Most often for smaller things, a few paragraphs or lines from a certain novel, a few lines from a supporting character in a movie, an piece of cinematography that seems exceedingly well done, or different in a good way.

I do enjoy Pulp Fiction however, I’m not much of a movie critic but for the year it was released that movie was a bit of a revelation.

It launched my interest in alternative rock. Before that, all I listened to was Jimi Hendrix, movie scores, and random shit my parents listened to on the radio.

First was The Locust – The Locust. This was what got me into the metal/thrash/grind scene. Before that it was basically just rap for me, and I thought it was a joke at first, but it’s one of my favorite albums to this day.

Second, The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium. My girlfriend bought me the album and I listened to the CD in my car/album in my room for about 6 months straight without listening to anything else. Still my all time favorite album.

As far as video games go, have any of you guys played the Sam and Max series? I grew up on games like King’s Quest and Leisure Suit Larry and Space Quest and the Monkey Island series and all those point and click adventure games, so I’m always on the lookout for new ones. If any of you are fans of those games mentioned, Sam and Max is a highly entertaining, although mostly pretty easy, point and click adventure game. The first “season” I think just came out of comes out next month, and is comprised of six “episodes.” Quality stuff.

I have recently come across a home carbonator, which is a happy way of saying I can use my old paintball CO2 bottles to make seltzer water.

How much bacon does anyone think would be needed to infuse a simple syrup with enough taste to come through in a soda? How long should I simmer it? Any ideas on straining out the fat (I think it should be lighter than the syrup, but maybe not)?

While I don’t play trumpet anymore, my days as a jazz trumpeter were significantly broadened after hearing Hubbard for the first time. I’d not heard someone play with sound the way he did in a way that didn’t come off as egotistical (I’m looking at you, Miles). Sandoval and Alemany were some of my first real loves in the land of Cuban trumpeting. in fact, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up (circa 13 years old or so), I would routinely respond “Cuban”. Yuni killed that, of course.

I shouldn’t say unproductive, I did learn some interesting things BUT I DIGRESS! So Brooks Pitch f/x tool is pretty much exactly what I needed all wrapped up in a bow.
I’m pretty sure decatur, abender20, and seattlebruin have used it, anybody else having fun with it? Are you trying to look at anything you would consider unusual, different, or non-typical?

Book – The Sword of Shannara – This book made me the geek I am today, and listening to my wails of despair when the movie is announced (I’m sure it’s coming someday) will be much the same experience as listening to comic book geeks bitch about Iron Man or the X-Men.
Songs – Social Distortion – Self-titled – This album brought me out of life listening to whatever was on to actually loving music.
Clutch – Pure Rock Fury – I’ve found my love of blues because of this album. I was listening to it at a party and the next song after it was straight blues, and the two just clicked.
Hootie and the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View – I found I could actually viscerally hate music the first time I heard it. Eye-opening.

Album that changed my life: Led Zeppelin IV.

Until I heard my first Zep, I didn’t know about blues music, or that music could be slow and still rock like hell.

but hearing Opeth’s Blackwater Park was a big turning point for me. I’d never heard non-classical music with that kind of mood and presence before. It also eased me into death growls, which opened up a new world of cool music.

Apparently Michael Vick’s actions have caused strong racial tension in the ATL.

Never change, Jemele. Never change.

There isn’t one album that changed my life, but there were definitely genres that really grabbed me. It’s happened twice.

As a teenager in the 80’s, I listened to (mostly crappy) Top 40 80’s Music. It’s what was on the radio, and I didn’t really know any better.

In about the 10th grade in the late 80’s, I got exposed to Classic Rock (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.) for the first time, and suddenly, that’s all I wanted to listen to. For about 4 years or so, I was a Classic Rock junkie.

Then when I was a sophomore in college, Alternative/Grunge hit and I was hooked. I still remember the first time I heard Alive by Pearl Jam. I dropped Classic Rock like a bad habit and started listening to the new music that was coming out in the early 90’s. I think Dirt by AiC is my favorite from that era, but there were so many good albums that I still listen to.

Music (no particular order)
Mudhoney’s ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge’/Seaweed ‘Weak’ – I’d been listening to death metal/industrial for a few years, though I never really bought albums – just listened to the radio. These two albums changed that, and made me realize that a ton of cool stuff was going on down the road.
Thirty-Ought Six ‘Hag Seed’ (I remember vividly putting the cd on, and not moving a muscle for the entirety of the first track.)
Sunny Day Real Estate – ‘Diary’ (emo is so, so abused now, but I really hadn’t heard anything like this. The first song, Seven, was amazing. IS amazing.)

Modest Mouse – This is a long drive… (again, it’s all about the first song. Even now, Dramamine is among my favorite pop songs ever).

New Bomb Turks/Billy Childish ‘Bottle Island 7"’ (I’m marc w., and I like trashy…garage rock. I don’t care if some of the notes aren’t right. The totality of this is very, very right. I accept you, flawed music, and hold you to my flawed heart.)

Must give shout-outs to – Deltron 3030 (high five johnbai), Scared of Chaka’s ‘Hutch Brown Sayngwich’, the first Handsome Boy Modeling School record, Pinback’s ‘Blue Screen life’, EITS’s ‘The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place’, Neko Case’s ‘Furnace Room Lullaby’, Parts and Labor’s ‘Mapmaker’, Pavement’s ‘Watery, Domestic EP’, Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’, Dillinger Four’s ‘Vs. God’, James Brown’s ‘Mother Popcorn’, The Fabulous Counts ‘Jan Jan.’

A bar in PDX has ‘Hag Seed’ on the juke, and every time I go, I play that first song, and still sit there sort of dumbfounded.

Probably Revolver (too obvious?), Hunky Dory, and The Mysterious Production of Eggs (Andrew Bird)—although, I’m listening to Fleet Foxes right now, and it’s kind of blowing me away.

I was into more high energy stuff than Mae and when I heard this CD I totally realized that you didn’t have to be going crazy to make good music. This album is almost perfect with its mixture of beautiful keys, driving guitars and nice emotive singing.

I already got MLB 09 and am borrowing Resident Evil 5, LittleBigPlanet, Assassin’s Creed, and the incredibly awesome GTA 4.

What else should I get?

link-type thing

linky (and just for thewyrm, I promise it opens in a new tab)