nine in the Afternoon” – 3:11
3. “She’s a Handsome Woman” – 3:12
4. “Do You Know What I’m Seeing?” – 4:14
5. “That Green Gentleman [Things Have Change]” – 3:15
6. “I Have Friends in Holy Spaces” – 1:56
7. “Northern Downpour” – 4:07
8. “When the Day Met the Night” – 4:53
9. “Pas de Cheval” - 2:39
10. “The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know” – 3:43
11. “Behind the Sea” – 3:33
12. “Folkin’ Around” – 1:55
13. “She Had the World” – 3:47
14. “From a Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins” – 3:02
15. “Mad as Rabbits” – 3:43

Band Members:

Brendon Urie – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Ryan Ross – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Jon Walker – Bass
Spencer Smith – Drums, Percussion

That was how my Dad described him and truth be told, it perfectly fits him. I’ve known his Time in a Bottle and Operator for the longest time but unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the lyrics to google and didn’t know what his name was. Then, came the last day of summer ’08 when my father and me went through his old records and I found Croce. That was nothing but sheer miracle.

Jim Croce’s smooth voice first became known to the world during the mid- and late-60s. Dabbling in mainly folk rock, James Joseph Croce ["crow-chee"] was famous for his guitar tunes and, as I’ve repeated twice, his soothing voice. One look at his face, I guess, nobody thought he could sing like that, eh?

His music tends to be either playful [Bad, bad Leroy Brown; Rapid boy]  or hopelessly romantic [I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song; Time in a Bottle]. The romantic side of Croce touches me deeply. It talks about unrequited love, nostalgic memories, broken heart like no other could say it.

Unlike most of today’s performers, Croce’s lyrics were nothing short of inspirations from God – Take this, for instance from Lovers’ Cross:

“‘Cause now it seems that you wanted a martyr
Just a regular guy wouldn’t do
But baby I can’t hang upon no lover’s cross for you”

And another example from Time in a Bottle:

“If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you”

Just for comparison sake, we’ll take an example of his more tongue-in-cheek songs:

“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape,
You don’t spit into the wind,
You don’t pull the mask off that Old Lone Ranger,
And you don’t mess around with Jim”

At the age of 30, at the beginning of his success, Jim Croce died in a plane crash, that same evil fate that claimed another great – Buddy Holly – and tried unsuccessfully to include Travis Barker of Blink 182 earlier this year. [Aaliyah was an accident, not evil fate] His posthumous single – I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song – is the third of such category to top the charts.

I personally listen to Croce whenever I have an emotional turmoil. I find his music to have a soothing quality, even his rock-and-roll numbers. Maybe it’s the voice, maybe it’s the lyrics, I don’t know. He’s the only guy who I have an emotional adoration on. [Let's face it, he's too ugly for a physical adoration]

Sustagenius! used Youtube videos instead of imeem because I know how Hiroshima people hate music that autoplay itself. See, Sustagenius! so considerate. You can show your appreciation in the form of monetary tributes or belanja him makan.

Wawan told me that I got to write about this band if I’m ever starting this Music column. Well, so here it is! The first band ever to be featured in TVT.

The first time I heard of this band is from the new Need For Speed game (which my computer is too slow to play now). The game used one of Avenged Sevenfold singles ‘Almost easy‘, which is indeed a very metal song with strong vocal and good guitar riffs.

The band was famous after the success of their 2005 album called City of Evils. The band got its name from a reference to the Book of Genesis where Cain is sentenced to live in exile for murdering his brother. God marked him so that no one could kill him on account of his sin. The man who dared to kill Cain would suffer ‘vengeance for 7 times over’, and thus the band name of Avenged Sevenfold.

According to Wawan, their performance on stage is as exactly like how you listen to them from the cd. Anybody who is interested in witnessing it can get the DVD from Wawan.

The current members of the band are:
M. Shadows – Lead Vocal
Synyster Gates – Lead Guitar
Zacky Vengeance – Rhythm Guitar
Johnny Christ – Bass
The Rev – Drums

The self titled album would contain 10 songs

1. “Critical Acclaim” – 5:15
2. “Almost Easy” – 3:53
3. “Scream” – 4:48
4. “Afterlife” – 5:53
5. “Gunslinger” – 4:11
6. “Unbound (The Wild Ride)” – 5:11
7. “Brompton Cocktail” – 4:13
8. “Lost” – 5:02
9. “A Little Piece of Heaven” – 8:00
10. “Dear God” – 6:34