Sunday, July 21, 2013

Influential Albums in Music

Howdy, Nation.

I know I still have some projects left open, like the Dream Theater discography, but there's something that I semi-announced in the last CKN video that will be happening within the next few months that I wanted to get you all psyched about, and I want to explain that a little more here, since doing so on a facebook post would be very, very TLDR (too long, didn't read). The project:

INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS OF MUSIC


There are literally tons of albums that have made a HUGE impact to the music that we listen to and love today, and that's just within metal. Add in ALL MUSIC in general, and the number increases astronomically. Imagine, for example, where pop music would be without Thriller or Purple Rain. Imagine where pop will be in a few years after the full influence of Adele's 21 takes hold on the popular music production and writing subcultures. Imagine rock music without The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Ramones, Sonic Youth, U2, just to name a few. Hell, imagine METAL without some of these artists. Imagine blues without Miles Davis, rap without Sugar Hill Gang, N.W.A., Public Enemy, LL Cool J, the Jungle Brothers, Run D.M.C., 2Pac, Biggie, Easy-E, etc. Imagine the modern indie scene without the first waves of folk and experimental rock. Imagine Dream Theater without Kansas, Genesis, Yes, etc. There wouldn't BE a Dream Theater, much like without prog rock oddities from the 70's, Steven Wilson and Opeth both may have opted to become drug dealers, dentists, or attorneys. 

That's what I'm talking about. Music that did more than touch a generation, it influenced and shaped the next. 

Not all of such albums are obvious choices. For example, not a lot of people may claim that Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain" influenced metal, but I think it did. Listen to the guitar work in the title track, or on Super Stupid, and you'll see that future metal shredders had a hero to look up to, Eddie Hazel. Funk and soul influenced the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and were sampled to death by hip-hop superstars. Supertramp were sampled by German happy-hardcore artist Scooter (The Logical Song) and paved the way for forward-thinking prog-rock today. Beardfish took inspiration from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, as did GHOST, on their new record. 

Hell, Portugal, The Man, has been compared to the Beatles, with the way they can stylistically shift seemingly by album. 

Imagine all the artists that exist because of Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin IV, Tommy, Close to the Edge, Paranoid, and others. 

Imagine what the next wave of bands could hold. What the next wave of pop or rap artists can use to craft even better music. Ignore the Lady Gaga's and Katy Perry's. Screw the Taylor Swifts and Lil Waynes. They may influence some, but they'll be basically Swift Lite, or Lite Wayne, not crafters of the next round of breathtaking classics. 

Kendrick Lamar sampled Beach House. The possibilities are endless.  

We complain a lot about how music today is suffering from a lacking of creativity and originality.We're wrong. There's a lot out there, but its not what we hear every single day. We have to dig and search, and get the ultimate reward of discovery. But all of these artists have been influenced by that which they've heard, much like if you opt to pick up and instrument, you'll be influenced by your favorites. 

So in the coming months, we're going to talk about a lot of classic and influential albums, and not all of them are going to be metal-based. I know it sort of furthers my drift away from being a metal-exclusive channel, but i'm not a metal-exclusive listener. I love music, period. I hope to do a few things with this project:

  • List some essential influential albums in videos, quickly. Whether it be in top 10 lists, or lists with no order. 
  • Focus on some albums specifically, hopefully with some guests via Skype.
  • Enjoy the absolute hell out of listening to just a ton of interesting stuff, and give you recommendations or suggestions so you can do the same. 

The nice part about a lot of classics is that they are inexpensive. Hopefully this series does more than just enhance your music palette, but also helps you add some new music to your collection. I'm looking forward to this. I hope you are as well. 

 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Donations/Ways to Help/Etc.

Hi folks, your friendly, neighborhood CKN here to talk about something pretty important. Please, step into my study. Would you like a drink?

So, I firstly want to extend a ton of appreciation to those of you who read that last update, and provided encouragement, kindness, and support. I should've never doubted you, Nation. You are strong, resilient and proud. However, one of you brought up something that I've...never really talked about before. Somebody mentioned if there were ways to help out with donations or anything of the like. Well, I am here to address this topic. Yeah, times suck, but I haven't been the type to do fundraising or donations, as it tends to make me sound like a money-grubbing douche. Yes, I know, with all the various hurdles life has handed me, I wouldn't seem like SUCH a douche, but its just not me. I do, however, see the other side of the road. I see that people do appreciate the efforts of this channel, and sometimes want to go out of their way to show their support. Fan art and the like is always appreciated, but if you want to go the monetary route, here's a few ways you can help me:

1. Watch Every Video: most of you already do this, anyway.
2(a). Click on the Ads: If you really want to help me out, do this. Its one part of a huge formula that determines what I make per day. I know, nobody likes the ads, I don't either, but if I like a youtubers work, I am not afraid to click that ad and give them a little extra cash for being awesome.
2(b). Share the videos to everyone, every group, etc.: Sharing increases views, clicks, you get the point. Even if your share only results in one or two more views, every little bit counts. Share the shit out of this stuff, you do not need my permission. 
3. Demand my company to promote me to President of FYE
4. Donations via Paypal: Ok, #3 was an obvious joke. This one practically is, too. BUT, if you're insistent, I will accept donations to my paypal account. If you want to go this route, contact me via PM on my PERSONAL facebook page, or email me at coverkillernation@gmail.com I will only then disclose any data. Again, I don't pander, hence why I am leaving this option completely and totally in your courts. I am not asking, but I will also not be disrespectful and refuse a gift from someone else. I'm not THAT big of a douche....to my knowledge.

There you have it. I am not the type to go the donations route, as its never been my style, but I do have to shift my own thought process and realize that refusal is just downright rude. It's my aim to not only be the best reviewer I can be, but also, to try to set a good example.

Or something like that. Fuck, I dunno.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

NP: Battlecross - Flesh and Bone
You know what that means, Nation.

Time to pop part of a pill and talk real for a while to you, Nation. Ahhhh....much better.

Over the course of the past two weeks, there's been a limited number of videos, updates, or general communication out of the Coverkiller Nation camp. This is something I am tremendously aware of on a constant basis, and a source of grief that I've not been able to follow-up the triumph of the 24 Hours of Reviewing with a steady diet of new videos. I intended to take about a week off, but what happened completely turned that vacation upside-down.

Most of you are aware that on June 9th, 2013, my Uncle committed suicide in his room by cutting his throat from one side to the other. This event does still cause a bit of trauma to my soul, but I instead opted to push through and continue forward in honor of a life that was led in true torment. I am still finding out more pieces to this puzzle, and that which I'm discovering is showcasing some foul play on the part of an egomaniac doctor, the removal of his medication for his paranoid schizophrenia, previous suicide attempts that were not successful, and the general dismay of knowing that even if his medical care's decisions were wrong, his Veteran status, and treatment at a Veteran's hospital means that little if anything can be done. Troubled dreams have followed, depression has seeped in, which means that I need to return to one of my previous coping mechanics, writing, in order to silence most of the internal hatred and rage that possesses me on a daily basis. So its time for that side of me to come out of retirement, and formulate a lyrical album as I once did on a relatively constant basis. I urge musicians to view any of these, and if further development can lead to some sort of musical future to anything posted, I'd be more than willing to take it to that next step, even if my voice wasn't even a part of it. In short, I'd be willing to commission any work to bands that would want it.

Then life got turned upside down again.

I live in a small apartment with my girlfriend. Its barely big enough for the two of us, but her brother got word that his wife was kicking him out. With nowhere else to go, he's been staying with us now since two days after the 24 Hours of Reviewing stopped. Our schedules clash, with his working nights, and our working days. His off-days are consistent, ours are not. Because of that, no videos could be made during the daytime. I usually record alone, to ensure minimal distraction, so with no time in these conditions, frustration began to build. Hence, I've gone to the old studio, which I am thankful enough to still have a stake in, just to get a few videos out. But those conditions are far from ideal. Its turned into storage space, so the setting that was once vibrant with metal and music now looks like I've wandered into a storage unit, ANY STORAGE UNIT, and just accosted it for my own gain for a few hours at a time. I apologize sincerely for that. Its unprofessional, but with limited choice, I've gone with whatever I can.

Sidebar: If anyone has a fully cracked version of Sony Vegas 11, i'd be indebted to you.  

This situation has also crossed generations. Their issues have in their crosshairs the futures of three children, my girlfriend's two nephews and niece. So, at times, our little tiny home that can barely hold us has held SIX people in it. Space is nonexistent, time is an illusion, production has been impossible. Its funny how the situations of other people can affect YOU and YOUR home situation, your relationship and every single aspect of your life. Without a logical way to record and listen, and essentially do what I love to do for all of you, I felt as though I was letting you all down, and hurting you after our greatest triumph, where I asked so much of you. Hardly a reward. I spiraled further into madness.

The final blow in this trilogy of wretched luck comes from my job-front. Most if not all of you know that I work at FYE, a music/movie/entertainment store, as a third-keyholding manager. Corporate in their thoughts of brilliance have chosen to suspend full-time hours to my position company-wide, which prevents them from having to claim all of us for healthcare under the new Obamacare guidelines. Alleviating the cost has larger detriments, however, considering the requirement to be eligible is a minimum of 28 hours a week. I easily pull close to 40 hours a week as it now stands, and exceed that when my fellow managers are on vacation. A 12 hour cut makes living and making bills impossible. Even with large, full-scale cuts to aspects of my life I enjoy for fun, it still doesn't cover it. EVEN WITH YOUTUBE IT DOESN'T CUT IT. So my option is simple, find a new job, or fight this, arguing my company worth, my nearly 5 years of service and flawless sales figures. I could also argue that the store itself would suffer, many customers have personally spoken to me, telling me that if I ever left, they would take their business elsewhere. One could argue that this speaks poorly on my fellow employees, but I instead take the side that without my impact, their experience at the store would've been a one-time deal, instead of it becoming a constant place of shopping for them. With the market already going to hell because of downloading, streaming, and Netflix, can these stores afford to make this cut? Will they survive? I have serious doubts. My standing on the company is already very shady, considering they ALSO, ON TOP OF THIS, owe me close to 500 dollars in health insurance premiums deducted from my paychecks FOR HEALTHCARE I SUSPENDED IN FEBRUARY. Last year I basically, with their version of "healthcare" could claim to friends I had healthcare, but it covered NOTHING. My wisdom teeth extraction was out of pocket, all medicines were out of pocket, I couldn't even visit a doctor without fear that the healthcare would be denied, which seemed to happen EVERY time. And now, after I suspended the service THEY STILL DEDUCT FROM MY WAGES, WHICH THEY ARE GOING TO BE LIMITING ANYWAY? I don't fucking think so. If this money doesn't appear back in my hands, the courts may have to become involved, because that, my friends, is grounds for embezzlement.

It'd be one thing if I were complaining about these three things that have happened over the course of 6 months, or a year. No, folks. I'm not that way. Spread out, things can be handled, managed, and dealt with. These three things have all happened within the span of THREE WEEKS of one another. Two of them within a few days. In short, I'm at the end of sanity's rope, flushing back down into the depression that mired me before I formed this channel, that this channel SAVED me from. I need music, I need this channel...

I need you, Nation. You're all important to me.

I hope you all can find it possible to forgive the lack of updates, videos, and chatter. I hope you forgive when I make plans that don't seem to happen. Its never because of laziness or general douche-baggery. That's not my style of operation WHATSOEVER. Its universally because of outside forces working against me, or in this case, the whole world seeming to collapse around me.

I act superhuman, like a Marvel hero, but I am human. I swear.

Larger than life is only my voice, my body and soul is driven by human breath.

I love you all.
CKN