December 04, 2007 Playlist - O&E

01. Cinemechanica - Brain Trap - The Martial Arts (Hello Sir 2006)
02. Watchers - (We've Got) A Witness - Vampire Driver (Gern Blandsten 2007)
03. White Rainbow - Mystic Prism - Prism of the Eternal Now (Kranky 2007)
04. 33.3 - Quilted Giraffe - Self-Titled (Aesthetics 1999)
05. Unwound - Nervous Energy - Fake Train (Kill Rock Stars 1993)
06. Fursaxa - Black Haw - Alone in the Dark Wood (Eclipse 2007)
07. Black Swan - Altered - Demo (Self-Released 2007)
08. Blank Dogs - In a Web - Sweet Rot (Self-Released 2007)
09. The Units - I-night - Warm Moving Bodies (415 1979)
10. Desperate Bicycles - Holidays - New Cross, New Cross (Refill 1978)
11. Dow Jones and the Industrials - Can't Stand the Midwest - Self-Titled EP (Hardly Music 1980)
12. Factums - The Night is Freedom - Alien Native (Siltbreeze 2007)
13. A-Frames - Black Forest III - Black Forest (Sub Pop 2005)
14. The Pink Noise - Wicked Wasteland/Peter Pan World - Soundtrack (Self-Released 2007)
15. The Anals - Wake Up, You're Dead - Self-Titled 7" (Phil Scrotum 2006)
16. TV Ghost - Atomic Rain - Atomic Rain (Die Stasi 2007)
17. Daniel Striped Tiger - Disconnection - Capital Cities (Clean Plate 2007)
18. Envy - Thousand Scars - Abyssal (Temporary Residence 2007)
19. Ashtray Navigations - Hey Sunflower Motherfucker - Four More Raga Moods (Ikuisuus 2006)
20. Mouthus - Armies Between - Saw a Halo (Load 2007)
21. GHQ - Untitled 4 - Seven Sisters (Self-Released 2007)
22. Lorelei - Quiet Staid Debt - Everyone Must Touch the Stove (Slumberland 1994)
23. No Neck Blues Band - Live Your Myth in Grease - Qvaris (5RC 2005)
24. Racoo-oo-oon - Black Branches - Behold Secret Kingdom (Release the Bats 2007)
25. The Skull Defekts - Unholy Drums Are Singing - Blood Spirits and Drums Are Singing (Conspiracy 2007)
26. The Music Tapes - What the Single Made the Needle Sing - 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad (Merge 1999)
27. Anne Laplantine - Comment c'est a la Radio - Nordheim (Groom 1999)
28. Aphid Ant Constructions - For Fiery Hearts - Originary Presents (Shake Got the Beets 2004)

November 20, 2007 Playlist - O&E

01. The Jesus Lizard - Monkey Trick - Goat (Touch and Go 1991)
02. The National Acrobat - Triangular Wheel - TNA: The Complete Recordings (Initial 2004)
03. These Arms Are Snakes - Deer Lodge - Easter (Jade Tree 2006)
04. Amanda Woodward - Dans le Cas Ou les Flammes - La Décadence de la Décadence (Level-Plane 2004)
05. An Arrow in Flight - One Bold Stroke from Right to Left - Filling the Sky (Coldbringer 2004)
06. Ampere - Wormwood, Radiation - Split LP w/ Sinaloa (Ebullition 2006)
07. Black Eyes - Some Boys - Shut Up, I Never (Dischord 2002)
08. Former Members of Alfonsin - Itty Bitty - Split LP w/ Project Hate (Phyte 1998)
09. Fag Static - Another Day Another Name - Demo (Self-Released 2007)
10. Thank God - It's Like Fire on Fire - Split 10" w/ Monarcs (Mashnote 2006)
11. Jacob and I - Shadout Maps 3 - Shadout Maps (Self-Released 2007)
12. Hand-FED Babies - Simon - Self-Titled EP (5nakefork 2005)
13. The Creeping Nobodies - Red Weather - Augurs & Auspices (Deleted Art 2007)
14. Matias - Only My Hands Went Free - The Split Leaf EP (Self-Released 2007)
15. Tree Creature - Molten Tropics - Odyssey (Barbarian Tapes 2007)
16. Fur Elise - Ghost Tropic - The Pines (Stickfigure 2007)
17. Giant Lion - Children - Nature Split (Deadbird 2007)
18. Parade - Slow Tuesday - The P EP (Self-Released 2004)

November 13, 2007 Playlist - O&E

01. 33.3 - Latex Matrix - Self-Titled (Aesthetics 1999)
02. Telegraph Melts - Indigo Azure Cyan - Illium (Absolutely Kosher 1999)
03. Tulsa Drone - The Plague - Songs From a Mean Season (Perpetual Motion Machine/Dry Country Records 2007)
04. Wata - Angel - She's So Heavy (Diwphalanx 2007)
05. Ai Aso - Islands - She's So Heavy (Diwphalanx 2007)
06. Miscarriage - Untitled - Infected Orgasm (Heavy Psych 2007)
07. Arab on Radar - 7.2 - Stolen Singles (ThreeOneG 2003)
08. Gay Beast - Mama, Wrap My Coffin In The A.I.D.S. Quilt Cuz It's Cold In Hell - Disrobics (Release the Bats 2007)
09. Rolo Tomassi - C is for Calculus - Self-Titled (Holy Roar 2006)
10. Belong - Red Velvet or Nothing - October Language (Carpark 2006)
11. Small Sails - Corners - Similar Anniversaries (Other Electricites 2007)
12. Japandi - 3 - Tour CD (Self-Released 2003?)
13. Library Tapes - Leaves Abstract In A Village Plunged Into Mourning (Feat. Colleen) - Feeilngs for Something Lost (Resonant 2006)
14. Ghastly City Sleep - Suchness - Self-Titled (Robotic Empire 2007)
15. The Wind-Up Bird - He Waited and Waited, and Now, at Last, in the Stillest Hour of Night, the Sounds Got Busy Once Again - The One Am Radio / Wind Up Bird Split (Alone/Paramnesia 2002)
15. Resplendent - Stately & Graceful - Am I Free? I Am Free (Mixx Tape 2005)
16. Tom Burbank - The Chop - Famous First Words (Planet µ 2006)
17. Kemialliset Ystävät - Superhimmeli - Self-Titled (Fonal 2007)
18. Corsican Paintbrush - Mutable Earth - Aquarian Hymns (Digitalis 2007)
19. Talibam! - Lunch Break At Naan - Ordination of the Globetrotting Conscripts (Azul Discografia 2007)
20. Lichens - Vevor of Agassou - Omns (Kranky 2007)
21. Polliné - Continue a Hymn - Parallel Canvas (Boxcar 2000)
22. Siouxsie - One Mile Below - Mantaray (Universal/Decca 2007)

November 06, 2007 Playlist - O&E

I've been way behind on posting these. At the very least, it'll increase my hits from Google, right? Whether or not you actually listen to this shit is irrelevant.

01. Alasehir - Nazca - The Stone Sentinels (Archive 2007)
02. MV & EE - Get Right Church - Eye in the Pines (Child of Microtones 2007)
03. Red Favorite - Routine - Self-Titled (Spirit of Orr 2006)
04. Coach Fingers - Late Night Westtown - No Files on Frank (Locust 2006)
05. Matta Llama - Thetan Cruise - Self-Titled (Mad Monk 2007)
06. Alligator Crystal Moth - Mother Stars - Magic Swamp Kingdom (Foxglove 2005)
07. Plastic Crimewave Sound - Far In-Out - No Wonderland (Eclipse 2006)
08. Indian Jewelry - Lesser Snake - Invase Exotics (Monitor 2006)
09. Softwar - Psychic Shake - Self-Titled (Digitalis 2007)
10. Spectre Folk - Italian Tv 1 (Don Cherry) - Papa Smurf Smiles Down On Us From Heaven (Abandon Ship 2007)
11. The Phantom Family Halo - Electric God in Your Galaxy - The Legend of Black Six (EMI 2007)
12. Voice of the Seven Woods - Second Transition - Self-Titled (Twisted Nerve 2007)
13. Amps for Christ - AFC Tower Song - The People At Large (5RC 2004)
14. Jackie-O Motherfucker - Northern Line - Liberation (Road Cone 2001/ATP 2005)
15. Grails - Soft Temple - Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence 2007)
16. Gutevolk - Ao To Kuro - Tiny People Singing Over the Rainbow (Noble 2007)
17. Anna Ranger - Guitar - Above and Under Ground (Plastiq Musiq 2005)
18. Rocketship - People I Know - Hey, Hey, Girl (The Bus Stop 1994)
19. Cruise Control Pills - Here for the Show - Self-Titled (Bees Make Honey 1996)
20. The Music Tapes - Song for the Death of Parents - 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad (Merge 1999)
21. Hi Ho, Six Shooter! - It Don't Mean a Thang, If it Ain't Got That Twang - A Brief Discourse On Death and Dying; or, the Gravedigger's Muddy Shovel (No Signal House 2005)
22. A Plan So Crazy It Just Might Work - Trio (Rebels in the New World) - Self-Titled (Self-Released 2004)
23. Year Future - The Hidden Hand - The Hidden Hand (GSL 2004)

MART 590e - Raw Danger!

So I'm taking this Media Arts class where one of our assignments is to play a video game every week and then write about it. Might as well use this blog since it already exists, so yeah.

This week: Raw Danger!, a PS2 budget title from Agetec.



I first heard about this game on the Something Awful forums, and what I'm writing here simply echoes much of what's already been said.

Raw Danger! is actually the sequel to 2003's Disaster Report, a game where players had to escape a city hit by an earthquake. This time around, however, it's all about escaping the safest and most advanced city in the world as it faces a flood disaster. In order to survive, players have to avoid water and keep their body temperature up while climbing, jumping, and crawling their way to safety, all while keeping an ear out for emergency broadcasts and crossing paths with other flood victims. Sound familiar? Oh, right.

First of all, Raw Danger! does more things right than it does wrong, and that's what makes it special™.

You can play as 6 different characters whose paths all cross, and where the decisions you make affect the lives of each character. Do you help your coworker or do you leave her to drown because she has an annoying voice? The choices can actually be much deeper than that, but they don't have to be. The sheer amount of options is impressive. The game can be the ultimate be-a-dick simulator or white-knight story, and while certain games never escape these two extremes, Raw Danger! allows for a lot of grey area simply due to the overlapping stories. One character may leave someone to die, but as you play the next character, she may find the co-worker from another perspective, and have to make a decision based on some other character's choices. It doesn't necessarily play out as if you have to continually outsmart yourself the entire game, but it does flirt with the concept a bit.

The most interesting aspect of the game? None of it involves combat. You explore the city, talk to people, drive vehicles, create makeshift survival tools from items you scavenge throughout the game, solve puzzles to reach safety, and (oh, no) collect fragments of your memory to rebuild your identity. Okay, so that's one strike against the game.

Mechanically, though, there isn't much to argue about. The biggest complaint is the lack of polish and production value. Oh, and the localization is kind of funny:




In the future, everyone in America is blonde. Call me a temporal conformist.

Anyway, Mass Effect can go to hell. Raw Danger! is the deepest game I've played this year. You want character interaction and choices with consequences? You want branching paths and multiple endings for EACH character in the game? Then hop to, and drop $10 on Raw Danger!

Also, I didn't really mean that about Mass Effect. I'm sorry, baby.