I first learned of Death In Vegas when I saw them open up for Chemical Brothers in Detroit back in 1998. I was amazed by their set. I thought it was cool that there was a band opening up for a strict DJ headliner. And even though Death In Vegas (Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes) created their sound with instruments, as opposed to relying only on sampling machines and turntables, they had a distinct (for lack of a better term) “techno” sound to them. I could shake my ass, feel the bass beat deep in my chest, and lose myself in the music.

During the late Seventies and into the early Eighties we had what was called the \"Golden Age of the Splatter Film\". Films with titles that were warnings, like Don\'t Answer the Phone, Don\'t Look in the Basement, Don\'t Go in the Woods, etc. Wrong Turn should have been titled Don\'t Get Lost in West Virginia.

Ever been tricked into going to a wedding with a new girlfriend? It\'s one of those defining moments in a relationship. You\'re really into each other, so you think, \"What the hell? It can\'t be that bad.\" And then you get there. She\'s on her best behavior because her family\'s there. No ass grabbing, making out, and, naturally, she doesn\'t want you to get hammered. Okay, fine. You can still make it through this reception. Oh! They\'ve got a band. Maybe they\'ll be good. Then they start to play that annoying mix of sorta-country, sorta-hippy, slightly R.E.M.

Remember that look on your parent\'s face the first time they heard you playing heavy metal in you room? That pure look of horror, as if you had actually summoned demons through an Ozzy album, and they were tearing apart the house. Well, Curse of the Golden Vampire\'s CD, Mass Destruction, is what that music must have sounded like to their ears.

The whole time I was checking out Comalies by Lacuna Coil I was waiting for it to really kick in. Combining male and female lead vocals seems to be a great way of pushing boundaries; for creating new sonic soundscapes. I mean, look at what Roxette did! Unfortunately, Lacuna Coil play it safe almost the entire disc.

I push the \"play\" button on my CD player. Suddenly, I\'m 11 years old again, staying up late, waiting for a song to come on the radio so that I can push \"record\" on my tape recorder and capture the final song on my first compilation tape. I\'m waiting for \"You Dropped a Bomb On Me\" by the Gap Band or \"Electric Avenue\" by Eddy Grant, whichever comes first.

Freaks, as you all know, sometimes movies are just poor rip-offs of other ideas. Sometimes a movie takes inspiration from various sources, tweaks it, and improves upon it. This month\'s movie is the sci-fi flick Equilibrium, which takes its main themes from some of my favorite books, and finds a new way to tell a classic story.

I am a sucker for great harmonies, and the guys from Ambulance Ltd. have them in spades. We received a five-song, self-titled EP from them that is really great. The problem is that it is just five songs long.

Musically, I\'ve always been a big fan of,.. (How should I put this?) whiney, white guy, alternative rock stuff. The early to mid-Nineties were a great time for this music, as Nirvana/Soundgarden/Shithouse McTitties grunge evolved (or devolved) on the radio into the likes of Better Than Ezra/Semisonic/Nada Surf. I liked \'em all. Still do. Am I proud? Eh,... But it\'s true.

S.A. Smash is guilty by association. I mean, considering their new album, Smashy Trashy, is on Definitive Jux, I could only assume it would be amazing. And S.A. Smash proves to be yet another bountiful limb on the fantastically damaged tree that is the Def Jux family. Varying from \"I\'m a badass\" and \"fuck the critics\" battle rhymes to \"I want to get my grind on\" sex hymns, Smashy Trashy cocks the hammer with a ferocious love for rap. Then it pulls the trigger with an overwhelming zeal for some good old-fashioned fun.