The Nintendo Generation
This week we catch up with the Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) and get their take on music, video games, and yes, the big game of life before their match this Sunday at the pay-per-view event Lockdown.
Chris Sabin
It's been a pretty slow week.
We cashed in our #1 contender status (shared with Team 3D) unsuccessfully Monday night against Matt Morgan and The Amazing Red. Since then, I've been relaxing at home, doing spring cleaning, listening to tunes, playing Modern Warfare 2, and reading Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku.
So for this week's blog, I decided to relate it to my time off, in the form of music. Compiled are five of my favorite albums. There isn't any order to this list, nor would I consider this my top five favorite albums. This is just a personal reflection of music that I have a great appreciation for. Some may enjoy, or loathe my musical preference, but just like any other art form, it's completely arbitrary.
1. Led Zeppelin, II. One of the most influential and successful rock artists of all time, Zeppelin's second album is one of their heaviest, driven by the talent of guitarist/songwriter/producer Jimmy Page. This album was said to inspire future hard rock artists such as Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Guns N' Roses. Listening to Page's guitar solo on the track "Heartbreaker" is nothing short of amazing.
2. 311, Grassroots. A personal choice of mine that I have a lot of positive memories associated with. I've seen 311 live several times, and although it's hard to pick a favorite band, 311 is definitely up there. "Applied Science" off this album played live at shows is a unique experience you have to be a part of to understand.
3. Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon. Have you ever synced up Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz? I have. Press play as the MGM lion roars for the third time. Other requirement: Inebriation.
4. Slightly Stoopid, Chronchitis. Maybe my favorite album at the current moment. Slightly Stoopid was discovered by Bradley Nowell of Sublime fame and signed them to his record label Skunk Records. A mix of punk rock, ska, and reggae makes these guys easy to relax to, especially this album which is full of laid back beats and catchy reggae influence. There's nothing like a warm summer day enjoying the outdoors with Chronchitis playing in the background.
5. Incubus, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Today, when most people hear Incubus they relate it to what they hear on the radio. That is only a fraction of the talent these guys possess. Their second album released in '97 blew my mind the first time I heard it-the numerous styles of music put together to create one solid sound that is amazing. Remember, until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charged electromagnetic spectrum, humans learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear...is less than one millionth of reality.
Peace.
Alex Shelley
Mega Man.
Ever since I saw The Protomen, I've been obsessed with Mega Man. I remember the very first time I played the original Mega Man. It was at my friend Jimmy's house. He threw the cartridge in, and I was hooked. There were all these different robots with different themes and catchy music and neat looking costumes. The experience was only hampered by the fact that I accidentally got hit in the teeth with an aluminum baseball bat later that day when we were playing the aforementioned game in the backyard. I was supposed to spend the night, but sadly, my mom came and got me when I got my bell rung. This was last week. Kidding, this was 1990.
Every Friday when I was a kid, my mom would take us to Video Premier. My brother and I were allowed to rent a game each. It was here I first discovered the "Adult Video" section, but that's a tale for another time. You guessed it, the next game I rented was Mega Man. That first one, it's up there with Ninja Garden, TMNT, Marble Madness, and countless other games that were damn near impossible, no matter how good your reactionary or platform skills were.
Throughout the years, I've played countless Mega Mans. Mega Mens? I dunno. Actually, they're probably countable, I'm just lazy. What amazes me is that my generation never outgrew these games. Nor did we outgrow cartoons. I still know people who skateboard. Do we like these things for nostalgia purposes? Are they ingrained into our minds as something to be done for leisure? Honestly, I think we just like 'em.
Our generation is the Nintendo generation. In my free time, I read comics, I play guitar, and I master video games. I like laser tag, go karts, and disc golf more than most people. I'd rather go to an arcade than a night club. I'd rather watch rockumentaries than strippers.
Not to sound depressing, but a friend of mine had a stroke this week. Dude was only 25. It just makes me far more grateful for what I have and what I've had. I can't tell you how many people I talk to my own age that don't want to grow up. If you don't want to, then don't. Your outside is shaped by your insides, I think. If you feel young, you will be young. And besides, you can never tell what tomorrow holds. So do what truly makes you happy, no matter what it is.
20XX is rapidly approaching, you know.
Chris Sabin
It's been a pretty slow week.
We cashed in our #1 contender status (shared with Team 3D) unsuccessfully Monday night against Matt Morgan and The Amazing Red. Since then, I've been relaxing at home, doing spring cleaning, listening to tunes, playing Modern Warfare 2, and reading Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku.
So for this week's blog, I decided to relate it to my time off, in the form of music. Compiled are five of my favorite albums. There isn't any order to this list, nor would I consider this my top five favorite albums. This is just a personal reflection of music that I have a great appreciation for. Some may enjoy, or loathe my musical preference, but just like any other art form, it's completely arbitrary.
1. Led Zeppelin, II. One of the most influential and successful rock artists of all time, Zeppelin's second album is one of their heaviest, driven by the talent of guitarist/songwriter/producer Jimmy Page. This album was said to inspire future hard rock artists such as Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Guns N' Roses. Listening to Page's guitar solo on the track "Heartbreaker" is nothing short of amazing.
2. 311, Grassroots. A personal choice of mine that I have a lot of positive memories associated with. I've seen 311 live several times, and although it's hard to pick a favorite band, 311 is definitely up there. "Applied Science" off this album played live at shows is a unique experience you have to be a part of to understand.
3. Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon. Have you ever synced up Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz? I have. Press play as the MGM lion roars for the third time. Other requirement: Inebriation.
4. Slightly Stoopid, Chronchitis. Maybe my favorite album at the current moment. Slightly Stoopid was discovered by Bradley Nowell of Sublime fame and signed them to his record label Skunk Records. A mix of punk rock, ska, and reggae makes these guys easy to relax to, especially this album which is full of laid back beats and catchy reggae influence. There's nothing like a warm summer day enjoying the outdoors with Chronchitis playing in the background.
5. Incubus, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Today, when most people hear Incubus they relate it to what they hear on the radio. That is only a fraction of the talent these guys possess. Their second album released in '97 blew my mind the first time I heard it-the numerous styles of music put together to create one solid sound that is amazing. Remember, until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charged electromagnetic spectrum, humans learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear...is less than one millionth of reality.
Peace.
Alex Shelley
Mega Man.
Ever since I saw The Protomen, I've been obsessed with Mega Man. I remember the very first time I played the original Mega Man. It was at my friend Jimmy's house. He threw the cartridge in, and I was hooked. There were all these different robots with different themes and catchy music and neat looking costumes. The experience was only hampered by the fact that I accidentally got hit in the teeth with an aluminum baseball bat later that day when we were playing the aforementioned game in the backyard. I was supposed to spend the night, but sadly, my mom came and got me when I got my bell rung. This was last week. Kidding, this was 1990.
Every Friday when I was a kid, my mom would take us to Video Premier. My brother and I were allowed to rent a game each. It was here I first discovered the "Adult Video" section, but that's a tale for another time. You guessed it, the next game I rented was Mega Man. That first one, it's up there with Ninja Garden, TMNT, Marble Madness, and countless other games that were damn near impossible, no matter how good your reactionary or platform skills were.
Throughout the years, I've played countless Mega Mans. Mega Mens? I dunno. Actually, they're probably countable, I'm just lazy. What amazes me is that my generation never outgrew these games. Nor did we outgrow cartoons. I still know people who skateboard. Do we like these things for nostalgia purposes? Are they ingrained into our minds as something to be done for leisure? Honestly, I think we just like 'em.
Our generation is the Nintendo generation. In my free time, I read comics, I play guitar, and I master video games. I like laser tag, go karts, and disc golf more than most people. I'd rather go to an arcade than a night club. I'd rather watch rockumentaries than strippers.
Not to sound depressing, but a friend of mine had a stroke this week. Dude was only 25. It just makes me far more grateful for what I have and what I've had. I can't tell you how many people I talk to my own age that don't want to grow up. If you don't want to, then don't. Your outside is shaped by your insides, I think. If you feel young, you will be young. And besides, you can never tell what tomorrow holds. So do what truly makes you happy, no matter what it is.
20XX is rapidly approaching, you know.