Royal Wade Kimes’ Lands with Latest Album, “A Proud Land”

Originally Published 04/15/14:

When Royal Wade Kimes got into country music at a young age back in his home state of Arkansas, it did not take long for him to realize his passion. He journeyed to the Music City to realize his aspiration. With nine studio albums now under his belt, The gentleman outlaw comes at us with his latest album, “A Proud Land.” The album is said to take the listener though time by the way of music. Indeed, many songs reference a part of history such as the Civil War and the infamous Jesse James through beautifully composed melodies that may grant a sense of nostalgia for those who yearn for simpler albeit rougher times.

Most tracks reference a period in the old American south. A few plucks of the banjo eases the listener into track one, “Ride the Wagon Johnny.” The song speaks of a youth who fought for Dixie during the Civil War. Journeying home after three years of fighting a long and bloody war, this boy looks to get back to his normal life, though this is bittersweet.  Although Johnny goes home, after all the shell-shock inducing experiences he went through, there is a sadness that comes from the fact that the cause he fought for was for naught. Although the war is over, the heart of Dixie lives on through Johnny. A chorus accompanies Kimes in this track and others and reverberates to remind the listener of old times as if they were benign spirits of the past.

The fifth track, “Is it the Name Jesse James” is in Jesse James’ perspective. In his hometown, James tries to live life like normal, but he is shunned by his fellow townsfolk due to his infamous reputation. Friends James once thought he had are no more, likely due to his recent history as an outlaw. The town is ridden with change and finds living there less than sociable. The theme here is obviously the change that can come from being away for so long, whether self-perpetuated or not. The message here may be that although one may believe a town has changed, perhaps it is the self who has changed the once beloved town.

One track that stands out is track eight, “Northfield Town,” which has a 50s vibe that one would hear coming from a jukebox after Fonzie hit it in “Happy Days.” The central motif here is roaming in uncharted territory. With a name like “northfield,” it can relate to the city as “the city” is commonly associated with the northern United States. Especially since a city can have a reputation of being dangerous on its own unlike smaller towns. The track’s fast-paced, non-country sounding tune also synchs in with the theme.

What I enjoy most about the album is listening to the lyrics of each song. With most of the songs being related to history, it is interesting to connect Kimes’ lyrics to what he is referencing. For example “Dixie Burns’” lyrics refer to when Atlanta was set on fire. Overall, Kimes manages to execute the history aspect well with excellent melodies and lyrics that keep the album running smoothly. You can purchase “A Proud Land” on iTunes. Also check out Royal Wade Kimes’ website at royalwadekimes2.com.

Supercell Deploys Next Strategy Game: "Boom Beach" Review

Originally Published 04/15/14:

In 2012, Supercell released “Clash of Clans” which quickly became a runaway hit for Supercell. “Clash of Clans’” combination of troop management, defense management,  simplicity, and the fact it’s free helped propel it to the top and currently reigns as one of the top downloaded games on Apple’s App Store. Now Supercell comes to us with “Boom Beach,” another freemium title that, on the surface, looks like a lazy re-skin of its fantastic medieval counterpart. I must admit, its suspiciously similar visuals almost turned me away, but thankfully it manages to be different by adding far more strategy than “Clash of Clans” could provide.

The story is you are a commander of an island base located in the archipelago region. You are fighting an evil army known as the Blackguard who has taken over many island villages in the hopes of acquiring ancestral statues to harness their powers. This “Blackguard” is also backed up by mercenaries who are actually other player bases for you to attack, adding the mandatory online aspect. Of course, most of the in-game mechanics are similar to other freemium mobile titles, but what separates “Boom Beach” from others is its combat system.

First, there is a satellite map to pin-point where to attack. As your base advances, more of the map can be revealed to find more targets to attack provided you have enough gold. As stated, most bases are computer controlled, but some bases are controlled by players which you may attack. What is interesting is, even if I failed many times, I was able to attack the same player’s base until I defeated it. After the defender’s base is destroyed, the attacker is matched with a different opponent. If a player’s base is too strong, with due time you may opt to switch the player out for another match. However, both players are not mutually matched, so even if the defender’s base is destroyed, there is no way to get revenge on the player who attacked him.

When attacking a base, the attacker’s troops load off vessels so they may only deploy on a beach. During battle, the attacker has a selection of abilities that can turn the tables when things look grim. Abilities such as launching missiles, med-kits, and flares troops travel towards when lit can make or break the assault. These abilities are paid with “battle points” which are earned by destroying buildings and increase in cost each time the abilities are used during the battle.

Defense functions similar to “Clash of Clans.” The player upgrades defensive buildings and places landmines to deter the enemy.  Since the attacker gains battle points when destroying buildings, it is also important for the defender to strategically place non-defensive structures to throw off the enemy. This gives the player many options for attack & defense and, as such, makes the game feel less casual to those who are just used to tapping and waiting.

That being said, the game can become stagnant like other freemium titles. First, you only have one group of builders, so you may only construct or upgrade one structure at a time. Because of this, when you get to a point where you are waiting hours for that sniper tower to upgrade, it is crucial you plan out the most effective way to advance up the technology tree, unless you want to spend your hard earned money on gems to speed things up. Thankfully, the only use gems have right now is to instantly upgrading buildings, train troops, etc., so if you are a patient gamer, gems will not be a big factor here. That and the game is quite generous with spewing out gems early on, likely to get the player to spend all the gems from the get-go and purchase more with real cash.

“Boom Beach’s” main strength is that it manages to be an accessible game while being an engaging strategy game. Its combat system succeeds in separating “Boom Beach” from “Clash of Clans” and makes “Boom Beach” worth a look, especially if one is a strategy connoisseur for mobile gaming. Plus it is free, so there is no reason to not give it a try. You can download “Boom Beach” for the iPhone and iPad. Also check out “Boom Beach’s” website at www.playboombeach.com.

"House of Lies" Brings the House Down with the Official Soundtrack

Originally published on 03/11/14

I think most of us can agree that the main reason we watch a TV show is because of the presentation itself. Maybe it is funny, or maybe it brings you in with its plot and characters. But one often overlooked characteristic is the show’s music. “House of Lies” has been on the air since 2012, and the series has been lampooning corporate American culture for three seasons and counting. It also features a stellar soundtrack with plenty of variety that’s worth listening to, even for those who never watched “House of Lies.”

The soundtrack features a plethora of artists who contributed their works for the show’s score. Many of these tracks were composed by newer and familiar artists, such as Aloe Blacc and Gary Clark Jr., and were released previously. Though at least three of the tracks are exclusive to the album, and two are debut tracks for two artists: Kim Cesarion of Sweden, whose song, “Brains Out,” marks the first time his music is released in the U.S., and the Berlin group, “Kiko King & creativemaze,” who have their first world wide release with “Illusion of Time.” The other track that’s exclusive is “It Always Comes Back Around” by Michael Kiwanuka.

Kim Cesarion’s “Brains Out” is the third track and speaks of a Casonova-esk man who is swept away by a lady because of her intelligence. It is a mostly synth track with a hint of guitar. The song has a catchy mix that sounds as if it resonated from Michael Jackson’s album, “Thriller.” Kim Cesarion’s singing voice also has a style similar to Michael Jackson during some parts, such as the verses that speak of “loving [her] brains out.” Barring the digitized sounds, the track seems inspired by the late 80s and early 90s. Of the newer tracks, this is actually my favorite and I would love to hear more from Kim Cesarion.

The other new-comer is “Kiko King & creativemaze.” Their track, “Illusion of Time,” is somewhat of an abstract. It is phantasmic with strings, and the music sounds like it is in a perpetual time warp. The lyrics are simple with little snips discreetly saying “love,” “hate,” “profit,” etc..  In some parts, voices come together and echo between these words. The track stays consistent throughout and overall sounds as if it were composed to mess with the listener’s mind. The violin also carries some weight to add to the dreamlike feel.

The final track, “It Always Comes Back Around” by Michael Kiwanuka, is an original song written for the “House of Lies’” season finale. It starts off with an acoustic solo, then slowly brings in drums and a piano. This song carries the message that when you wrong someone, it always comes back to bite you in the rear. This is a smooth and easy tune that serves as an excellent finale for the soundtrack.

The “House of Lies Soundtrack” is an excellent collection of songs featured in the TV show. It also has excellent exclusives with “Brains Out,” “Illusion of Time,” and “It Always Comes Back Around.” Other greats tracks featured here are “Take Me Back” by Aloe Blacc, “Shift to Reverse” by N*Grandjean, and “Belly Role” by Count Basie. You can purchase the “House of Lies Soundtrack” off iTunes.

Habits' Newest Album Arrives With "Unselves in Arrival"

Originally published 02/25/14:

Electronica today has become the norm in music, especially pop. It’s not uncommon to turn on

the radio and hear dubstep or techno. But with that, it invites more artists to join the fray with their unique brands of music. Out of Los Angeles, “Habits” is a band that produces a hybrid of electronic and punk music of sorts. Habits is made up of Dustin Krapes as the lead-singer, Dithy Ramb on drums, and Gabriel Armenta on bass guitar. Their album, “Unselves in Arrival,” features an abundance of electronic sounds combined with hard-rock beats that, together, provide an interesting quality.

In addition to the drum and guitar work, a majority of the album is made up of electronic

noises like synthesizers, beeps, and other sounds that one would likely hear from the NES. The first track, “Splendor of the Panic,” greets the listener with robotic whop sounds followed by a drum beat similar to the opening from the “Green Day” song, “Longview.” This song, combined with the mechanized guitar riffs that follow gives “Splendor of the Panic” a sound that kind of resembles industrial-rock, which makes it stand out from the rest of the album that consists mostly of computerized sounds.

Indeed, many tracks here have noises that sound as if they were ripped straight out of a laboratory. “Haacksaw,” the fourth track, begins like a Stockhausen piece with mechanized samples. All through the song there are swooping notes along with other notes that contrast one another to give it a disorganized sound. Other tracks like “Snkchrmr” and “Toymakr” lack a distinctive melody which contributes to the distorted quality that gives a weird feeling. Let me put it this way: these are the kind of songs you hear when you are on drugs.

As stated before, some sounds used here could have come from the NES. Matter of fact, when I listen to some of these tracks, it makes me want to break out my NES and go insane trying to get one of cartridges to play, but I digress. One such song is track five, “Just a Ride,” which begins with a buzzing noise then what sounds like an 8-bit organ. There is also an orbiting whistling effect that came straight out of space. Another track that reminds me of gaming is “All the Figures,” that begins with catchy percussion, along with a “bloop” sound and other 8-bit sounds. The song sounds like it could be a part of a futuristic level in a retro game. The computerized sounds in most of the songs along with the underlying punk theme are utilized very well and give a sense of 90s nostalgia.

In a time where electronica is growing in the music world, “Unselves in Arrival” holds its own as a punk/electronic album. With all the different sounds used, “Habits” develops an intriguing style that can appeal to the electronic music fan and even the non-fan. “Unselves in Arrival” is available now for purchase digitally, on CD, and cassette tape.