This band would’ve been huge in 1999.

http://www.myspace.com/familyforce5

I’ve always found it interesting how the Emmy’s and other television awards are always dominated by shows on premium cable channels. But it’s obvious. When you have the ability to make your television shows more like films, it creates a better viewing experience overall. The bulk of Oscar-winning films are R rated and filled with mature content. And the same goes for television. It really does create an unfair disadvantage to network TV series. How can a network so limited by time, commercials, and censorship compete with one that has no boundaries? Now you may be saying right now, “But millions more watch network cable shows and those networks make more money.” That may be true, but it’s not what I’m focusing on. I am focusing on the quality of the program and the art.

Shows like The Sopranos, OZ, Entourage, Weeds, Sex & The City, and Curb Your Enthusiasm are hugely popular and have won many awards. The only reason these shows or anything on Showtime or HBO has less viewers is because they are on premium channels that cost quite a bit extra, compared to networks like NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX that are available with simply an antennae on most TV’s. No money required to watch these shows. But these network channels are also filled with loads of ads, which in my opinion, greatly decrease the quality of the viewing experience.

It’s been found that TV series on DVD and DVR’s have become widely popular since their conception a few years ago, and I believe the biggest reason for this is people do not want to watch commercials. People want things that are uncensored.

I myself have a DVR, and basic digital cable so I can record those shows and fast forward through commercials. I download all the shows I watch on HBO and Showtime so I’m not paying $50 a month for movies I won’t watch and my 2 or 3 TV shows that I watch once a week.

I’m not saying shows on network television are bad. They are good in their own right, but I don’t believe they even begin to fall in the same category as premium cable series. Then you have channels like FX and Bravo which are offered on basic cable and offer something in between the censor-filled network television and the no-holds-barred premium television. The Shield and Nip/Tuck are great examples of this. For starters, these shows are able to use words like “shit” and “asshole” which would never be dreamed of being said on NBC. But they’re still banned from “fuck” and so on. Both shows are able to use brief nudity (usually in the form of a butt, never breasts, etc) and somewhat graphic violence and mature themes.

This reminds me of another interesting thing I’ve noticed about ratings of movies vs ratings of TV shows. A show like The Shield or Nip/Tuck on FX will be labeled with a TV rating of TV-MA, for mature viewers only. Which implies to me, adults, or people able to attend R rated movies. However, everything seen in a show labeled with that rating, could be seen in a PG-13 movie. So why isn’t that show labeled TV-13?

In my opinion, if shows on network television must succumb to so much censorship, and abide by so many rules, wouldn’t reducing or eliminating commercials be more beneficial to them and ratings in general? And I believe the same goes for premium cable series. I would love those channels to be added to basic cable, leave the same content, but insert some advertisement to make up the premium I’m not paying for those channels anymore.

Even though I can download any TV show I like, or burn it to DVD, it will never be the same experience and convenience of just sitting down, turning on your television and watching a TV show.

Next Wednesday, September 5th will be an Apple event. More than likely making some iPod announcements. The only almost sure thing the public is aware of right now is the announcement of whats been dubbed the “Fat Nano.” Basically a more compact version of the current standard iPod.

My prediction is that Apple will be announcing two new iPod devices to replace the current standard iPod.

One will be a high capacity flash based (8 and 16gb) player, also known as the “Fat Nano” which will (and i say this lightly) compete with the recently announced Creative Zen. And I would guess that device would either replace the iPod Nano or eliminate the iPod Shuffle, and bumping down the price point of the Nano.

The other device being a hard drive based player (80 and 160gb) based around the iPhone design, interface and touchscreen. This device would be geared more towards people who would really like to enjoy video on a portable player, but also would still like a lot of storage space. This device would appeal to fans of the PMP market, which already consists of the Archos 605, Cowon A2, and Creative Zen Vision:W.

I’m interested to see what will be revealed next week, specifically because I’m looking to replace my Microsoft Zune and get back into Apple. I like the Zune, I just can not stand the software it requires you to use to get media on the device. I prefer iTunes more than any other program I’ve ever used. Either that or a device that lets me drag and drop folders would be ideal. Also I’ve been considering switching to a flash based device so I don’t have to worry so much about the hard drive breaking, as was the case with my first iPod.

Farecast keeps track of price history so it can advise you of whether a flight is a good deal or not. Showing whether you should buy now because prices will increase soon, or to wait because prices will drop, or if the price is steady. They offer a unique feature of taking a 30 day period, and showing you the different prices for that period and when the cheapest date to fly would be. It of course, also lists the airline, number of stops on the flight and time of the flight. You are able to filter out your search results to find exactly what you are looking for.

Farecast has also, as of today expanded to hotels as well. Basically the same concept applies, but you can also include search by location, amenities, and hotel rating.

Whether you travel often or are just planning a vacation, Farecast is definitely a website that could be useful to you.

Every week or so I will have featured music on here and will include a post about the artist. This is the first entry to that series:

Gatsby’s American Dream is a band that changed music. Well for me at least. I remember the first time I saw them, they played with Midtown at Graceland here in Seattle. I think I was in 9th or 10th grade at the time. Taking Back Sunday was scheduled to play but they had dropped off the tour a few dates earlier due to Adam Lazarra falling off stage and splitting his head open. This was when no one knew who they were, right after “Tell All Your Friends” came out. I was under the impression for a long time that Gatsby’s had replaced them on that bill, but thinking of it now, that seems unreasonable considering at that time they were a very small local band.

Have you ever had that experience where you go to a show, and you haven’t heard of any of the opening bands and you’re just dreading the torture of sitting through crap music you could care less about just so you can hear your beloved headliner play? That’s usually how it goes, but occasionally, something special happens. One of those obscure opening bands comes out on stage, while you’re busy staring at your cell phone, and they blow you the fuck away. This is what happened with Gatsby’s American Dream for me. Until then, I did not know music could be that intelligent. Mind you at the time I was listening to nothing but New Found Glory, MxPx, Good Charlotte, etc.

Gatsby’s first record “Why We Fight” was based off of The Great Gatsby. As was the band name obviously. I bought the record, listened, enjoyed, but eventually moved on to other things. In the next two years, Gatsby’s would also release “Ribbons and Sugar,” their second LP loosely based on Animal Farm and “The Land of Lost Monsters EP.” Both of which I purchased, but did not give a deserving listen for whatever reason.

I came back to Gatsby’s in 11th grade. I was taking English Honors (how the hell I got in that class I will never know) and we were reading The Great Gatsby. I totally remembered “Why We Fight” and told my teacher about it. She had me bring in the CD and played it for the class and we all discussed how the music and lyrics reflected the book. That will forever be one of my best memories of school and of this band.

A year later, my true obsession with this group of men would begin. Gatsby’s had moved up to a larger label (Fearless Records) and recorded their third LP, “Volcano.” This record wasn’t based off of one specific topic, as their previous records were. The general theme of the record as well as a few songs were inspired by the story of Pompeii, the Italian city buried by a volcano in the year 79. Other inspirations for songs on this record came from The Lord of The Flies, Ender’s Game, and the video game Fable.

They were one of the first bands I remember promoting their upcoming record by posting new songs weekly. The first song they posted was “Theatre,” which I must have listened to at least 100 times in that first week. Then, after that, every week, every Sunday, a new song would be posted at midnight and every Sunday I waited up just to hear that new song, so filled with anticipation. That was the most excited I had ever been for a record. Since then, that feeling has not been recreated.

So eventually, “Volcano” leaked on the internet, I downloaded it and listened to nothing but that until the record came out and I bought it. To be honest, I don’t enjoy paying for music and the only reason I bought the record was because it gave me a wristband that got me into the CD release show. Me not paying for music is a whole ‘nother story that I’ll cover some other time. The CD release show was another reason for me to be in love with this band and their music. They played the entire record, beginning to end. I don’t think I’ve ever danced and sang so loud in my life.

Almost less than a year later Gatsby’s released their last record, appropriately self-titled. This has gone down as being my favorite Gatsby release. They have always been a very experimental band, without hooks or choruses, and this record shows that more than ever. And also voices very loudly their feelings of the music business and their opinions of the band. The band released the record and went on hiatus. No official announcement was ever made, they just decided not to tour and then new “side-projects” started popping up and fans figured it out.

Currently Gatsby’s American Dream has spawned four other musical projects:

Search/Rescue (Featuring Bobby and Ryan)

Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground (Featuring Kirk and Kyle)

Wild Orchid Children (Featuring Kirk and Kyle)

RedRedBlue (Featuring Nic)

RedRedBlue is believed not to be a new band, rather a side-project, since I have heard by word of mouth that Nic is taking a break from music. Though the three other new bands are very much active (and really incredible).

So now, I direct you to the music player to your right to listen to the greatness that is Gatsby’s American Dream. I have all the tracks from “Volcano” and “Gatsby’s American Dream” streaming.