May 19, 2013
Mitchell McDonald's section from The Grumets DVD
seen from China
seen from Argentina
seen from United States
seen from Bolivia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from India
seen from Canada
seen from Russia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Belarus
seen from Germany
seen from Thailand
Mitchell McDonald's section from The Grumets DVD
Macca
Southern Air // Yellowcard I’ll come out and say it, I’m not really a Yellowcard fan. I’ve never really related to their music, and I’ve always found plenty of bands I’d pick over them any day. But, damn, I respect them for being proficient at what they do. They write some of the catchiest music I’ve ever heard. While I was giving this album its third or fourth listen, I couldn’t help but sing along with most of the songs, not because I love them, but because they are just very well done. Southern Air is Yellowcard’s most solid release yet. Its ten songs fully encompass the band’s sound, and display a band at the absolute top of their game. It has blistering punk jams ('Rivertown Blues'), heart wrenching ballads ('Ten') and plenty of pop punk jems ('Always Summer', 'Awakening') throughout. Did I mention they are all overly catchy? I know that if I was a Yellowcard fan, then I’d be supremely stoked on this album, and as an outsider, I can’t help but be impressed. Now is a perfect time to give this band its due respect as a top player in pop punk.
I give this album 6/8 slices, but 8/8 slices if you already like Yellowcard.
Top Tracks: 'Rivertown Blues', 'Ten' and 'Awakening'.
FFO: Valencia, Hit The Lights and summer jams.
Find 'Em Here: http://yellowcardrock.com/
Author: Mitchell McDonald.
Live At The Montage // Polar Bear Club Polar Bear Club tries to kill two birds with one stone with this live and acoustic album, Live At The Montage, with mixed results. The song choices include many fan favorites ('Living Saints', 'Burned Out In A Jar'), intimate songs fit for acoustic renditions ('Drifting Thing', 'Convinced I’m Wrong') and two covers (Saves The Day’s 'At Your Funeral' and The Weakerthans’ 'Left and Leaving'). Jimmy Stadt’s gruff vocals sometimes overpower the acoustic guitars, but translate well enough to the smaller performance. The problem with this album, however, comes in the production. The crowd can often be heard chattering in the background, and even shout out over songs multiple times over the album and the quality of sound isn’t very good at all. This release will definitely appeal to those who enjoy acoustic variations of their favorite pop punk artists, and shows some depth on the band’s side, but their effort is hampered by botched production. 5/8 slices.
Top Tracks: 'Convinced I’m Wrong', 'Screams In Caves' and 'Drifting Thing'.
FFO: Make Do and Mend, Transit or Saves The Day’s acoustic albums.
Find 'Em Here: https://www.facebook.com/PolarBearClub
Author: Mitchell McDonald.
The Dark Knight Rises // Christopher Nolan
Yes, it's the weakest of the three. The second act has way too much forced into It, and all of takes, and feels, way too long. Bane ultimately doesn't work as the villain, despite having too much time poured into him. The plot is good, all of the acting is well done, the action is very solid, and the third act is pretty much flawless. Structurally, the film needs a lot of work, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Overall, a very satisfying ending to one of the best trilogies of our era.
7/8 slices.
FFO: Batman, Epic Action Movies, and joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Author: Mitchell McDonald
Macca - ice out
Macca killin a flat rail
Macca and DJ hitting City park in Melbourne.