It's that time again... it's LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest post series where we invite musicians we adore to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week's LETTERS FROM THE ROAD guest author is a dear friend and wonderful singer-songwriter, Decker Sachse:

Dear Mr. T,

Not you "pity the fool", super-badass, A-Team Mr. T.... I'm talking to the other Mr. T... .Mr. Townsend, my music teacher from Barnard Elementary. Not that you weren't a bad-ass in your own right; you were equally as scary as the guy that beat up Rocky.

I know it was 1983 and you've heard plenty of struggling voices since then but maybe you'll remember me. I was the kid in your choir with the chili-bowl haircut, who you liked to refer to as "a lost gosling in the high weeds." I think that was a reference to the way I would streeeeeeetch my neck, trying to find my voice. The notes often escaped me and I thought that if I craned my head out, as high as possible, I might reach those notes, find my way out of the weeds, and maybe you wouldn't tell me how I looked like a baby goose in front of twenty other 4th graders [...]

A Triple-A radio programming veteran, Kate has served as Music Director of the Loft at XM, Midday Host at WYEP, Evening Host at both WNCS and WUIN, as well as Content Supervisor for Pump Audio. Currently, she's the CEO of Outlandos Music, a new-music discovery service for grown-ups. Kate has been nationally recognized for her ardent presentation of music and her ability to champion talented, compelling artists.

Column #11: Halo: Reach, Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.  Incidentally, don't miss the debut of "Play For Today - The Print Version" in the Fall 2010 issue of BLURT, on newsstands now.

By Aaron Burgess

Halo: Reach

Developer: Bungie / Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Platform: Xbox 360

ESRB Rating: M

Since its 2001 debut, the Halo franchise has looked grimly ahead to a future where the remnants of humanity fight for survival against the horrific alien alliance Covenant. With Halo: Reach, the objective stays the same, but for the first time outside of licensed spinoffs, we experience Halo's origins direct from the series' acclaimed developer, Bungie. (Incidentally, Halo: Reach marks the end of Bungie's involvement with the series.)

The gritty, dread-soaked prequel starts at the dawn of the Halo legend - the year 2552, to be exact - so there's no sign of the series' iconic character Master Chief. Instead, the primary campaign slips you into the armor of a nameless Spartan warrior fighting in the nascent Noble Team brigade on planet Reach - which, despite its annihilation in later Halo installments, provides plenty of chances for solo, co-op and multiplayer triumph here.

Halo: Reach also offers a wealth of opportunities to move beyond typical ground campaigns, with outer-space combat and advanced armor (from jet packs to medic kits) giving your Spartan remarkable flexibility and capability in battle. Though a fog of portent hangs over the game - you do, after all, enter it aware of your world's eventual  extinction - the story-driven campaign and expansive maps, combined with the game's stunning visuals, make Reach feel like a whole new world.

Where gameplay is concerned, Reach deftly balances familiar elements (Halo's intuitive control scheme, after all, defined the modern first-person shooter) with new content and features. The campaign challenges increase with each new player (you can add up to four in co-op mode), thanks to vicious enemy AI that will have you racing friends across the battlefield to score health packs. The new credit-based ranking system, which bridges the campaign and multiplayer worlds, lets you earn and spend your way to a fully customized Spartan - even in the game's cut scenes. And the Forge features turn over the keys not only to Reach's competitive maps, but also to multiplayer and Firefight games themselves-meaning you have a sandbox that extends all the way into the Reach rulebook.

Ironically, in (ahem) reaching back to Halo's salad days for its storyline, Halo: Reach never asks the same of players - and this, more so than the butt-kicking new features, may be the game's strongest selling point. It may be the trickiest Halo game to master (woe to you who start in Legendary mode), but Reach is also the easiest of the series' games to enter - and from its customizable DNA to its virtually endless multiplayer possibilities, it's the hardest Halo game to leave.

Rating: 9/10

The Lord Of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest

Developer: Headstrong Games / Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Platforms: Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PS2, PSP

ESRB Rating: T

It's hard to deliver just one review of The Lord Of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest, given that the experience of the game varies wildly as you move from console (where the game shines) to handheld (where it's largely a basic button-masher). Assuming, then, that you're up for the best of all experiences, here's a taste of what to expect from the game's superior Wii and PS3 versions. (Full disclosure: The Wii version was played exclusively for this review.)

The third-person adventure starts after the close of the J.R.R. Tolkien-via-Peter Jackson trilogy, focusing (as you might've guessed from the title) on the continued adventures of Aragorn Strider. (In keeping more with the film version of the tale, our hero appears in his Viggo Mortensen visage.) The actual gameplay is a bit more meta, though: You enter Aragorn's Quest as a hobbit child, listening to tales of Aragorn's adventures from your pop, Samwise Gamgee, and then experiencing the quests through your imagination, as Aragorn. If that concept has your head spinning, don't sweat it: Essentially, Aragon's Quest is a kid-friendly experience that, thanks to its faithfulness to the Tolkien-Jackson epic, older players won't find to be too "kiddie."

In fact, Aragorn's Quest is actually a series of quests - some of which find you guarding companions; others in which you're seeking objects - covering an eight-level journey through a beautifully rendered version of Middle-Earth. Expectedly, each quest is disrupted by a healthy assortment of enemies, which you take on using your Wii Remote to control Aragorn's sword. The kid-friendly difficulty ensures that seasoned gamers will have no trouble cutting down orcs, trolls and other beasts, and, thanks to a reward system that boosts your capabilities as you progress through the game, the combat develops enough to keep you engaged even when the swordplay feels dull.

Fighting, of course, isn't the only adventure in Aragorn's Quest - neither, for that matter, is the linear adventure. The game offers enough side quests and hidden items to keep you wandering happily for hours, so detours generally prove worth the effort. And if you're not the type to enter a journey alone, the two-player co-op mode allows a friend (or parent) to step in as Gandalf - who, just as in the trilogy, has enough tricks up his sleeve to get Aragorn out of the biggest pickle. Wait-do they have pickles in Middle-Earth?

Rating: 7/10

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Developer: Beenox / Publisher: Activision

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC

ESRB Rating: T

Good things come in pairs; awesome things come in quadruplets-at least that's how Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions seems to view the world. The game takes you on a thrill ride through a quartet of the web-slinger's incarnations - Amazing, Noir, Ultimate and 2099 - each of which inhabits its own universe with its own idiosyncratic enemy abilities, attack style and visual design. And that's before you get to the hidden gems beneath the surface. (Side note: The DS version, which isn't covered in this review, omits the Ultimate Spidey.)

Racing against Mysterio to reclaim a mystical "Tablet Of Order And Chaos" (long story...), the notorious Madame Web summons all four versions of Spider-Man to align the universes and restore order. This jumping-off point is about as deep as you'll actually get into the story, though and that's fine: Simple though it may be, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions' plot neatly ties together developer Beenox's conceptual vision and allows for hours of frenzied action across the four universes' dozens of levels and boss battles.

Yes, "boss" implies linear flow, and unlike its open-world counterparts, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions zips from A to Z across a range of indoor and outdoor environments - as well as between first- and third-person perspectives. Detours, however, abound: Each level also contains challenges that, along with Spidey's enemy defeats, help you rack up spendable "spider essence" that can be used to expand your capabilities, costumes, combos and more. The reward system quickly proves addictive--so much so that you may come back after completing the game just to see how much more Spider-mojo you can collect.

Rating: 8/10

***

Our game guru, Aaron Burgess, lives digitally but dreams in analog down in Round Rock, Texas. Contact him at first2letters@gmail.com  / AIM: First2Letters

A recent excerpt from Bob Lefsetz....

Two things that make this great:

1. The photo, below, of Steve playing with said broken hand at my 2010 SXSW showcase.

2. "And also with you."

To: Bob Lefsetz
From: Steve Poltz

Wow! You sure get a lot of action at your blog. Nice work creating a community.

I love playing at The Blue Door in Okc. One of my favorite rooms anywhere on the planet. I either go out for Oklahoma BBQ or Vietnamese Pho with Greg Johnson. We talk baseball and politics and music. He loves his Orioles. I look forward to my next gig there.

I'm pretty lucky. I've got friends all over the world who own music venues. I work 200 plus dates a year. It only comes from repetitive touring and giving 100% each night even if you're sick with the flu or have a broken hand [...]

A Triple-A radio programming veteran, Kate has served as Music Director of the Loft at XM, Midday Host at WYEP, Evening Host at both WNCS and WUIN, as well as Content Supervisor for Pump Audio. Currently, she's the CEO of Outlandos Music, a new-music discovery service for grown-ups. Kate has been nationally recognized for her ardent presentation of music and her ability to champion talented, compelling artists.

Column #10: Batman: The Brave and the Bold The Videogame, Disney Guilty Party, Ace Combat Joint Assault, Metroid: Other M. Incidentally, don't miss the debut of "Play For Today - The Print Version" in the Fall 2010 issue of BLURT, on newsstands now.

By Aaron Burgess

Batman: The Brave And The Bold The Videogame

Platforms: Wii, Nintendo DS

Developer: WayForward / Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

ESRB Rating: E10+

Over its three-season run, Batman: The Brave And The Bold answered the question "Why so serious?" with a mix of action and ironic humor that, at its most enjoyably self-aware, harked back to Batman's 1960s TV heyday. Batman: The Brave And The Bold The Videogame stays faithful to the Cartoon Network series' aesthetic, from the nudge-wink tone to the pacing that starts each episode with a burst of action before getting into the story. Though it's a simple 2D sidescroller, the game perfectly fits its source material: Fans of the show expect a 2D world, after all, so why add a third dimension to complicate things?

Batman, naturally, is the star of the game, but just as in the animated series, a roster of other heroes sits at the ready: from Robin and Green Lantern to, using Nintendo's clever inter-console interconnectivity, an unlockable Bat-Mite that you control over the Wii with your DS. The action winds through four environments in which you face off against a cadre of villains from the DC universe, and while there's plenty of content to unlock and explore, you'll spend most of your time brawling. Luckily, thanks to the game's tight controls and classic punch-'em-out style, the action stays fresh even after the 1,000^th "Pow!"

Batman: The Brave And The Bold The Videogame can be played solo, but as the somewhat dim-witted single-player AI proves, it's really a game to be enjoyed co-op style with a buddy. You won't spend a lot of time getting from point A to point Z, but with so much action, and so many characters and collectables, to be found along the way, you'll have a blast going back again to see what you missed the first time.

Rating: 7/10

Disney Guilty Party

Platform: Wii

Developer: Wideload Games / Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

ESRB Rating: E

Don't let the whimsical cover art and the Disney logo fool you into thinking Disney Guilty Party is mere kids' stuff. Well, okay: The game does make a beeline for kids' imaginations, but for us grizzled players, it also taps into our nostalgia for a good old-fashioned board game: namely, Clue.

Just as in the Hasbro classic, you experience Disney Guilty Party one suspenseful turn at a time, scouring themed locations for clues and suspects to help you solve a series of mysteries. Though the characters-the evil Mr. Valentine and the numerous suspects you, playing as a member of the elite Dickens Detective Agency, encounter-are new, the top-notch animation and original music strike a warmly familiar, Pixar-esque chord. (The game's humor, thankfully, also has the wry and wide-ranging smarts of a Pixar flick.)

While you can play alone, the fun ratchets up significantly in Disney Guilty Party's multiplayer challenges. You and up to three other players draw "Savvy Cards" (which give you special case-cracking abilities), spend tokens and race against the clock to crack the case first. You explore, interrogate and gather evidence in 50-plus brisk, silly minigames, each of which are meant to add heft to your case file. (Some, unfortunately, result more in your flailing the Wii Remote for scant payoff, but at the very least, they'll make you giggle.)

Once you've exhausted the game's Story Mode, you'll find extra mileage in Party Mode-whether it's through the shuffled variables that literally make every game a new experience or, if you're playing competitively, the ability to sabotage your fellow players through tricks and traps. There's no online multiplayer capability, however, so this is one party game where you'll need a real-life party to get the most out of it.

Rating: 8/10

Ace Combat Joint Assault

Platform: PSP

Developer: Project Aces / Publisher: Namco Bandai

ESRB Rating: T

In a 15-year run that's taken it across virtually every major console, the Ace Combat series has earned its place at the top of the aerial-combat heap. Until now, though, the series has never come down to earth, figuratively speaking: Rather, it's kept the action on alternate worlds where melodrama and intercontinental (in some cases interplanetary) strife reign supreme. Ace Combat Joint Assault changes things a bit by bringing the fight to real-world settings such as London, Tokyo, San Francisco and Egypt, but from a player's perspective, it's still about finding supremacy in the air.

Set in the middle of a global conflict sparked by a fictional terrorist group, Ace Combat Joint Assault puts you in the cockpit of some 40 different licensed aircraft, which you can unlock and upgrade by completing various missions. The game features decent single-player capability, but as you might expect from a title that supports the PSP's ad-hoc and infrastructure modes, you'll find better action in the multiplayer battles, in which up to eight players can engage in both co-op and competitive play.

As for gameplay, no surprises: It's just what you'd expect from a flight sim that takes its control scheme seriously. Getting a (literal) handle on your aircraft in Simulation mode comes with a steep learning curve, but the realistic feel is worth the effort. If you're new to Ace Combat, you can also opt for Arcade mode, which scales back some of the complexity while still giving you impressive maneuverability in tight situations. Customizing your plane, meanwhile, is a time investment unto itself, but you'll feel the payoff when you take to the skies-even if you ultimately won't find anything new up there.

Rating: 7/10

Metroid: Other M

Platform: Wii

Developer: Team Ninja/Nintendo / Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB Rating: T

Metroid: Other M is not your older sibling's Metroid-even though it opens at the close of 1994's Super Metroid and stars the series' familiar female bounty hunter, Samus Aran. The game, which combines retro and modern elements, jarring perspective shifts and an ambitious cinematic presentation, delivers something the Metroid series (or the Wii, for that matter) hasn't seen before: an experience that's as much about storytelling as it is about the action and controls that drive it.

Other M opens by simultaneously revisiting Super Metroid's explosive climax and reintroducing Samus through an action sequence that affirms just what a resourceful and well-armed hero she is-even if her resources are soon depleted. (More on that later.) After escaping the planet Zebes' self-immolation, Samus chases an SOS call to a space station, where she runs into soldiers from the Galactic Federation, including her old commanding officer, Adam Malkovich. In an absurd plot point that nevertheless sets up the proceeding action, Malkovich strips Samus of her arsenal and prompts other, deeper suspicions that lead our hero to explore the space station. This, of course, is where the real action, rife with new monsters and old adversaries, starts.

While most of Metroid: Other M takes place inside a single vessel, the sheer variety of environments-from the tropical Biosphere to the volcanic Pyrosphere-makes the ship feel like a world unto itself. Though it's a lonely place to explore-other characters accompany Samus only rarely after the initial sequence-the space station provides plenty of foes for our hero to take down. Samus utilizes a combat system that's as much about defensive strategy as it is about close-quarters combat and lethal finishing moves. Unfortunately, these powers need to be reconciled with the vulnerability Other M's story incorporates to deepen Samus' humanity. You head into Other M with everything you need, lose it all because of Malkovich's mandate, and then spend the game waiting for the C.O. to authorize the weapons and upgrades you desperately need. With no apparent logic guiding Malkovich's authorizations, it's a major point of frustration in an otherwise seamless game.

Thankfully, not all of Other M's quirks are so painful. Though primarily a third-person experience, the game shifts camera angles, alters playing modes and lets you change perspectives (sometimes even locking you into a first-person view when the scenario fits) to heighten the experience of the scene you're playing. These alternating perspectives themselves aren't storytelling devices, but they ultimately heighten the story in Metroid: Other M so that, even when cornball plot devices threaten to take things off the rails, you want to stay along for the ride.

Rating: 8/10

***

Our game guru, Aaron Burgess, lives digitally but dreams in analog down in Round Rock, Texas. Contact him at first2letters@gmail.com  / AIM: First2Letters

An Interview with The Adicts' Pete Dee Davison.

By John B. Moore

Believe it or not, it took a lot to get noticed in the burgeoning UK punk scene in the late 70's.

When every other punk is putting a safety pin through his ear and sporting a swastika arm band, it's going to take a lot more than ripped jeans and a spray painted anarchy symbol on your shirt to stand out.

Based out of Ipswitch, Suffolk, England, The Adicts had stellar punk anthems with sing-along choruses that stuck in your head for days, but it was their stage clothes that first got them noticed: reminiscent of a Clockwork Orange, they dressed in all white, with black boots, bowler hats and singer Keith "Monkey" Warrens sported joker makeup night after night.

Formed in 1975, The Adicts are officially the longest running punk band still playing with its original members.

Earlier this year, the band released their latest Life Goes On, their ninth record (not counting live albums and comps). Band co-founder and guitarist Pete Dee Davison put down his cup of tea recently to talk about punk (he doesn't think it has ever been accepted into the mainstream), staying together (for the record, they did NOT break up in the 80's) and hip hop (he's clearly not a fan).

***

The Adicts have been together longer than most kids in punk bands have been alive. How have you guys managed to stay together for so long?

 
I think we have stayed together so long because we really enjoy what we do and each other. Also contributing factors are we write what we want to and don't copy trends or fashion. We are who we are and that's about it really.

Have there been any lineup changes over the years?

Yeah,  when we first started we were a four piece and then we tried bass players who were pretty shite over all and Mel was shite on guitar so we threw him on bass and he's still shite. Now we have Scruff, his brother, on rhythm guitar and he is great. We have had a couple of dodgy keyboard players we really didn't like at all  - one had the smallest dick we have ever seen, so we can't have that in a band now can we?  Now we have Dan on keys and Violin and we kind of like him a bit. Mel's not too well at the moment so we have Shahen on bass. He is great; fits in good and we don't have to Baby him like we do Mel.

Are you surprised to see that punk music is still around and now pretty accepted by the main stream?

 I don't agree its gone mainstream at all. Only a handful of bands have had some success and that's not representational of punk rock is it?  I am not surprised it's still around at all. Its street music, it rocks and fuck anything is better than the shit R&B Rap crap that's around. The problem is the industry itself: it's full of twats. Fuck the lot of them I say. I can't remember when we had a record air played during the day on any mainstream radio station. They are just as prejudiced now than they ever were against anything different or clever. Instead we have bollocks that ram the airwaves and MTV. It needs a good enema, I recommend it if you're reading this, you boys and girls who think you know it all.

Punk, as a genre, has been popular at times and then moved underground at times. What years were the hardest for the band to find audiences?

       I think the 90's were difficult as it had almost been pushed into the cemetery. I don't think punk has ever been popular at all.

Are you fans of any of the newer punk bands?

 Yeah, of course.  The Cute Lepers are one of my favorite bands out there. They write catchy songs and have good melodies.

What can you tell me about your new record, Life Goes On?

 It's our latest album and it's fucking great! Diverse, interesting, sounds awesome, gives one something to think about at times and even has a track on it you can shag to. It's the Adicts! I enjoyed working with Earle Mankey again on the album and hope to work on the next one with him too. When we record we have to record everything because we don't practice, due to living far away from each other so it's all done real and honest, spontaneously and I love it. We all do, so we just knock it out.

The band took some time off in the mid-80's. What happened during that period? Did the band ever officially break up?

 Every band takes some time off, we did what we had to. We were playing all over the place getting pissed off with each other and touring, we needed a break from all the bad things that come with being young and touring; like drugs and drink. We never broke up or had any inclination of doing so, we just needed to get our shit together and we did. I think we took a year without even talking to each other. It was that bad, then we did a gig or two, realized we still weren't ready to tour so we wrote some songs, got back into hanging out at the pub and liking each other again and then we hit the road again. Just to clear the record we have NEVER broken up  or we wouldn't still be here. Saying that I wouldn't mind having a reunion gig.

You are currently playing all over the world. Have you noticed a difference in the audiences from one country to the next

They are all different colors and speak different languages but they are all Adicts fans and we love them all. I think we are very humbled and grateful to have this huge worldwide following. That is our success. We have reached places even Heineken hasn't reached so that's something in itself. It's refreshing for a band who refuses to make an MTV video. We have done it the hard way and we love meeting our fans everywhere we go. It's still a beautiful world and we help make it so.

What has changed the most about the music business from the mid 70's to now?

Technology and wankers who think they can make music. One thing that boils my water is the c-rap scene. Fucking rubbish it is. Morons the lot of them. I can't understand a word and don't really want to. Once and  awhile a good record comes out. But really, the music industry has gone to the lowest form of life and they call us Punk. Well it's all gone to shit to be honest. We need instruments and musicians just like we need proper artists again who can paint. Fuck me anyone can lay a pile of  bricks  down and gets a grant for it is a genius really, come on. We need to get back some common sense here. I like art and music but somehow we are not using the capacity of our brains or knowledge or even either these days. Maybe I'm a dinosaur and if I am then who cares ‘cause I don't. It's easy, I just switch it off and don't bother with it, but when I see the kids out there... retardos.  Everyone's a rapper from the crapper. I just don't get it and don't want to. Thank God I don't.

Any advice you have for bands just starting out?

Yeah, write some good songs with good tunes and lyrics. Take control of your music from day one or you will be eaten by hungry bastards who will rape you and destroy your soul. Enjoy your music and love what you do. It will reward you.

Out ‘n' about in the City of Angels with Blurt's roving shutterbug (8/15- 8/30).

By Scott Dudelson

(above) Chrissie Hynde - Live @ The Grammy Museum (www.grammymuseum.org) - 8/23

Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam) - Live @ Club Spaceland (www.clubspaceland.com) - 8/18

Star Anna - Live @ Club Spaceland (www.clubspaceland.com) - 8/18

Jack Littman - Live @ Club Spaceland (www.clubspaceland.com) - 8/18

Eastern Conference Champions - Live @ Saint Rocke (www.saintrocke.com) - 8/19

Voxhaul Broadcast - Live @ Saint Rocke (www.saintrocke.com) - 8/19

Fallen Rivera- Live @ Saint Rocke (www.saintrocke.com) - 8/19

Lawrence Arabia - Live @ Club Nokia (www.clubnokia.com) - 8/20

Crowded House - Live @ Club Nokia (www.clubnokia.com) - 8/20

Carnival of Souls (w/ Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses / Velvet Revolver) - Live @ The Key Club (www.keyclub.com) - 8/24

Carnival of Souls (w/ Tracii Guns of LA Guns) - Live @ The Key Club (www.keyclub.com) - 8/24

Carnival of Souls (w/ Phil Soussan of Ozzy Osborne & Billy Idol's band) - Live @ The Key Club (www.keyclub.com) - 8/24

Fitz & The Tantrums - Live @ Amoeba Records (www.amoeba.com) - 8/24

Filter - Live @ The Roxy (www.theroxyonsunset.com) - 8/26

Mavis Staples - Live @ The Grammy Museum (www.grammymuseum.org) - 8/30

***

Scott Dudelson is a music journalist and concert photographer based in Los Angeles.  Scott is also the Chief Operating Officer of Prodege, LLC, the company behind www.swagbucks.com.

Perhaps one of my favorite editions this week... it's LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest post series where we invite musicians we adore to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week's LETTERS FROM THE ROAD guest author is a friend and brilliant singer-songwriter, Ben Arnold:

Dear (Insert Financial Institution of Choice Here),

I realize you have been trying to contact me lately. I apologize for the delay. I believe you were attempting to reach me concerning some checks that may have been “underfunded.” I have every intention of covering these. In fact, I am sure this account will be taken care of soon, as I am patiently waiting for a few things to come through.

You must be aware I am an artist. Surely you’ve heard me on Non-Comm radio or seen me on local TV. Maybe even in the regional papers or on YouTube. Is it possible we may even be Facebook friends? Of course you must feel secure, knowing the full scope of my career, that the money is about to roll in any day now.

To ease your mind, I thought I would offer just a few examples of the money streams my music has been generating for me. For instance, MUSIC REPORTS Inc. has sent me countless letters informing me that my songs have been licensed by a litany of music service providers. I am under the impression that alone should be good for about twelve cents per song x... about 40 or so…well... I’ve never been great at math, as you know.

I have also received a multitude of personalized offers through MySpace by several agencies to “…directly place my music into the hands of programmers, music supervisors and producers” who are eager to use some of my original songs in their upcoming films and commercials.

Because, of course, everyone knows the only way to achieve commercial success, get noticed and heard is through advertisement sound tracks. Even my mother says “that’s how to get your career off the ground these days! You gotta get your songs in a commercial!” I’m positive that shortly after cashing my check for “a one time service fee of only $400” we’ll be splitting those 50/50 royalty deals like gangsters. After all, the going sync rate for an indie artist in a film or commercial is like $250!! As soon as I land even a hundred of those contracts, I’ll buy a small house and future financial security will be mine [...]

A Triple-A radio programming veteran, Kate has served as Music Director of the Loft at XM, Midday Host at WYEP, Evening Host at both WNCS and WUIN, as well as Content Supervisor for Pump Audio. Currently, she's the CEO of Outlandos Music, a new-music discovery service for grown-ups. Kate has been nationally recognized for her ardent presentation of music and her ability to champion talented, compelling artists.

As a service to the Blurt readers...for those who treasure live music above all else.
Cheers,
Johnny

Column #9: Mafia II, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, And Yet It Moves, Grease The Video Game, Ivy The Kiwi?, Madden NFL 11. Incidentally, don't miss the debut of "Play For Today - The Print Version" in the Fall 2010 issue of BLURT, due on newsstands in mid September.

By Aaron Burgess

Mafia II

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

Developer: 2K Czech / Publisher: 2K Games

ESRB Rating: M

Becoming a wiseguy ain't all it's cracked up to be: For every step you take toward made-manhood, there's a bigger chance you'll be betrayed, ripped off or whacked by the up-and-coming gangsters beneath you. So when you step into the shoes of Mafia II's complex, conflicted lead character, Vito Scaletta, you do so with the accompanying psychological weight of being in "the family."

The sequel-in-name-only to 2002's 1930s-era hit Mafia, Mafia II starts in the winter of 1945, when Vito, home on leave from the service, is an immigrant son looking to get his family a piece of the American dream. And, with help from a few friends with ties to La Famiglia, that's just what he does over the ensuing years during which the game takes place, in just the crooked ways any Goodfellas fan would expect. (Unlike Henry Hill, however, Vito is a surprisingly sympathetic character.)

The game's fictional city, Empire Bay, comes to life with period detail that extends from the snippets of anti-Hitler propaganda heard on the radio to the gaudy '50s-era decor that gives Vito's pad a touch of, er, class. Though the basic story is typical Mafia fare - young gangster moves up in the business, evades whacking along the way-the realism with which it's conveyed pulls you into Vito's story. Add top-notch animation and voice acting, and you feel like you're in the sandbox with Scorsese. Until you get to the gameplay, at least.

Though it has all the trappings of a sandbox game, Mafia II is organized around missions, which means you can free-roam your way through Empire Bay only insofar as it gets you to the next job-or, depending on how good you are at evading the law, the next police stop. This causes frustration when you're itching to interact with your environment and end up hitting an invisible wall instead.

Divided by some incredible cutscenes, the action in Mafia II is standard third-person shooter fare, which means you'll spend your time shooting, punching, hiding and crouching (not to mention driving-a whole lot of driving) to complete missions. You'll do a lot of mundane stuff just to make it through the day, of course-and it's the inherent potential of these routine activities that, explored to its fullest, could help the next Mafia become more than just a great shooter.

Rating: 8

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

Developer: IO Interactive / Publisher: Square Enix

ESRB Rating: M

The uneven (and, in some cases, controversial) critical response to 2007's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men made it seem as though the nascent franchise might ironically realize its title right out of the gate. So consider it surprising that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is arriving so soon after its predecessor-particularly since the game doesn't fix the wonky fundamentals that hampered Dead Men's potential.

Aesthetically, Dog Days hits all the right buttons, amplifying the grimy world of Adam "Kane" Marcus and James Seth Lynch through intentionally amateurish camera work that makes it feel as though you've stumbled into a bootleg documentary on the two criminals. (Depending on the scenario, you may also feel like you're watching a torture video.) Set in Shanghai's underbelly, Dog Days magnifies the city's seedier aspects to a nauseating degree, and adds enough profanity, gore and wanton violence to make even a sociopath feel dirty behind the controls. Unpleasant stuff, to be sure-but it really works in making the game get under your skin.

You play the basic campaign as Lynch, re-teaming with estranged partner-in-crime Kane for the proverbial "one last job" that, of course, takes you both 180 degrees from what's expected. Despite an attempted emotional subplot, neither character has gotten any more likable since the Dead Men days-and the basic strategy of "shoot, kill, don't look back" doesn't instill much depth in either. Compounding things, your enemies pack frustratingly smart AI and a cover system that rivals your own, and with a few exceptions (hint: go for the shotgun), your weapons don't live up to their promise. You wind up on a playing field that feels unnecessarily level, especially since there's nowhere else to go beyond it.

Luckily, Dog Days' single-player repetition gets broken up with a handful of co-op, multiplayer and Arcade modes, the best of which (the returning Arcade mode "Fragile Alliance") finds you playing the subtleties of a tenuous multiplayer relationship that could turn traitorous at any moment. It's a fun way to get mileage out of the single-player campaign, so here's hoping the game's developers decide to add more of this type of substance to their style the next time around.

Rating: 6

And Yet It Moves

Platform: Wii (WiiWare)

Developer: Broken Rules

ESRB Rating: E

Already available on PC, And Yet It Moves delivers a new experience-whose tactile feel arguably comes closer to the game's intent-in its newly released WiiWare form. The award-winning indie game, whose title lifts from the Galileo quote "Eppur si muove," plants you in a fantastical world that literally looks like remnants cobbled together from an artist's studio: Pencil-drawn figures, ripped-paper backgrounds, cardboard scraps and crumpled textures abound.

Physics, meanwhile, is the science that makes And Yet It Moves' art truly, well, moving. As you run and jump in standard left-right formation throughout the platformer, you can rotate your entire world up to 180 degrees to reach seemingly unattainable goals. What sounds easy in theory turns into quote the challenge in execution: Your momentum stays constant no matter which way your world turns (no easy braking system here, pal) and you can easily do yourself in by miscalculating the degree to which your world turns.

Rating: 8

Ivy the Kiwi?

Platforms: Wii, Nintendo DS

Developer: Prope / Publisher: XSEED Games

ESRB Rating: E

Do one thing very well: That's the concept Ivy the Kiwi? developer Pope seems to have taken with this unique little platformer, and it pays off in the game's Zen-like simplicity. You don't play so much "as" the game's titular character as with her-Ivy is a cute kiwi hatchling in search of her mum, and it's your job to guide her from point A though points B, C and beyond by "drawing" vines on the screen. (In the DS, you do this with your stylus, while the Wii version lets you use your Wii Remote to point and click.)

Hazards abound, of course, so Ivy's journey is beset with creatures and pitfalls of all shapes and sizes-but beyond merely drawing paths around these dangers, you can create obstacles and simple machines that send Ivy over and around them. The basic game is simple enough that even novices can pick it up and start playing, but you can add up to three friends in multiplayer mode to enjoy deeper challenges and team up for even more inventive obstacle-dodging fun.

Visually, the game is just as delightful, thanks to an artistic vision that grafts the warm, hand-spun feel of an A.A. Milne storybook onto the kooky platforming style of Kirby: Canvas Curse. However, despite any similarities to worlds we've seen before, Ivy the Kiwi? offers a new experience, complete with new challenges whose complexity (the later levels in particular will test your dexterity's limits) is couched in simple pleasure.

Rating: 8

Madden NFL 11

Platforms: Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PS2, PSP, PC, Nintendo DS, iOS

Developer: EA Tiburon / Publisher: EA Sports

ESRB Rating: E

The annual release of a new Madden title is as much an event as the Super Bowl that defines the game's money shot-more so, if you consider that Madden NFL 11 will keep you busy long after Feb. 6 has come and gone.

As in years past, developer EA Tiburon has packed enough obsessive detail and (artificial) intelligence into this year's Madden to rival the experience of running your own NFL franchise. Of all the nuances, play calling gets the most attention in Madden NFL 11, via the new "GameFlow" option that draws its logic from actual NFL game plans as well as from the real-life tendencies of each team. Though it's less a cheat sheet than a new layer of realism, GameFlow significantly cuts your time in the huddle, which means games that previously took an hour-plus can be wrapped in half an hour.

The ultra-realism also extends to the most basic player controls, thanks to tweaks that fine-tune everything from your sprinting speed to the capability of your blockers. This, of course, is just the view from your end of the controller-with a new Online Team Play experience (just one of Madden NFL 11's online features), up to three players can share responsibility for winning the game-or getting smack-talked out of it.

Rating: 9

Grease: The Official Video Game

Platforms: Wii, Nintendo DS

Developer: Zoë Mode/Big Head Games / Publisher: 505 Games

ESRB Rating: E10+

If a video-game version of Grease never existed, would we need to invent one? Probably not, but when you get past its oddball premise, Grease: The Official Video Game works well enough as a simple party game to be, er, the one that you want.

Combining karaoke-style play with simple mini-games and calorie-burning events, Grease casts an ambitious net across generations and playing styles. Sure, you'll appreciate the game more if you already have a social context for the world of Pink Ladies and T-Birds (Mom and Dad, we're looking at you), but the variety of challenges ensures that even Grease newbies can find an outlet at Rydell High.

Feel like channeling your inner John Travolta or Olivia Newton-John? Pick up your Wii-compatible USB mic and start belting. Got an urge to do the hand jive? The dance competition awaits you. Ready for a race? Hit Thunder Road and go, go, Greased Lightnin'. Replay value may not be stellar, but for those who tend to break out their consoles primarily for special occasions, Grease is the word.

Rating: 7

***

Our game guru, Aaron Burgess, lives digitally but dreams in analog down in Round Rock, Texas. Contact him at first2letters@gmail.com  / AIM: First2Letters

An Interview with Stephen Egerton

The Descendents/ALL guitarist cuts a solo record.

By John B. Moore

In the world of pop punk, Stephen Egerton is practically royalty, lining up there right next to Joe Queer, Screeching Weasel's Ben Weasel and The Vandal's Joe Escalante.

The guitarist for The Descendents and their offshoot ALL, Egerton has helped influence a slew of younger punk rockers from Anti-Flag to The Copyrights.

Though both The Descendents and All are still somewhat active, Egerton has carved out a whole new career recently as recording studio owner and occasional producer. 

Between working with bands like MXPX and Lagwagon, Egerton booked some time recently for himself to record a solo album, Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton. Along with writing all of the songs, Egerton played every instrument and recorded every piece of music, before sending the demos off to a slew of friends to lend their vocals. Among those who took him up on the offer were Chris DeMakes (Less Than Jake), Jon Snodgrass (Drag The River), Chad Price (ALL/Drag The River), Scott Reynolds (ALL/Steaming Beast) and John Speck (The Fags).

Egerton spoke recently about the project, the logistics and who he couldn't get this time around.

So how long have you wanted to put together an album like this?

I always thought it would be fun to make a record where I played all the instruments... just as a challenge. I've played drums and bass as long as guitar, and since I have a recording studio, and no regular people to make music with where I live, it seemed like a good time to take a crack at it. 

Did you know right away who you wanted to sing on this album?

No, that part took a while. I had already recorded the songs before my wife had the idea of having my friends sing on it (anyone who's heard me sing knows how great an idea it really was), so I would just listen to the song, and imagine different friend's voices singing the melodies. Fortunately, I have a lot of VERY talented friends. 

Anyone you wanted to bring in to sing, but was unavailable?

Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) and George Reagan (Hagfish) were each going to do one, but got too busy with other things, and had to postpone. Hopefully that will happen sometime in the future. Ginger Walls from The Wildhearts too. 

How long did it take to record and how did you handle the logistics?

The whole project took about a year to complete. I did all the music over a couple of months then spent a couple of months figuring out who would sound best on what song. I only recorded one of the singers. Each guy did their song at a friend's place, or by themselves. Fortunately vocals can be recorded pretty easily, so I got lucky.

Any plans to put together another record like this one?

I'd like to do another record. I've still got a lot of songs. After the dust settles from this one, I'll start listening to what I have, and thinking about who might sound good on each song. 

Obviously it would be tough to tour, but any plans to play shows with any of the vocalists?

I did do a couple release party shows in April with five of the singers. I'd like to do that a few more times. We had a blast!

So any more reunion shows planned for ALL?

I expect ALL will do some more shows. We've had a great time at the one's we've done recently. We'll see if anyone asks!

Also wanted to ask you about the recording studio you own. What types of bands do you work with?

Mostly punk rock bands, but some alt country and occasionally metal bands. Over the last couple years, I've done more mixing and mastering than recording, but I've got several full length recording projects coming up in the next few months. I stay very busy with the studio. I really enjoy mixing, and since recording budgets are pretty small these days, it works well for a lot of bands to record locally, then send me the music to mix and/or master. 

So what's next for you?

Just forging ahead with making music and recordings. I've recorded some instrumental music of my own, as well as with the band Slorder, and I'll be releasing that as well as a record I played drums on with a fantastic Tulsa band called John Moreland and the Black Gold Band. John sang one of the songs on my record, and is one of my favorite singers and songwriters. Other than that, taking care of my family. I'm a very busy man!