Tarheels.

I might actually pick up the Outlaw Bible to American Poetry if my local bookstore has it.

I read Perks of Being a Wall Flower today for the first time and got a mixture of emotions. I had heard a LOT about it, it was recommended to me by many people and I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I read it a few years ago rather than now. I can see how it would be a fantastic book when you're going through that phase but once you're out of it it's less significant. However, it still has that usual hint of heart ache and sorrow that everybody can identify with that makes the book incredibly enjoyable. I also love the style it's written in.

As a side note, did we ever attempt a book club type thing? I briefly remember us trying it (maybe it was made up in my head but I'm almost certain it was attempted before) and either way we should try and start one back up. I'd love to get recommendations for really good books to read and come to discuss here on EWB.

I've heard Black Eyed Dog by Nick Drake and "One of These Things First" but that's about it. However, I haven't heard of John Martyn. I'll check him out.

Sufjan Stevens!

Oh and you may also like Conor Oberst and Ryan Adams.

Already listen to all of the above

I should probably list all of the singer/songwriters I listen to for the record.

Sufjan Stevens

Conor Oberst

Ryan Adams

Iron & Wine

Ray LaMontagne

Damien Rice

Kevin Devine

Matt Costa

Jack Johnson

Ben Harper

Elliot Smith

Colin Meloy

After being on an Iron & Wine kick along with Kevin Devine and the like, can anybody recommend other good solo singer/songwriter stuff.

No Mike Hale either

Agreed on A.A.F's Smooth Criminal. When people try to make it an identical cover it usually turns out terrible (emphasize the point of usually, there are a few that break that rule.) However, I recently heard Nightwish's cover of "Phantom Of The Opera" and I'm in love with it.

Seeing this again reminded me of a song I wrote a couple of weeks ago. You guys should help critique it, even though its only lyrics at this point, no music yet.

Hard To Tell

I could see in your eyes it was over,

The way the tears curved down from your cheeks.

The way you prayed to your god that it all would be fine

How you apologized for being so weak.

I could tell that your love was a lie

How it was said so matter of factly

It reminded me of better days when I was young

And my heart was still in tact

It’s not hard to tell that I’m afraid

You can see it clear as day

Just tell me that it’s all okay

I need a lie to heal the pain

And you can tell that I’m in pieces

I was broken years ago

By a man in black with a Gatsby cap

He told me son, it’s time to leave

You should see that I’m to blame,

For all this mess that we have made

I’m like the story book on that train you took,

On the day you went away

You can read it all you want but babe,

Someday you’ll have to turn the page

It’s not hard to tell that I am still a mess

Can’t seem to stop myself from cryin’

So I’ll wipe my eyes and let out a sigh

Cause you’re not coming back tonight

You’re not coming back tonight

Everybody read for the Guitar Hero World Tour setlist? It looks aaaawesome.

* 311 - "Beautiful Disaster"

* 30 Seconds To Mars - "The Kill"

* Airbourne - "Too Much Too Young"

* The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"

* Anouk - "Good God"

* The Answer - "Never Too Late"

* At The Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"

* Beastie Boys - "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"

* Beatsteaks - "Hail to the Freaks"

* Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"

* Black Label Society - "Stillborn"

* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Weapon of Choice"

* blink-182 - "Dammit"

* Blondie - "One Way or Another"

* Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - "Hollywood Nights"

* Bon Jovi - "Livin' On A Prayer"

* Bullet For My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire"

* Coldplay - "Shiver"

* Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Up Around The Bend"

* The Cult - "Love Removal Machine"

* Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel The Pain"

* The Doors - "Love Me Two Times"

* Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"

* The Eagles - "Hotel California"

* The Enemy - "Aggro"

* Filter - "Hey Man, Nice Shot"

* Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"

* Foo Fighters - "Everlong"

* The Guess Who - "American Woman"

* Hush Puppies - "You're Gonna Say Yeah!"

* Interpol - "Obstacle 1"

* Jane's Addiction - "Mountain Song"

* Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze (Live)"

* Jimi Hendrix - "The Wind Cries Mary"

* Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"

* Joe Satriani - "Satch Boogie"

* Kent - "Vinternoll2"

* Korn - "Freak On A Leash"

* Lacuna Coil - "Our Truth"

* Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way"

* Linkin Park - "What I've Done"

* The Living End - "Prisoner of Society"

* Los Lobos - "La Bamba"

* Lost Prophets - "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)"

* Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Sweet Home Alabama (Live)"

* Mars Volta - "L'Via L'Viaquez"

* MC5's Wayne Kramer - "Kick Out The Jams"

* Metallica - "Trapped Under Ice"

* Michael Jackson - "Beat It"

* Modest Mouse - "Float On"

* Motorhead - "Overkill"

* Muse - "Assassin"

* Negramaro - "Nuvole e Lenzuola"

* Nirvana - "About a Girl (Unplugged)"

* No Doubt - "Spiderwebs"

* NOFX - "Soul Doubt"

* Oasis - "Some Might Say"

* Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"

* Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley"

* Paramore - "Misery Business"

* Pat Benatar - "Heartbreaker"

* R.E.M. - "The One I Love"

* Radio Futura - "Escuela De Calor"

* Rise Against - "Re-Education Through Labor"

* Sex Pistols - "Pretty Vacant"

* Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye"

* Smashing Pumpkins - "Today"

* Steely Dan - "Do It Again"

* Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"

* Sting - "Demolition Man (Live)"

* The Stone Roses - "Love Spreads"

* Stuck In The Sound - "Toy Boy"

* Sublime - "Santeria"

* Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"

* System of a Down - "B.Y.O.B."

* Ted Nugent - "Stranglehold"

* Ted Nugent's Original Guitar Duel Recording

* Tokio Hotel - "Monsoon"

* Tool - "Parabola"

* Tool - "Schism"

* Tool - "Vicarious"

* Trust - "Antisocial"

* Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher"

* Willie Nelson - "On The Road Again"

* Wings - "Band on the Run"

* Zakk Wylde's Original Guitar Duel Recording

I saw that they're releasing a Pumpkins pack too that has 1979 which has me insanely excited about that. Plus after seeing the Tool songs, Muse, Mars Volta (hopefully we can get a track pack from them once the DLC starts flowing in), Coldplay, The Doors. Basically there are very few songs on this list that I can see myself dislike playing. There's just too many good ones.

I love Cornell, but I really disliked his last solo album, and from what I've heard of this one it's not going to shape up to be much better.

Which I hate, because I love Cornell

I already mentioned that like 5 pages ago :@

I'm just re-stating the point

I've been listening to a lot of Kevin Devine lately, which is good because apparently he is opening for Manchester Orchestra when I go to see them. But yeah, I'd recommend Kevin Devine to anybody who doesn't already listen to him. He's worked with Jessie Lacey from Brand New on quite a few occasions and Lacey actually does background vocals for one of his albums.

So Manchester Orchestra is releasing a new EP in October I believe. And they're going on tour again so I get to see them in December.

However, Ben Folds Five tickets sold out when my source for the ticket was 5 people from the front

Wait...Ben Folds Five have reformed? When?

It's for one show in Chapel Hill

Myspace is putting on some "Front To Back" thing where a band plays one of their monumental albums from "Front to Back" and Ben Folds Five is playing "...Reinhold Messner".

I never understood it either. The Ben Folds Five show I'll hopefully be going to is on a Thursday. I mean...Thursday...seriously? Sucks that you don't get to see them though

So if things go as planned, I'll get to go see the Ben Folds Five reunion show in Chapel Hill. They're playing all of 'Unauthorized Biography..." and my friend called me asking if I wanted to go saying he'd buy my ticket because it would be at the student price of $22.

I'm so fucking excited

Neutral Milk Hotel... in that they just stopped. They put out two great albums in a very short period of time and then got all Salinger.

Agreed. Avery Island was great, and Aeroplane Over The Sea is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's a shame that Mangum went into seclusion because that had infinite potential and I can't even imagine what they could have made had they still been together nowadays.

I've been trying to whore out Gaslight Anthem to my "group" for the past 6 or so months now and they've refused to listen to them. I asked them to go see Gaslight with me at Warped, they refused. Then they're in some magazine and now they love them.

Fuck that

That's how America works. >_>

I'm hoping that they get big among my set of friends by late September, because I will give my left nut to see those guys in Birmingham, even on a Monday after which there's a lot of fucking schoolwork to do on Tuesday.

Yeah, I want to go see them in Chapel Hill in September, but it's on a school day and nobody wants to go. They're playing at the 506, which is an awesome venue. I'm going to convince my friend that goes to school there to at least attend the show in my honor since I can't go. He'd probably enjoy them.

The Fog of War is a good one.

Quoted for fucking emphasis.

Agreed. I watched that documentary in my U.S. History class last year and we were only supposed to watch bits and pieces of it but we convinced the teacher to make us watch the entirety of it. Easily one of my favorite documentaries.

On another note, I watched American Hardcore the other day. According to people who've read the book it doesn't really give the same effect as reading it, but it was an interesting documentary.

Was it Annihilation that had the Animality at the end? If so that one was fucking dumb. But the first one was good when it ended and the theme song played. It was campy but I marked.

I've been trying to whore out Gaslight Anthem to my "group" for the past 6 or so months now and they've refused to listen to them. I asked them to go see Gaslight with me at Warped, they refused. Then they're in some magazine and now they love them.

Fuck that

1. Radiohead

2. Bright Eyes

3. Coheed & Cambria

4. The Smiths

5. The Gaslight Anthem

6. Manchester Orchestra

7. Sigur Ros

8. Brand New

9. Coldplay

10. Four Year Strong

I wished I could see more of them live, all I got was a half-hour set at Warped Tour. They were awesome though, and I was right in the front. They didn't have many people there though unfortunately.

I'm amazed the man could hold the XBOX up long enough to nail it to the tree, and that it only took one nail.

ZOMG BULKY XBOX JOKE~!

But history proves that he was in that region and very well could have been that color

I've concluded after about 3 listens through I love Glass Passenger more than Everything In Transit. The first 3 tracks are phenomenal, Crashing was amazing, Caves was just a fucking great closer. All of them are so catchy, but not in a cheesy poppy way. Damn fine job Andrew McMahon, damn fine job.

Ahem, may I....have some sir