STATE OF THE BASTARD 2024

HOW I SPENT MY 2023  

I mean, this video pretty much covers it. I put on a lot of awesome shows at a lot of new cons and I'm starting to be recognized more. Finally, I'm getting somewhere! 

Once I hit the big 3-5, (now I'm 36 for clarity's sake) I've made peace with getting older, and I'm officially in my late 30s. However, the furry fandom is filled with awesome people still having this creative, energetic spirit, even in old age, and that's what I wanted to capture with my song Gray Muzzle.

I'm just very wary of how it's all going to GO WRONG. After my FWA show, I was worried that something bad was going to happen to me on the way home. 

It's still a struggle to recognize that GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO ME WITHOUT SOME KIND OF KARMIC RETRIBUTION. That sounds easy, but when you're acutely aware of the cost of EVERYTHING, it takes the joy out of the small accomplishments. And when you've perceived everything as transactional, it can make relationships where people just want to be around you make you feel like you did something wrong if you've never ACTIVELY tried to impress them. 

Sometimes, things are just free.

FAVORITE SONG I MADE THIS YEAR: "Hop On"

Number one with a motherfucking bullet. Long time fans would know I sang it at FWA 2022, but this makes when I actually finished it and started performing it live.

EVERYTHING clicked here: I found a range and delivery that fits me perfectly, and it's "What if a Disney Villain sang turn of the millenium pop punk?" I mentioned this was originally supposed to a collab with Teddy Wynton, but as schedules changed I finally decided to knuckle down and finish it myself. 

The song is about just not... feeling right when a good opportunity presents itself. You're out with friends, peoples are getting all up ons, but you're just not there, and you have to force yourself to tell the little voice inside your head to just shut up.

Props to Bark Dango for mixing and mastering!

OTHER COOL SHIT I DID

Music Work The Adventures Of Fox In The Fedora

this came to me in a living fever dream and god DAMN it's so sick. Granted, I made it up in a Pomodoro stream when I decided to tune my guitar to Drop D and let it rip, but that's neither here nor there. All I was given was

A. The character is a mashup of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and all those fake man-names from the MST3K episode of Space Mutiny.

B. "Anytime I think of a fake theme song, I think of Macgruber"

Fox is no slouch in the music department himself. He's not a composer, but my job on the FITF podcast this season was JUST musical arrangement, and he picked out the (royalty-free) tracks to use. For someone who claims he has no musical knowledge, a lot of his picks were inspired and on POINT, even suggesting transitions and ways to Frankenstein the track to what's needed.

He has given his 100% to every aspect of production on this where you don't even NOTICE that it's done independently. 

VO Work On Chord Progressions

Chord Progressions is a slice-of-life VN that takes place in a music store, and, even in its early stages is very charming as you play Eddy, a fox from a country town who moves to the big city. There's a lot of sweet moments and plenty of intrigue in what's only the first couple "days" of story. I liked Extracurricular Activities, and this is very much along the same lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I voice Darrell, a big ol' hunky lion who plays metal! It's fun seeing everyone's reactions to this, and in the next build, you can listen to a song the author BowserPuma and I worked on called "Fuck Around and Find Out".

And thanks to me, he now knows how to use Reaper!

Made Music For Pawperty Damage

(also on itch.io)

FUCK YES, my music finally made it into a video game! 

While it's not much, I'm still pleased people enjoyed this to varying degrees. It's still very well put together, and now you can put your OWN models! Wait, I do have a couple models from VR Chat/VSeeFace...

Scent Collab With HUFFAromas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This was a fun one I NEVER saw coming, but that's the great thing about the furry community: You'll find creativity in unexpected places to help magnify the expereince!

From the copy: 

The show's all wrapped up, and lucky you! Thrash invites you out behind the venue where he's got something stiff for ya! With notes of rosemary, lime, tequila, woods, pits and balls musk~ Note this does come with the 18+ label. Proceeds go to the thrash panda himself!

Shoutouts to ENBIETY for helping me arrange the meeting and for their input with the scent. 

The base of this was a drink called the Salty Raccoon, which is made up of Tequila, rosemary syrup, and lime juice, but then EN came up with the suggestion of forest-y stuff, and trash. Then the "story" of the scent clicked together: a post-show hook up with Thrash where he's brought a stiff drink and stiff... muscles.

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST: "AI Will Put You Out Of A Job!"

Ma'am, I'm an Engineer. And my job is in no risk of being automated.

But I love making art and those who make it, and as I say on my Pomodoro Streams:

ART IS A SERIES OF DECISIONS

If you can't do something, or feel something else, and still proceed, THAT'S A DECISION.

We may not always get "why", but at the base level we can shrug and go "well, that's we got at the end"

Those championing AI, cackling with glee over putting "those creatives" out of a business, while they waste water on images of Drake doing 9/11 or whatever, are no one special. They're either salesmen looking to profit off of it, or are so afraid of producing something to be judged on that they offset it by having a program automate everything.

As Bianca Del Rio put it, what DO you do successfully?

TREND I LIKED THE MOST: Won't Get Fooled Again

WELL, despite the people above, the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America both got great deals for their strikes, and people for the most part seemed to be on their side!

Every cynical ploy going "Well, golly, those GREEDY WRITERS AND ACTORS want to take away SPIDERMAN from you!" was met with "well then pay them"

Which paved the way for UPS and the Auto Workers to ALSO go on strike and get better deals!

And now, with what's going on in the Gaza strip, the public seems to for the most part, seems to support a full on ceasefire, even Republicans! Though I think that's more "Finish your Ukraine first >:("

"B-but Hamas!"
"Yeah, and that was absolutely horrible, however, we've been through 9/11 and now we know how bad all that stuff the US did looks on the other side. No thanks, stop the genocide. Free Palestine."

WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME ABOUT THIS SOONER? Dead By Daylight

Played this a long time ago on the Xbone as part of Game Pass, but didn't put much time into it. However, I also had gotten it free via Epic Games Store, and during a Backlog Blitz, I actually played a few matches, and enjoyed it!

"Enjoyed" is actually a very strong word here, since it was more "a very engaging tension", but you know, you get the deal. 

Basic premise: You play as either a survivor who, along with three other survivors are tasked with repairing five generators, or you play the killer who has to down the survivors and "sacrifice" them by hanging them on a hook. 

Sometimes the game can get away from you on either side, and as I've learned with Lethal Company, unless I'm a big fucking pisspants baby I am magnetically attracted to Things Killing Me. Regardless, the developers put a lot of effort and attention to making each killer FEEL different, and like the movies themselves, make them entertaining spectacles.

As I said before, I die a lot playing survivor so I'm unable to get that much nuisance out of the different survivors, but who doesn't love a good "OH SHIT, THAT WAS CLOSE!" moment. 

The honeymoon period for the game is over, and I haven't touched it in a while, but I wholeheartedly recommend it if you are interested in ANY major horror franchise. They'll find someway to get you. 

*cries in 2 Resident Evil DLCs*

I DIDN'T REALLY LISTEN TO TOP 40 RADIO THIS YEAR OR NEW MUSIC IN GENERAL SO LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THE GAMES

OLD GAME OF 2023 RUNNERS UP:

5. Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People (PC)- The best from Telltale's infancy period that I finally put to bed this year, which made my old Millennial ass feel relevant again, if only for a bit. 

4. Sherlock Holmes and the Devil's Daughter (PC)- A game that, while a tad overloaded with minigames, does a really good job by providing a fun, episodic adventure that puts me in Sherlock Holmes's hot Ral-Zareky shoes for a bit. 

3. Adastra (PC)- I now get why all you people simp for Amicus, and like all Echo Project games, while it's presentation is straightforward , it is exceedingly well written for what started at off as "I got in a fucked up mental place while writing Echo, now I want wolf sm- oh i acidentally wrote a text on queer identity and murdering fascists"

2. The Darkside Detective Series (PC)- Can be obtuse at times like most point and click adventure games, but DD 1+2 use the opportunity to make even the most mundane interactions entertainingly silly. 

#1 OLD GAME OF 2023: Final Fantasy 6 (PC)

 

I have never been one for JRPGs, as the overarching plots always feel too long, and the side bits too numerous to be overwhelming, but Final Fantasy 6 is the one that got through to me, and I enthusiastically wrapped up every last morsel I (reasonably) could.

A lot of people praise the game for things like combat, or writing, but I loved its PACE. Each play session (of about 2 hours) is felt like the episode of a TV show: A character would be introduced, or there would be one new development, or one location we'd have to go to, and I was eager to return to it week after week. 

One major departure that you can say got my attention was the setting: instead of a typical swords and sorcery fantasy setting, it takes place after a major war has essentially rid the world of magic. Everything runs on "MagiTek", combining Magic and Machinery, putting FFVI more in the realm of Steampunk as opposed to full on Fantasy. The game also starts with your party fully powered, so you have a chance to play around with the combat before each new character introduces their new mechanic. 

OH, THE CHARACTERS! After every new introduction, I was able to make a silly little description that jumped out:

Then as the game progresses, their story changes, not just in reaction to the main plot (dictatorship and The Joker try to revive magic so they can solidify their grip on the world), but we learn more about their history, which in turn can change how we perceive them.

Every FF fan is going to have their own favorites, and some may argue this was a TERRIBLE one to start with or not as good as some other one, but it's the Final Fantasy I finished, and it left enough of an impression on me to make it my number one old game of 2023.

NEW GAME OF 2023 RUNNERS UP:

5. Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triangulate (PC)- I guess this is the year of "Two Homestar Runner Games in the #5 Slot" where I still find this now relic-y webseries entertaining after all this time!

4. Advance Wars Reboot Camp (Switch)- Two games from my teenager-dom now spit-polished and readily accessible, with the music even MORE ear-wormy!

3. Baldur's Gate 3 (PC)- I know this feels a little too low, for a game where I can make my DnD character, solve problems in numerous ways, fuck a bear, while STILL happening upon something new around every corner, but I... didn't beat it yet, which with a game as meaty as this is (hopefully) understandable.

2. Chants Of Sennar (PC)- Thanks to Nyx for getting this for me, because this game is very much My Thing, where I'm left to figure so much out via context and I feel like a smarty when I get the right answer AND can see the evolution of the languages you have to decode and how they relate to the societies you find yourself in.

#1 NEW GAME OF 2023: Hi-Fi Rush (PC)

Despite all of the layoffs and fuckery at The Game Awards, it was a pretty good year for gaming, and Hi-Fi Rush, for me stood head an shoulders above the rest. I was awestruck at Chants Of Sennar's ending, but Hi-Fi Rush made my cry.

 

A game that came out of nowhere starring a dork who wants to be a rockstar in a brightly lit cartoony hack-and-slash rhythm action backed by alt-rock? 100% Bastardcore Game. 

 

Combing Rhythm Games and other genres have been a mixed bag in the past: Metronomicon mixed RPG spellcasting and Amplitude, but it was a little TOO easy to fall into a zen-like state and leave strategy by the way side. Metal Hellsinger I couldn't get into, because I don't play shooters the same way I play rhythm games, so it was too much for me to get into the rhythm game flow state, but that meant my shooting strats were in effective.

Hi-Fi Rush finds the sweet spot that makes EVERY action feel quick and easy to do by giving me a variety of attacks on beat, a grapple hook to get to far away enemies, and a parry, so I don't break flow by having to move too much for a better vantage point and then get back on beat. 

 

This is a Wwise-ass game, by which I mean, this game uses every part of its soundtrack. The environment pulses in time to the background music, from basic level features like pipes and bushes, to platforms and conveyor belts you have to jump on. The guitar notes that accompany successful hits are in the same key. As you build up your combo, so does the background track. Stages of a boss fight are broken up into the "Verses" and "Choruses" of the licensed soundtrack.

Now, in this age of streaming and overzealous copyright infringement, there is a "Streamer Mode" where you can use alternative tracks, and the in-house cover bands did a wonderful job.

 

We can argue about how "dated" the licensed tracks are, but Hi-Fi Rush follows in the footsteps of Martin Scorcse and James Gunn to absolutely NAIL the needledrops at the right time. "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys, a song that's felt generic for a while and used in 100s of soundtracks and commercials, starts off our little adventure as previously mention Dork Who Wants To Be A Rockstar, Chai, makes his way through Vandelay Industries (From Importing and Exporting to Robotics?) as part of the Armstrong Robotics progress, ignorant of those scheming behind the scenes. 

 

"Invaders Must Die" by The Prodigy, a song you use when you want to give your action movie a bit of nerd cred, is the the background of all out brawl in the employee cafeteria. In a company that only employs robots. 

 

Not going to go into spoilers, but there is one section in the game where Chai goes, "I AM a rockstar!" that I mentally keep drifting back to get me through the rest of the year.

And all THAT, is what puts Hi-Fi Rush as the best 2023 release I played in 2023!

ANNUAL REMINDER I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER:

 

STATE OF THE BASTARD 2022

Well, I Guess We're Back Now? Something Something 34...

Yeah, 2021 has had a LOT of ups and downs and while it was a "Back To Normal" year, that came with a big fucking asterisk. I started to play live shows again which is always a treat, but the year was basically 2020 Take II. 

We're still not handling the pandemic (at least only enough to go "BACK TO WORK") and it's boiled down to "We've learned nothing, and we're not taking any new precautions to prevent something like this screwing up everything again"

Since we're in "The Show Must Go On" mode, I played Megaplex, Mizucon and Anime Iwai, and played the opening set for All Hail The Mustache's EP release.

Let's see... I also got kicked off a huge project that could have been my big break and then have my podcast friends try to have an intervention over podcast which left me an emotional wreck the next day. Then again, it was an ultimately mediocre affair that was met with a resounding "meh".

"Fuck Danimal Sweepstakes With Zach and Cannon" is an inside joke within my friend group. 

AT LEAST I GOT AN ALBUM OUT OF IT!

   

I took all of that into BastardMania, an album of all my instrumental work and a new single "Future Endeavor" (more on that later!).

GOD I love HellBreakfast. He KILLED it on this! I look like a badass Jojo character, Thrash looks beefy as hell, and Jonesy Spenserson looks like a proper grappleman!

SPEAKING OF ALBUMS, HARDCORE NERDCORE PUNK ROCK WILL RELEASE THIS YEAR FOR REAL THIS TIME!

When this post is posted, I'll have been back from MAGFest where I gave out Test Burns for feedback, since I HAVE finished all the car mixes. It'll have a lot of songs I play live, a lot of songs based on Fandoms, and with proper funding, it'll be a sweet package. I will be holding another Bastardthon to fund aforementioned sweet package, since Kickstarter is going down the NFT route. I'll probably host it somewhere else:

MY PATREON IS GOING MONTHLY

I'm part of SO MANY GODDAMN THINGS: podcasts, music making, costume making, game development all of which fall under my, for lack of a better term, brand or nerdy DIY shit.

I don't want to feel "pressured" by the notion of "Shit! I gotta come up with song this month!" or ONLY posting to it when I have a song to do.

At least with a monthly schedule, I'm still DOING stuff, and I can post my project board to the Patreon so you can see all the balls I have in the air. 

All right, that's all the major headlines, TIME FOR THE SUPERLATIVES!

MOST RECENT SONG THAT WASN'T A REWORK OF AN OLDER SONG: "Run Over Ronnie"

Hi. do you like all the shitty fascist vice signaling of Trump, but NONE OF THE PRETENSE OF SUCCESS? Ron DeSantis is your guy! At least Trump (fuck that's an awkward phrase to say) is like "Yeah, I got the vaccine because I'm a special boy" to Token Black Female Conservative Candace Owens and when she tried to push the CHINA BAD RIGHT? line, he was like "China's like. blowing our asses out".

Ron legalized running over protestors, and fucked up COVID response because he was looking out for Trump's brand. So this song I went all Dead Kennedys on it and got gruesome.

The only people who LIKE DeSantis fall into one of two categories:
SOUTHERN FL = Is 1/16th Cuban (and their relatives immigrated before WWII) so they can justify hating "Communism" (which is defined as anything that inconveniences them, not public control of the means of production), and failed as either a lawyer or a realtor. 

If they're male, they work for a cheap contractor that ends up pissing off the clients of the people that also hire the geotech labs I work for and have a beard made of pubic hair. If they're female, they run a business that can boil down to "Psychic Yoga For Dogs" and takes pics of her fake tits whoring it up on Instagram, but call for a "Retrun To Tradition" on the same page. You can dox them if you type "(THEIR NAME) LLC" into google.

NORTHERN FL = They're a veteran who immediately enrolled in the officer program and sat behind a desk for the minimum enrollment period. They call themselves a "Hard Working Small Business Owner" and that Damn Biden is fucking it all up, and how THEY don't benefit from White Privledge.

Also their small business is selling yachts. 

FAVORITE SONG I MADE THIS YEAR: "Future Endeavor"

Every once in a while, when I'm feeling bad about my songwriting, I turn out a song that proves I still got it. I wrote this after I got booted off Retromania Wrestling to be replaced after working with them for ALMOST TWO YEARS.

Writing this came natural because in addition to having a lot of jargon to jog my writing, wrestling also has a lot of EMOTION in its storytelling. Betrayal stories are VERY common, and to mold that on a breakup song is a natural fit. 

PODCASTS I'M A PART OF!
I'd Rather Not- These are still good for a laugh every couple weeks, and we've gone.... places.

RPG Pals Club- We've hit a LOT of milestones, with us FINALLY making it to the Battle Of The Bands, the party splitting up, and having plenty of fun asides. If you're a fan of RPGs at ALL, give us a listen!

OTHER COOL SHIT I DID
Was Part Of Two Tribute Albums
Thanks to the cool dudes at GameGrooves, I was part of:
Link-182: A Pop Punk Tribute to The Ocarina of Time (covering "Water Temple")
and
Subliminal Verse: A Tribute to Joey Jordison (as vocals on SaiyaSounds's cover of "Psychosocial")

Both incredible for helping to get me out of my comfort zone. I also tried an acoustic version of "Live and Learn" for their Sonic Adventure 2 album, but it ended up not working out.

SaiyaSounds did wonders on his cover and took it from aggresive to symphonic, and I'm relieved it worked out as well as I did. 

Interviewed on Furry Radio

So as I've been getting into the Furry Scene, these guys guys were smart enough to make notice of my genius and try to fit me in!

It's probably the MOST in-depth interview I've done. 

 Started A Wrestling League

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was supposed to be a celebration of Retromania releasing, became probably a spark in my week? Me and my friend from the 3000 Brigade started with a Battle Royale that ended up with Would You Rather Bot winning and taking on Thrash Panda for the belt.

Then we kinda kept doing it, with my friend Ernie and the RNG took us to some very strange places. Fire Pro throws some stuff at us that is VERY conducive to some interesting booking, and even on more bespoke weeks, it's still hype.

Built A Fursuit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND I'm working on the full suit, but this was the year I finally caved and said, OH WHY NOT? This whole process has been more of an engineering project than anything else. I've learned how to work with fur, how to carve foam, and I've even learned how to properly sew by hand!

I am planning on making a full video on it, but even if I never did anything instructional, there's a wide community of people out there eager to answer questions and make tutorials themselves. It feels like I have a project car I'm working on, only which make sense, since as I've said before:

FURRIES ARE NERDS THAT HAVE SEIZED THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION

Is Thrash my fursona? For lack of a better term yes, but there's a lot of BIGGER thoughts I've had that I don't want to type out right now because it's 3 AM and I'm writing this RIGHT after Magfest.

I Went To MAGFest

Technically this is supposed to be 2021, but fuck it, I'll include that here. 

Most of my time was spent helping staff the Rock Band booth, but I still got to get around and meet friends I've only talked to online, catch up with old friends, and try out some new games. Unbeatable and Crescendo are my highlights from the indie game section, 

Also there were little game challenges you can try out in the console area for reward points! Perfect idea for when I'M clinically insane enough to want to do a con!

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST: Fascism By Karens

Hey, did you know that if you know jack shit but bitch loud enough you can upset reality? Just a couple months ago, a bunch of members of the neo-nazi group the Proud Boys and their enablers raided a school board meeting in Miami to whine about shit like mask mandates and "Critical Race Theory", things predicated entirely on an extreme conservative media sphere that emphasizes that inconveniences and "wokeness" are the greatest threat to the children they don't have.

These Karens, backed by violent Neo-Nazi thugs who are in turn backed by the police, get to waste everyone's time by sqwaking to someone who has to deal with budget cuts to their department because all the funding is going into supporting an already over-militarized police and backing corporate bailouts. Some even run for the school board, entrenching their whining, hoping that Daddy FacebookPageNewsmax will give them little pats on the head as Karen gets told she's a good girl, while a billionaire fucks over every other aspect of her life. 

MIAAgainstFash on Twitter has been a really good look into how this shit works on a local level.

Hence why we should bring Chanology back.

TREND I LIKED THE MOST: Worker Solidarity

HEY, TURNS OUT STRIKES KINDA WORK, HUH? 

ALMOST LIKE THEY SHOULD BE CONTROLLING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND NOT BEING FORCED TO WORK LONG HOURS FOR LITTLE PAY WHILE THE CEOs MAKE BILLIONS?

Also Titmouse NY Unionized as I typed this.

WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS SOONER? AWARD: Scott The Woz/RuPaul's Drag Race

Hey all, hey all, hey all, Rhythm Bastard here!

This year I discovered TWO things that have had an impact on fucking up my vocabulary, not seen since Homestar Runner.

Scott The Woz is a gaming YouTube who makes informational videos on various topics in gaming, usually wasting a fuckton of money in the process. What takes his videos to the next level though is his very snappy sense of humor, very aware that the YT gaming space is filled with a lot of people who straight up have no idea what they're doing, no interest in being educational, and no idea of what's actually funny. Scott Wozniak saw the "Mickey Mousecapade" Game Grumps Episode and went "How bout I do NOT THAT?"

Plus the guy gets his friends in on the dumb bullshit, so it looks less pathetic and more like "Me and my friends doing funny bits".

RuPaul's Drag Race was introduced to me by UB, lovely partner in crime, and even when it's bad, I'm still amazed by the basic facet of it all: People doing what they're good at, and encouraged to be creative in strange and unique ways.

I pretty much do everything everything a drag queen does (lipsync, sing, tell jokes, make costumes, etc.) except do make up and present a woman.

FAVORITE SONG OF 2021: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

Every phase of this song hits at just the right time, and that lovely acoustic guitar work makes this song a pleasure to listen to. Looking at a video he did on Genius, he goes in depth about every line of the song, just to show how well thought out this is. Lil Nas X has proven himself worthy in his own right, not just a one-hit wonder who did a silly hip hop cowboy song.

Plus the music pissed off a lot of people and features him twerking on the devil, so fuck yeah, that's punk rock.

TOP 40 SONG I HATED THE LEAST IN 2021: "good 4 u"

 

 

Despite the alleged controversy that it's too close to "Misery Business" by Paramore (what), I'm glad to see Pop Punk fluke it's way on to the charts at least once a year.

It's also a good example of Song Writing 101:
Chorus: Main thesis (You're doing BETTER without me? WOW SOUNDS GREAT *through gritted teeth*)
Verses: Supporting the chorus, where Verse 1 is how short term her ex benefits, and Verse 2 provides a longer view of them post relationship.
Bridge: A counterpoint to the song (hey, maybe I do suck and you're better off)

Not a whole lot to say about it, it was just a fun song for me to listen to and lipsync to. 

OLD GAME OF 2021 RUNNERS UP:

5. Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Xbox One) - More fun than RE:Rev, and the character switching makes more since, especially since we get more screen time for Claire Redfield and the Burtons (Barry from RE:1 and his daughter Moira)

4. Steamworld Dig (Switch) - Purely a bathroom break game which gives me enough time to go through a couple digs and come back up, and while the story isn't that much, it's a satisfying game to go through. 

3. The Hayseed Knight (PC) - A bollywood movie in a visual novel, wonderfully voice acted all around, with my good friend Stanpai being the voice of the titular Hayseed Knight, and pushing the limits of Ren'Py to give a presentation BEYOND what's capable for most.

2. Full Throttle: Remastered (Xbox One) - Rock N' Roll motorcycle point and click adventure game that has incredible worldbuilding, incredible VA (main antagonist played by Mark Hammil? YAAAAS) and the fucking opening song "Legacy" by The Lone Jackals that sets the mood just right make it on this list as an old game worth revisiting.

#1 OLD GAME OF 2021: Arcade Spirits

Visual Novels were big for me this year, since it's something I can just zone out to and read along with in tiny parts, and not have to really interact with. It's easy progression, as I've been finding myself sinking more and more time into "battle pass" style games like Fortnite and MTG Arena, and want to actually finish a story.

Arcade Spirits tells the story of a 20-something in their quarter life crisis looking for a change in life, and they find it by working for an arcade where they can eventually find romance.

I'm friends with Stefen Gagne, the primary writer of this game through the Rock Band community, and I was excited to see so much buzz around a game that he made with a small group of people. To support him, I bought it Day One!

Then I never touched it. What prompted me to finish Arcade Spirits was this video by Laura Crone. She discussed the benefits of the VN being more accesible for people who don't play video games, since it provides a good story in a striaghtforward method that most people are familiar with (reading words), and presents it in a manner that is unique to gaming (interactivity and determining the outcomes of a decision) without anything that might throw someone off (reaction time, mastering a control scheme, the question of "Where Do I Go?")

The story is striahgt out of the 80's with your best friend character, a corporate asshole rival, and (for the most part), an ending where you find one your true love.

Like Hayseed Knight, this game pushes Ren'Py to its limits, but where Hayseed Knight's focus was on presenting elements that make the presentation of the VN easier to digest for someone not a fan of the genre, Arcade Spirits gamifies the interactions, giving you different "moods" of responses and setting each romanceable character with their own relationship meter, making the VN more digestible to someone looking to play a proper game with numbers to min/max, but provide enough enticing options to give them an emotional vector to start from. 

What I liked most about was that it was just a fluffy game that didn't have high stakes, but still made me care about everyone. EVERY choice is seen as valid and meaningful, since you can romance any character regardless of your gender, or romance nobody! The game still goes on, and your character can still find fulfilment! As someone who has trouble with relationships and intimacy, it's refreshing, and makes me still feel valid.

Though I hooked up with QueenBee, the correct choice, I mean, c'mon.

NEW GAME OF 2021 RUNNERS UP:

5. Backbone (PC) - A game where you play a bisexual raccoon detective out to destroy the bourgoises that oozes style and reminds me of the Harebrained Shadowrun games with how diverse your approaches can be. 

4. Echo (PC) - This game is on the OTHER end of the Ren'Py spectrum, where the presentation is as basic "Ren'Py VN" as you can get, but the writing is so solid, that I IMMEDIATELY went to replay through the other routes, because this isn't a romance, it's a psychological horror VN where you choose who you're spending the horror with, and each of the character routes are playable short stories that explore different genres and tropes of horror under the umbrella of a very real dread of being stuck forever in a town that fell apart.

3. Resident Evil Village (Xbox One) - It doesn't do the horror genre tour as well as Echo does, and isn't as well written, but it's a fun game that puts a more action oriented spin on the mental moments I loved about REmake and Resident Evil 2 (including Mercenaries Mode from RE4), while making Ethan Winters kind of developed as a character?

2. Everhood (PC) - On the surface, the game acts as another game trying to munch on Undertale's flav, but the battles are absolute trips to behold with each fight being a synesthetic experience that incorporates its music BETTER than Undertale, and also acts as its philisophical counterpoint.
 

#1 NEW GAME OF 2021: Inscryption

Inscryption combines a solid rougelike deckbuilder, an escape room, and the most hardcore DM you've ever experienced that takes a story I should in should in theory hate, but makes for the best game that came out in 2021.The game's first act sets such a strong groundwork for how good the game of Inscryption itself is, that when the game pulls a "THE PRESTIGE!" on you not once, but twice, you're still along for the ride.

When it comes to Magic The Gathering and the like, I'm what you'd call a "Vorthos", someone who's interested in the lore of the game and how the card interactions work in "kayfabe", or the proposed reality of the game itself. For example, in Magic The Gathering, a Planeswalker card is an ally you're summoning from another plane of existence to aid you in battle, and will "planeswalk" away once they've taken enough damage. "Instant" spells require less preparation than "Sorcery" spells, etc. Inscryption's presentation makes these little interactions much more intense when you could just be playing a regular old card game. I did NOT get this level of attachment to... any mechanics really in Slay The Spire.

I'm considering looking into Kaycee's Mod, which allows you to JUST do the roguelike deckbuilding and can even contain more lore!

Also, kudos to the devs for finding an actor who looks like all MTG influencers simultaneously. 

ANNUAL REMINDER I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER:

The New Hotness In 2020

Yeah, so for future reference, anytime I do something new, I'm going to make a quick post about it.

NEW SINGLE! "I Want To Fuck Krampus For Christmas"




A song about love on Christmas. Krampus is the new hotness on the holiday season, baby! I was going to do this on the guitar, but when I got into Reaper, and played around with the synth, it sounded REALLY GOOD!

Artwork done by Jesse Davis

NEW VIDEO! "The Average Rhythm Bastard Live Experience 3(KB) (Anime Iwai)"


Part of my "Resolutions" for 2020 is to make a proper Sizzle Reel for my live shows to show off to potential cons and venues, but this had so many good moments and was such a good feeling to have all my friends from 3000 Brigade support me!

NEW EPISODE OF RPG PALS CLUB!
Episode 24: Look At Me, I'm A Jerk!

The City of Waterdeep has seen bands with grudges before, but has it seen one with a grudge that is out for revenge against a friend slash teammate? Also, Nivenya goes into a hole.

Our cleric gets very pupset, and Oi is a jerk to robots.

Another very obvious Aquabats reference:

STATE OF THE BASTARD 2019!!!

Better late than never! I'm 31! Wooo...

For me, 2018 was a year where I tried out a lot of stuff and it worked. As shitty as things were otherwise, and at times, I felt like I was just spinning my wheels, I have a better idea of what to do going forward.

The con front was quiet, but the few shows I did put on (Mini Iwai, Anime Iwai and Holiday Matsuri), went over very well, particularly because I've got my shenaniganing down pat. I've also put out quite a few songs out on Patreon, and managed to get to a few conventions I wasn't required to play at. Like, I can just hang out and shit.

So I have a better feeling going into 2019.

Here's to 10 More Years! Yeah, I've been at this for 10 Years.

MOST RECENT SONG: "Death's Blossom"
Youtube-


Soundcloud-


I JUST rendered the video and cover out today so I can have this for you guys. You're Welcome!

FAVORITE SONG I MADE: "Thrash Panda"
A song that's still Patron exclusive, but I feel REALLY good playing this song live. The ONLY reason I haven't dropped it yet is because I do want to make a cool piece of art to go along with it.

OTHER COOL SHIT I DID:
2017's 3000 Brigade Show is finally out!

This was a good one. I still have the Wii Fit Trainer stuff, in my closet.

2018's show was even better since I had more to do! Amanda if you're reading this I still have all of your acoutrements in my closet

I've also joined a DnD Campaign long time internet friend Luke Herr is running, which leads me into...

PODCAST STUFF:
RPG Pals Club- By the time you read this, it'll be out for the public!

My character is Oi! A Drow Monk who chose the punk life over the underdark. So now he's a punk monk.

NOW HE'S A PUNK MON-

I'd Rather Not- The last episode was... not fit for human consumption, but we're nearing on 100 episodes, so the shaningans will Pentuple!

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST: Coddling Bigotry Being A Cottage Industry
Oh, wait? That was last year? And it still persists this year since all social media companies worry about is "engagement", content be damned, since 4chan Nazis have nothing better to do all day than harass transgender people and other minorities?

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST PART 2: Articles About "Going Too Far"
You know the trend: "SANTA SHOULD BE GENDER NEUTRAL!" "THEYBIES?" "EXACTLY ONE WOMAN WITH FEMINIST IN THEIR TWITTER BIO SAID A THING SO IT'S NEWS"

You've seen these articles a million times shared by friends on Facebook, usually accompanied by a "WTF?", and in the comments go something like "I'm not racist/sexist/hating on x group here, BUT..."

These stories serve a purpose to make you think that a certain marginalized group is going "too far" in the pursuit of equal rights. And when you have the fear of going "too far", its two fold:

1. You're afraid of anything being tried in the first place

2. It leaves the door open for someone more agreeable to the status quo to come in with an ineffective solution.

So the only response is to drag them to the main point kicking and screaming, "Well don't you think X should have the same rights as the rest of us?"

TREND I LIKED THE MOST: Furries Being The Comrades We All Need In This Shittastic World

This year's Internet Hero was not a man, but a fox.

A black, gay fox (everything Republicans hate) who was really, really good at fighting games.


Second place goes to a guy who shat on Elon Musk:


I've mentioned that the furry fandom/subculture is more creator focused than anime fandom, which means that is is decentralized, and all media considered "furry" is not produced by a singular entity. There may be pieces of media popular amongst furries, like Disney movies, Star Fox, etc., but the fandom itself owns the means of production, meaning it's socialist as hell, which is a good thing.   

Since there's no singular entity that produces the art, there's no reason for them to ignore bad actors in the name of profit. Video game and comics companies and the like can look at bullshit like Gamergate and Comicsgate and go, "Hey, their money's just as good as anyone else's!

But since the talent pool is widely distributed, and everything is done on a person to person basis, you can tell the Nazis to fuck off:


And yes, there are Nazifurs/Altfurries. When the entire pull of a fandom is "You don't have to be the default you", it can be a good, like a safer space for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves and feel more out (i.e. their fursona is a different gender than the person was assigned, sexuality is different, etc.). Or it can be a bad, meaning "Hey, I was kicked out of my usual group because I was a dipshit who kept making holocaust/attack helicopter/racist jokes, SURELY these people will accept me!"

As mentioned earlier, you can kick out the latter group. It's fine.

When you've been an internet punching bag for so long, you can either be a shittier person, or keep on keeping on and learn to be better on your own.

Same for the juggalos. LET'S COMBINE THE TWO, SHALL WE?



FAVORITE SONG OF 2018: "Make Me Feel" by Janelle Monae

So, the runner up for this was "She's Kerosene" by The Interrupters, but while that a lot of energy and I crank up it my car all the time, "Make Me Feel" wins out because it has sexiest buildup to any song ever, and of course, Janelle Monae at her most fun.

TOP 40 SONG I HATED THE LEAST: "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande

My thought process:
"Ugh, OK, like, I haven't listened to a lot of Top 40 Radio, so I guess 'Feel It Still' is in the running, but let's see what Todd In The Shadows thinks..."
"Thank U Next? That Ariana Grande song? It's a meme, but I'll give it a listen."
"DAMN THIS IS SO GOOD! Her voice is so soothing! And the song expresses a sentiment so unique! Haha! I wonder what movies I'd parody for my thank u next equivalent?"

THE "WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT THIS SOONER?" AWARD: The Shadowrun Games by Harebrained Schemes
Shadowrun is a TTRPG setting that's basically when two designers didn't want to decide on making a cyperpunk game, or a fantasy game so they're like "FUCK IT, WE'LL DO BOTH!" and have a game where you can play as orcs who can cast magic and elves who can hack into shit.

Since 2013, Harebrained schemes have been making games based off the brand and have done so with X-Com style combat mixed with Neverwinter Nights style exploration, and while not very long, they've been fun to play and get into. Dragonfall is the best out of the three with a better story, and more connections to your usual shadowrunning squad.

GAME OF THE YEAR: See Above

ANNUAL REMINDER I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER:

Mini Iwai 2018 Justifies A Full Status Quo Sunday

MINI IWAI RECAP
WHEW, that was a wild one!

So, this has been my first con show ALL YEAR. And I wanted to do something special for it, as well as add a little hype to my intro, so I'm not going "OK, we're here, let's do this!". I'm not spoiling it here, since I want it to be a surprise when you come out to shows, but I felt like it went over well. Some tech issues prevented me from doing some new tracks, but what can you do? Got a lot of new fans!

The 3000 Brigade show also went over big, as we did it as Completely Real Boy Band B12. It still astounds me how well that gimmick goes over, and yes, they WILL be back in November as part of the full show. I'd give you spoilers, but then the stage ninjas would get me. In the rock world we call the people who wear all black and give us stuff "roadies".

Get your tickets now!

Holy shit, they have a wedding package? I will offer my services to play one traditional song and one cheesy wedding song of your choosing

PATREON SONG NOW OUT

Yes! "Deep Space Tragedy" is a song I've played live for a while, and I get goosebumps singing it out loud. I do plan on putting it on my 10th Anniversary Album, which is why I've actually recorded a "good" version of it. Before it's only existed as a slap-dash demo for the comic's artist.

Deep Space Tragedy is a comic about a teenage rock n' roll band in outer space, and are unwillingly part of something greater.

What I liked about writing this is cribbing a lot of the internal lingo from the book, because it's so dense, but you're able to pick it apart in context. Also, it's very consistent tonally. All the buildings are comprised of sharp and twisting geometry, and originally the artwork is all these shades of a very dark gray. It makes everything just feel shitty, but the people have been dealing with the shittiness for quite a while. But then Deep Space Tragedy comes along and it sucks less!

Also robots. Did I mention robots?

FRIDAY NIGHT MYSTERIES: INDIGO PROPHECY #3

In the words of Strong Bad, IT'S OVER!!!

Not as good as I remember, obviously. Some good moments in there, but it's clear that Heavy Rain was a MAJOR step up for them.

I don't know if I'm doing this series again, or streaming, then premiering the episodes on Fridays, but I at least owe you all Danganronpa 2.

JAM OF THE WEEK: "Super Rad" by The Aquabats!

How has this NEVER been a Jam Of The Week?

ANYWAYS, The Aquabats have a Kickstarter out now, to produce more albums and more episodes of "The Aquabats! Super Show!".

"Super Rad!" is the first song people know from them, with this music video directed by, of all people, Bobcat Goldthwait. This was back from when they were a third wave ska band, and had like 8 or 9 members. Travis Barker was drumming for the band, before he made it big as part of Blink 182. His Aquabat name was Baron Von Tito.

Super Rad! is a goofy, energetic song that you can not sit down during. It's a mission statement, that, even though the band has changed genres 2 or 3 times, have always stuck to for the past 20 years. 

My first album from them was "Charge!!" from 2005, and was part of their new wave/synth rock sound after trimming down their crew significantly down to 5. There's a lot of good songs there, my favorite being "Look At Me! I'm A Winner!" which is straight up power pop. The single "Fashion Zombies!" is OK, but "Look At Me!" is more upbeat and has that sick solo.

But for me, the sweet spot for The Aquabats! is their 1999 album, "The Aquabats vs. The Floating Eye Of Death!". That album was their last one with a horn section and represented a shift that would finalize in Charge!. Vs. The Floating Eye! is the closest they've come to straight up punk. It starts off with "Sequence Erase!", which the web series Mega 64! uses for it's theme song. Then it goes into "Giant Robot Birdhead" and "Anti Matter!" which is up there for the best three song run on an album.

I'll talk more about them in another JOTW, but man I love The Aquabats!

Also I share a birthday with MC Bat Commander.

STATE OF THE BASTARD 2018- I'M 30 NOW!

STATE OF THE BASTARD 2018

HOLY SHIT I'M 30


(artwork by Talez01)

1. 2017 was a goddamn clusterfuck. The rich got richer, the poor have less footholds to climb out of, and a bunch of my fellow white dudes decided that they'd support fascism so they'd no longer have to be inconvenienced with things like "acknowledging other people exist".

And on top of that, I'm 30 now. For some reason, that number makes me feel like I've missed out on SO MANY opportunities. I waver back and forth between "I'm too old for this shit, get real, stop dreaming" and "There are plenty of other people within my niche finding a way to make it happen regardless." I'm always left with a feeling that I could be doing better.

I've been dealing with depression and anxiety for most of my life, and the possibility for autism, which for a while have made it really difficult for me to be out socializing. Ever since I've moved down to Florida, I've been able to join the Magic, convention and nerdcore communities, just feel more comfortable just TALKING to people.

I know it sounds odd, but in its own way, I AM doing better.

Also some of those white dudes faces some measure of comeuppance:
<iframe width="400" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JZj9rvnVd6U" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

2. Also, hey I do music!

MOST RECENT SONG: "Unstable"


This was a fun one to do! I managed to get Tweakbench's Triforce while it was free, and every time I use it, I learn something new. Also I managed to get like 5 people to pretend to be attacked by squirrels, so you know, win for me.

FAVORITE SONG I MADE: "Fire In The Hole"


My first Overwatch song! Also my first song I did an N64 Remix for. It would have been featured on League of Heels's PAXAMANIA III, but sadly they had audio issues. It was featured in the Official PAXAMANIA III video, and was played a shitton during The Great Australian Bash. Appropriate, since it was inspired by an Australian video game character.




3. OTHER COOL SHIT I DID

Music For Suplex Saga


This was fun to do! I caught them at the right time, and while the Kickstarter failed, they're still dedicated to the project, so hopefully you can see all of that come to fruition soon.

Patreon 
Honestly, this has been the best motivation for making new music. People line up to listen to your music, and because of that I want to do nice things for you all!

3000 Brigade
Last but not least, the 3000 Brigade, an insane show that was incredible to see come together and 100% worth it to put on. I can only hope I'm around for next year's show!

3. 29 YEAR OLD RESOLUTIONS? DID MAKE THEM?
-More collabs.
Sort of? I've been working with more people for gang vocals and stuff, but nothing TOO deep. Roborob helped with the bassline for Unstable, but that's about it.

-Album #3. Not quite finish it, but have an idea of where it's going.
I do have three "album" projects lined up:
1. A "Best Of/Road Mix/Introduction To" album I can sell at cons. 

-A proper music video. With like a crew and shit.
ha ha nope. I became unemployed halfway through the year.

-Another game. Maybe it's part of a bigger project, maybe it's another game jam. WHO KNOWS?
Yes! It's called Coastal Chomper!

And I did it with Trace Evans aka Pseg on the internets!

I also was part of a video game show "Arcade Pit" with him, and we got our asses kicked...


-500+ Fans on Facebook.
Yes! And 25 more!

4. 30 YEAR OLD RESOLUTIONS!
1. To participate in a League Of Heels Event.

2. Put one of my Album Projects

3. Hit my first donation goal in Patreon

4. Get on something outside an album. Work on a game, VO work, etc

5. PODCAST STUFF!
ECHO CHAMBER- Music, video games, and More?
I'D RATHER NOT- Bad decisions and how we make them!

5. OK NOW GO OUTSIDE THE BOX
GAME OF THE YEAR-The Metronomicon In The Woods 7: Biohazard

We're doing an Echo Chamber episode on this!

WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFORE AWARD?- A Link To The Past

Finally beat it this year. If your game is well designed enough that randomizing it can be not only possible, but another puzzle in and of itself, you did good. Been waiting TOO long on this SNES classic.

BEST MOVIE I SAW THIS YEAR- Get Out

It is the epitome of "fridge brilliance": everything in this movie is so tight and deliberate, and any question I do have is presented with an answer.

The best horror isn't to MAKE some scary. It's to take something we're afraid of and make it tangible.

TOP 40 SONG I HATED THE LEAST- "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man.


"Hard Times" by Paramore would have been number one with a bullet but it didn't crack the Billboard Hits. Truth be told, I don't even like this song that much. It's got a good vibe to it, and is technically rock.

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST- "Coddling Bigotry" as an occupation.
Remember kids, you don't need to consider other people AT ALL! You're not being racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic! It's the marginalized groups you're picking on should have thicker skin!
Also, guys wearing Kekistan Flags at cons, which are modeled after Nazi Battle Flags.

TREND I LIKED THE MOST- Assholes getting what's coming to them.

See above.

OK THAT WAS KIND OF A DOWNER, HERE'S SOMETHING FUN, AKA MY REAL FAVORITE SONG OF 2017.



ANNUAL STUPID REMINDER THAT I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER

STATUS QUO STATE OF THE BASTARD 2017

1. A lot of was lost in 2016. I'm 29 now, starting to feel that crunch. However, one big thing I developed this past year is a new attitude.

Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher, and so many other brilliant artist and creatives were lost, and we're not getting anything new from them. Still, the rest of the world moves on, it has to. And that's when I developed this mantra:

"Now's my turn"

My turn to make great art that resonates throughout. My turn to be an advocate. My turn to make a mark.

2. Let's stop being downer and get to the music shall we?
MOST RECENT SONG: "EPIC POKEMON COVER!!"

Fuck you, I liked mashing up Pokemon and The Dead Kennedys


FAVORITE SONG I MADE: "Anguished Unmaking"

This one is because I just love how different it is from anything else I've done. The songs for the "Battle For Zendikar" block were good, but were still within my wheelhouse. The "Shadows Over Innistrad" block, as well as the upcoming "Amonkhet" block are good reasons to venture out of the punk genre.

28 YEAR OLD RESOLUTIONS? DID MAKE THEM?
-A music video. 

YES. SORT OF. See above. I plan on doing more, or at least one more with a better budget.

-More presence and making myself more accessible.. I've always done this stuff for fun, and for the experience of meeting new people and just having that "ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!" feeling of living in the city. The post I made about cons was just about expanding my horizons. I'm trying to reach out, 'cause if you like my music, or my writing, or my podcasting, then I like you :D

SURE? I GUESS?

-Stream more, be it gaming or music making. I love games, and I want to have you all along for the ride. Also biweekly Twitch concerts would keep me in practice for bigger shows.
YES, I DID STREAM MORE. I did an entire LP of new Magic expansions and Dishonored. So I plan on doing more into this new year.

29 YEAR OLD RESOLUTIONS

-More collabs. I participated in the Nerdcore VPC this year, that was a lot of fun. More opportunities to come. hopefully!

-Album #3. Not quite finish it, but have an idea of where it's going. 

-A proper music video. With like a crew and shit.

-Another game. Maybe it's part of a bigger project, maybe it's another game jam. WHO KNOWS?
-500+ Fans on Facebook.  

PODCAST STUFF!

ECHO CHAMBER- Music, video games, and More?

I'D RATHER NOT- Bad decisions and how we make them!

OK NOW GO OUTSIDE THE BOX-

GAME OF THE YEAR- Hitman 

I'll talk about it more on the future Echo Chamber, but Hitman is the kind of game where it's big enough that I'm always finding out new stuff, but small enough that I can get really good at certain maps.

WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFORE AWARD?- Hearthstone

It's like Magic where I can turn in my jank immediately and play it in my underwear.

MOVIE I WAS WATCHING WITH GREAT TREPIDATION- Deadpool
Good News: I enjoyed the movie, and it's a testament to low budget not getting in the way of making the movie you want to make.
Bad News: The script I read 5 years a go spoiled a lot of it.

TOP 40 SONG I HATED THE LEAST- "Cake By The Ocean" by DNCEThis was the closest thing to a "rock" song on the top 40 charts. It's solid, groovy, but it only wins this category because Blink 182's "Bored To Death" and Green Day's "Bang Bang", while great to listen to, didn't get a lot of play on pop radio.

 

TREND I LIKED THE MOST- Nerdcore Musicians Putting Out Games

Let's take a look, shall we?
Capcom vs. Harambe- Richie Branson certainly did this...

MC Lars The Game- A fun rhythm action game that takes a quick trip through some of his best/most popular songs (excluding Lars Attacks!)
Tales Of The Elements- With Mega Ran, K-Murdoch and Last Benevolence, this is an action RPG that takes cues from games like FF6 and Chrono Trigger.

TREND I LIKED THE LEAST- People Whose Asses Got Beat In Previous Wars Thinking They Got A Chance Now That Trump Was Elected President

ANNUAL STUPID REMINDER THAT I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER

10 NEW Bands Who I'd Curbstomp Babies To See In Rock Band 4

So like I did last week with returning bands, I'm doing with bands that haven't had a song debut in Rock Band, Guitar Hero or Rocksmith yet. This cancels out some I wanted to do like The Misfits, but these should be reasonable.

1. THE AQUABATS 

The ONLY downside I can see with the Aquabats is that the loss of keys hurts some of the songs, but there's plenty straight rock songs in their library that would fit in well. Plus, their stock is rising with The Aquabats Super Show and Yo Gabba Gabba! so the younger kids will be familiar the everyone's rock and roll superheroes!
If Harmonix ever has a brain hemmorage and releases Lego Rock Band 2, The Aquabats should be front and center!
SEE ALSO: "Super Rad!" "Look At Me, I'm A Winner!"

2. DAFT PUNK

Another band that feels the loss of the keys, but there's still workarounds, it just requires very liberal interpretations of "guitars" and "vocals". Maybe not on disc songs, but it's time for add some Robots to Rock Band.  
SEE ALSO: "Digital Love", "One More Time/Aerodynamic", "Harder Better Faster Stronger"

3. FOXY SHAZAM

With operatic vocals that could give Freddie Mercury a run for his money and the energy of nine coke-fiends crammed into 5 guys, Foxy Shazam is a rock band in every sense of the word, who's soujnd has changed enough over the years to give a wide variety of play styles. You want thrashy, trashy and in your face? Go with something off of their album "Introducing Foxy Shazam". Harder rock? 2012's "The Chruch Of Rock and Roll". Found out that you don't have a lo9t of hard songs on vocals? Anything off of 2010's self titled album will have the guy with the mic putting in A LOT Of work.
SEE ALSO: "Unstoppable", "The Church of Rock and Roll"

4. JANELLE MONAE

Have I mentioned I fucking love Janelle Monae? Another artist that bounces all over the place with genres, Cindi Mayweather captures the more mellow side rock, while adding in a ton of funk and hip-hop influences, which Rock Band is sorely lacking. A few of the songs on RB3 that tried to fall into this category were either too spastic or too easy. No keys is a bit of a loss, but depending on the track, you wouldn't even notice it. Any vocalist worth their salt should be begging to have these songs included.
SEE ALSO: "Q.U.E.E.N.", "Tightrope", "Cold War", "Many Moons"

5. JAPANDROIDS

Imagine if the Black Keys got their influences from Arena Rock, and you'd have a pretty good idea of The Japandroids. It's really good "Drive With The Windows Open" music that's plenty of fun for the whole group.
SEE ALSO: "The House That Heaven Built", "Adrenaline Nightshift"

6. THE PROTOMEN

The Protomen make concept albums based off of Mega Man and try to sound as 80s as fuck while doing that. If that sentence alone doesn't convince you, let me repeat it: The Protomen make concept albums based off of Mega Man and try to sound as 80s as fuck while doing that.Keys are missing, but we can still give it the old college try, right? RIGHT?
SEE ALSO: "The Hounds" "Hope Rides Alone" , "The Will Of One"

7. REEL BIG FISH

While "Beer" might not be the most "family-friendly" song from the Boston ska band, it's the song that suffers the least from losing the keys. Like most ska (see "This Gigantic Robot Kills"), the bass is challenging, and the small licks on the lead guitar keep the mostly chord focused song interesting to play. Also, "Beer" was MADE for harmonies. It has "Whoa-oh-oh" part! Bitches love "Whoa-oh-oh" parts!
SEE ALSO: "Take On Me", "Sellout"

 8. BOWLING FOR SOUP

We have "Nerd Rock" in Rock Band with "Still Alive" by Glados, Brony music and Kirby Krackle, but we need more "Dork Rock" and Rhythm Bastard, while awesome and cool and talented and well endowed, it's JUST NOT ENOUGH. Bowling for Soup are a bunch dorks that make some really sweet pop-punk, and everyone's guarantee to know AT LEAST 1985.
SEE ALSO: "Girl All The Bad Guys Want", "High School Never Ends", "Punk Rock 101"

9. WALK THE MOON

I'm really surprised these guys haven't had a Top 40 hit yet. Hopefully by the time RB4 comes out they will have gained some mianstream attention, but it could still be an opportunity for Harmonix to be kingmakers.
SEE ALSO: "Tightrope" "Different Colors"

10. THE WOMBATS

Another alternative rock band that's been around for a while, but only managed one radio hit recently. The accent and British Pop Culture references my throw a couple vocalists off, but the relentless energy makes up for it.  
SEE ALSO: "Kill The Director", "My First Wedding"

Echo Chamber Post Game Episode 98

DANLOAD THIS AHPISODE NOW!!!

-Also, you can visit RCRDBOX here! Get your subscription today!

-THE ONE TRUE WAIFU



-I don't think Android phones have a Siri/Cortana equivalent. I'm sure with the open platform, something out there exists for it. Not really getting it though, since everything I'd use Siri/Cortant for I could look up myself, or set up on the alarm. Then again, it could be one of those things where I get it and say "HOW CAN I LIVE WITHOUT THIS?"

-The problem of having swole legs, meaning your phone is haunted. 

-STOOPID FONE!!!
"Stoopid Fone!" commercial parody from julianne eggold on Vimeo.


-Florida tends to have as many dangerous animals as Australia, and the thing is we BOTH have horrible, horrible leaders. 

-Giant Bomb Ramen Eating Contest:


-The MASTERPOST of Memes Are People Too
I think she wins most improved though:


-The Seinfeld Frogger Scene:


-Final Fantasy XV


-I've sung the praises of the Rock Band Network several times throughout the course of this blog. I could go into detail about how bold of a move it was, and how many new bands I've discovered through the course of working for them.

I could talk about how I met some really awesome people, and how PAX East 2013 was easily one of the best weekends ever. (Start at 20:00)


I could talk about how it's brought me closer to some artists I really admire, and MC Lars gave me a shout out at Orlando Nerd Fest.

I could talk about how it's made me a better musician, in that it trained my ear and taught me how instruments work together.

But I think I'm just going to say goodbye.

Echo Chamber Post Game Episode 7

POST GAME MOFOS! 

-So the reason why Black Album was a major departure for Metallica was because producer Bob Rock worked on stuff that was more glam, like Dr. Feelgood and Slippery When Wet. Metallica still had to make the conscious decision to write the Black Album, but that certainly contributed.

-Musical Un-Intregrity was actually used on Wikipedia for "selling out" in reference to Metallica:

Exact definition for musical un-integrity:
Musical un-intergrity is a specific music industry term for when a band totally sells out and becomes super gay to listen to like all that faggy Justin Bieber shit. Like, when they do something all retarded and shit, and now they're all fuckin' lame and gay and retarded.


Also I'm 14 and just got into Metallica after listening to "One" in Guitar Hero 3 and hearing all the grown ups talk about it, so now I only listen to real music.


See also: Having your band in Angry Birds as pigs.


-One "BIG CHANGE" in music, at least relevant to me: The Aquabats and the lack of horns in their last two albums.
This video sums it up rather well:

I can see where they're coming from: They wanted to keep things lean, and while wanting bigger cuts might equate to selling out, Charge! and Hi Five Soup! are awesome and it's just a different sound, trading one inspiration (fellow ska bands), to another (New wave, ala Devo)

-Due to a conversation I recently had with Owen of Ozone Ent, who edits and hosts the podcast, I am now aware that a Buckner and Garcia song exists for a certain game I recently mentioned.

-The Walking Dead Episode 1 was really good. Like, Deadly Premonition but without those retarded wall crawling baddies.

-So's this: