A simple program that is accompanied by a database of tabs that are of top notch quality. People that submit tabs to the database are required to make sure that these tabs are of the highest quality – at least the quality of the best ASCII text tabs, and the sort of stuff you’d find in Guitar Player and other common musician’s magazines that offer a few monthly transcriptions.

The software can be found here – http://www.power-tab.net

The database (which requires an account) can be found here – http://www.powertabs.net

What Children Think Of The Beatles

“Canadian quartet the Novaks certainly aren’t the first band to take inspiration from the Rolling Stones, but few have captured the group’s ramshackle approach to R&B with such insouciance. The blistering “It’s a Shame,” for example, is a heady reminder of where the Stones started out, ripping up hot, sweaty clubs with short, assaultive numbers indebted to Chuck Berry. The country tinged “Ann” nods to the Brits’ brief flirtation with the genre in the early ’70s, but the Novaks give it a Tom Petty twist. “Dullsville” perfectly splits the difference, Petty backed by a steel guitar playing Keith Richards. The impetuous “I’ll Give You a Ring,” meanwhile, hints at “Start It Up” era Stones. Yet for all their cocky takes on Mick and Keef‘s sound, the Novaks have their own ideas as well, like adding psychedelic Hammond organ and a rousing sax solo to the bluesy “If You Can Do It,” or wickedly tipping a hat to New Order with “Man by the Door”‘s guitar riff. The fabulous “Don’t Worry Baby” is even more clever, beautifully blending purer R&B verses with a ’60s flavored, harmony drenched chorus, while the punk edged “Doesn’t Anybody Hear It” boasts an even more rousing chorus. The riffs may strut, but it’s the melodies that rule this roost. From hard rockers like the driving opener “No One Quite Like You” to the bluesy ballad “You Don’t Have to Hang Around,” which closes this superb set with a crashing finale, the Novaks rock it old school. But then this is an old set, originally released in Canada in 2005, but now finally picked up for a wider audience, and enhanced by the inclusion of a pair of music videos. Now if only the Stones were as fired up by their music as the Novaks.”

- Copyright All Music Guide (AMG) 2009. (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kjfpxqtrldke)

If you like any of the artists that were mentioned above (even casually), I suggest checking out The Novaks. They have just recently released another absolutely fantastic album entitled “Things Fall Apart”. Head to you local record store and check out this great band.

The Novaks

Win/Truth

Something that many people probably don’t know (and would probably be confused by judging by my most notable musical interests) is that I am in fact, a diehard fan of Bob Marley (and reggae). The first time I ever heard Bob Marley was probably on the radio and it was probably “One Love/People Get Ready”, but the first time I actually remember hearing his music (and consequently falling in love with it) was when I first heard (in a friend’s car) “Redemption Song.” I remember hearing the words and thinking “damn, this is pretty deep.” I later found out that it was Bob Marley (as I suspected at the time). I immediately went about downloading the album “Legend”, and completely fell into his music. Like a good book, or a movie, I was completely captivated by it and there was no way I could turn it off for nearly an entire year. Every day I would put Legend on repeat and listen to it for hours. I couldn’t believe how wonderfully beautiful his music was, and the incredible musicianship that was crafted in his songs – a genius without a doubt. The one thing that really dawned on me one day was how absolutely calm I had become over the passing months simply because Bob would literally just sit me in my chair and make me happy.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest cultural icons of all time, Bob took over my world and completely changed the way I look at every aspect of music and even life in general. I’ve been listening to Bob almost every day of my life since I first did a few years ago.

Anyone who has never taken the time to check out Reggae, or even heard any of Bob’s music, I urge you to sit down and listen to it. The images and words that you’ll be hearing with either give you the irresistible urge to wail with Bob, get up and dance or simply mellow and enjoy yourself for a few hours. You don’t need to be a stoner to really enjoy this either. Try it.

Love

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley

I am still terrified of this book.

“Goosebumps” was a horror book series written by R.L. Stine from 1992 to 1997. There were 62 books in the original series and since then there has been at least another 80 books added to the total library.

Anyone who grew up in the 90′s can probably tell you their favorite Goosebumps book, or at least can honestly recall running their finger across the book title and yelling “the words actually have goosebumps. omfg.” If I remember correctly (and this probably applies for a lot of kids) Goosebumps was one of the first longer books that I ever read. I actually liked reading books then because Goosebumps actually scared the shit out of me as opposed to reading gay stories about a giant red, lame dog named Clifford.

I’m pretty certain that when I first picked up the book “Say Cheese and Die” I began to cry because of the terribly frightening cover (see above). Not only was the main library of Goosebumps so expansive, they also provided a type of book I had never seen before, and even today hardly ever see – a “choose your fate” style book. These books were so awesome since you got to choose your very own story line - essentially picking pages to turn to until the book was over (resulting in your death most of the time). Sometimes the page you flicked to would result in your instant death, other times you would be opening a can of Pepsi and subsequently unleash some strange, evil genie that ended up shrinking you and throwing you into the can, only for you to end up on the shelf at a department store forever. R.L. Stine wrote these books to perfection – the descriptions were flawlessly creepy and emotionally stirring.

Upon reflection, there is no way these books were even remotely appropriate for my age group to be reading, but maybe that’s why kids these days are so useless. They need to start reading Goosebumps. I want to find all these books and read them again. Which one was your favorite?

SHITPILE

Mark Wahlberg is to acting; what Ashlee Simpson is to lip-syncing.

This movie was “Payne-full to the Max” to sit through. Being an avid Max Payne PC fan; this “film” left me questioning whether the Producer/Writer/Director/Boom Operator/Hair Stylist even played this Epic Vidjo Game. How in the Beard of Zeus do you not have a gawk at the Video game that the MOVIE is based on! Of course your going to piss off a “few” people.
This game was [revolutionary upon release](*see note 1) The Plot was extremely captivating from the get-go and left you wanting more. The movie however is “Loosely based on the PC game”…. This is an understatement. Let’s take a look.

Differences:

“The number of differences between the game and the film caused the CEO of 3D Realms and producer behind the game, Scott Miller, to make a public statement against the film. Miller did not approve of the fact that the film’s audience does not know why Max is seeking revenge. A flashback scene where Max finds his family murdered was right at the beginning of the game but in the film it was shown mid-film. He was also surprised that one of the story’s main villains, Jack Lupino, is killed by Hensley where in the game Max finishes the job personally. Many people were confused by the addition of the demon creatures. Though Valkyries are from Norse mythology, a theme throughout the game, they are not actually in it. The film has a much larger element of the supernatural than the game as it was never revealed in the film if they were part of the hallucinations. Max takes the drug in the film to prevent the onset of hypothermia. However, in the game he was forced to take it by Nicole Horne and left for dead.

Max Payne is one of the first video games to incorporate “bullet time” into its gameplay, made famous by The Matrix trilogy, as gunplay allows for slowing down of time to dodge bullets. The “Movie” has one scene with bullet time. As one of the defining attributes of the video game you’d think there would be more… but no.

The game features a gritty film noir style and uses graphic novel panels in place of cut scenes to narrate the game. Max Payne is heavily influenced by the Hong Kong action cinema genre, particularly the work of director John Woo, as well as hard-boiled detective novels by authors like Mickey Spillane. Having been developed by the Finnish company Remedy, the game contains many allusions to Norse mythology, particularly Ragnarok, and several of the names used in the game (Alfred Woden, Alex Balder, Aesir Corporation, Asgard Building, Valkyr) are those of the Norse gods and mythos.

The Movie features shitty acting and a plot that makes Pocket Ninjas seem like The Godfather.

Similarities:

NONE

Everything is Missing, The style, the humor, the action. The movie sloths from scene to scene making Max and all of his friends look like complete Jack ass’s. This Movie made me want to headbutt a wood chipper.

I don’t even feel like talking about this excuse for a film anymore because its movies like these that leave me without any hope for the future of cinema. It is apparent that this movie is a device to reach into the pockets of brain dead people who like to sit back and watch people get slaughtered for no reason.

Let us remember Max for who he once was; not some Markey Mark punk shittywood actor.

Hopefully the third installment of this epic will rinse our mouths of this fowl taste.

Max Payne: Perma-sour face

[*Note 1:  That's What She Siad.]