Erik Mongrain

Every now and then you find a guitarist that is pretty damn fancy pants. Erik Mongrain will make your jaw drop. I was stumbling around the web the other night and before I was stopped by drop dead boring animation, I discovered this fantastic musician.

Check out his two videos on Google Video:

Airtap
Percusienfa

10 fancy pants bananas.

AFI - Decemberunderground

Well, it really sucks to go back to work while everyone else is on holiday. Can't say I recommend it at all. Unfortunately I tried to get leave and it got booted so I'm here. Fortunately that does mean that I get to listen to the new AFI(myspace) album Decemberunderground , which we actually got for my brother but has some how landed in my car:), and it is fantastic.

Now I wouldn't ever go and get a "Best Of" AFI, well ... not again anyway. Their older stuff is really not great, actually crap you could say, bad, not good, generally not worth the time - but Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground - now there are two fantastic albums. They would definitely sit in my "Best Albums" CD rack (that is, if I was that organised).

It took a couple of listens before I really got into Decemberunderground, but that is standard issue for most new CD's I get. If you're not an AFI fan you may take a bit longer, they definitely have a unique style. Its hard for me to pick out my favourite track at this time, although 3 and 7 do stick out.

Summary: Its a pity that I didn't get to listen to it before I whacked out my pick for 2006 entry (If you've been watching Heroes you'll know you can't change the past). It would have definitely been a contender.

Whilst my brother hasn't heard his CD enough yet to know if he likes it or not, I on the other hand can give it a 9 out of 10. What a band, what a CD.