Agh...

I have a supreme headache. It is a bitch. However, I said "screw it" and went to buy This Addiction in Kelowna. In case you are unaware of the majesty that is Alkaline Trio, they are a punk rock band from Chicago. They aren't what would call heavy in terms of sound, but their lyrics are definitely really heavy; they talk about some things that are judged a lot, like suicide and drug addiction, but they have a lot of love and loss songs, too (actually, those probably outweigh the others (though they do use drugs as a metaphor for love; see This Addiction)). They are also FUCKING AMAZING, and so is their new album. It's everything I expected it to be and more. Matt Skiba, Dan Andriano and Derek Grant have outdone themselves and everyone else, ever. Best album, ever (for me), hands down. The bonus tracks (which are both sung by Dan, bringing the count to Matt: 8, Dan: 5) are INCREDIBLE. A lot of bonus tracks seem to be just... afterthoughts, but these just seem to be tracks they wrote and then went, "Nah, doesn't fit the flow. Shit... make them bonus tracks. They're still great songs." Dan's voice is beautiful, to me (to compare: he sounds a lot like Elvis Costello, but unique - that's just the closest I can give you). If you're thinking about giving this album a listen, check out a song by each vocalist; they're both great in their own way, but very different (in terms of voice AND song content). My personal recommendations are Off the Map (Dan Andriano) and Lead Poisoning (Matt Skiba), just to give you a feel of the style and sound of the band, but there are variations (such as album closer, Fine, a BEAUTIFUL semi-acoustic ode to being okay with everything, even if it's not necessarily the best, and Eating Me Alive, a synth-driven anthem to your lost lover and how they lost their chance, even though you'd love to take them back). If you like those songs, you have six full albums and two b-side albums to listen to, plus the rest of This Addiction. Get to it, it's hours of music.

Anyways, yeah, headache. Screen is bright. Computer is loud. Migraine is building. Pain is to be had. Fucking ouch. just wanted to rant about how much I LOVE the new Alkaline Trio record and how they absolutely obliterated my expectations with their new, utterly perfect album.

Oh, by the way, Mariko, I posted in LOC. Also, I came up with a cool logo for this blog (or possibly my band, assuming I can get some people together and we're all cool with being called A New Eclipse). It's pretty sweet, I think - I'll try and make it on the computer and get it up sometime soon.

Night. Head hurts. Bye.

Sleep well.