Featured Artist Volume 3: The Unknownn

"Don't ask The Unknownn
who they are...
because they won't tell you

Don't ask The Unknownn
where they are...
because it's not worth knowing

In fact, the only thing
you need to know about
The Unknownn is in their music

Now stop asking questions and just
...listen"

So says the message currently found on the MySpace Music page of The Unknownn, a band whose music I was lucky enough to discover a year or two back. For my next featured artist, I wanted to share a bit of what I've discovered about the mysterious band. Hailing from somewhere in the UK, The Unknownn are a bit hard to classify, now that I think about it. It may in fact be easier to instead attempt to describe the moods the band creates. Why don't I start by just jumping right into, as the band says, "the only thing you need to know" about them - their music.

It was the debut album which caught my interest. Dark. Haunting. Beautiful. Dreamy. Those are the words that come to mind when I think of this album. The song Nocturnal was the first to really captivate me, with its moody synths and beautiful vocals. Raw quickly became another favorite with its gentle, eerily pretty intro, followed by crashing guitars. The album is very dark and emotional and at times epic and strong. Even the 51 second long instrumental Squeeze has an otherworldly, electronic feel to it. I was so excited to get into this album because it has such a refreshingly different sound.

The Unknownn recently released their second album, The Two, and I was pleased to find that while it is quite different, it still has all of the aspects that drew me to The Unknownn in the first place. The album is still electronic, and still dark, but moves into new territory musically for the band. One of the most notable aspects of The Two is the use of harmonies to accompany the already pretty vocals. They are very well done, and add a strength to the album. Also, while the first album could be called more epic, The Two is more cool and confident. The guitars and bass have an awesome, grindy sound. I've been listening to The Two to and from work and really getting into it. It's hard for me to compare the two albums because the debut album is special to me, but I think The Two is an even more solid effort, taking the best aspects of the first and evolving. It's solid all the way through, but the standouts for me right now are The Inside, The Hurt, The Misskiss, and The Slide Bastard, to name just a few.

I would definitely recommend both albums to anyone, especially those who are into anything electronic, dark and moody, and anyone who just wants something new and different. Visit their MySpace Music page (listed below) to hear some of their stuff. With any luck, The Unknownn will make their way over to the US and I'll finally get to see them live!

The Unknownn on MySpace
The Unknownn on Facebook
Official Website
The Unknownn on Amazon (you can sample the songs here, too)

Check them out!

<3 Clint

Featured Artist volume 2: The Pink Samurai

For my next featured artist I wanted to feature my friend Becky and her business The Pink Samurai. TPS features super cute, handmade items that cater specifically to geek culture. Are you a fan of Star Wars? Star Trek? Anime? Comics? Anything dorky? If so, then The Pink Samurai likely has something for ya.

The Pink Samurai has been at DC area conventions such as Otakon and Katsucon, and always has something new and cute up on the Etsy Page.

Check it out!

<3 Clint

idea to outline

A surprising amount of people tell me that they wish they could write a story, or that they have ideas that would make a good book, but they could never do it. It seems as though those earliest steps in the formation of a story are the hardest for many. Today I thought I'd share a couple simple tips that really helped me a lot. Now, by no means do I consider myself to be anything great, or any kind of literary expert. I actually consider myself a rookie in the writing world. Heck, if I could some day be half as good a writer as those whose works I grew up reading, that would be amazing to me. But if I can pass on a few tips that helped me get past that first hump - the one from an idea to something a little more solid - who knows? Maybe it'll encourage an aspiring writer to take the leap he or she has been considering and start creating something.

The first thing I would recommend is to write down all those ideas in detail while they are fresh in mind. Don't let a great idea slip away!

Going along with this is a bit of organization. And really, I'm not one to be talking about such a thing in general, as klutzy, forgetful, and, well, disorganized as I tend to be. But the basic principle has helped me a lot, and it's as simple as keeping everything together in one place. A notebook is great, and so is a folder on your computer (preferably backed up externally). Keeping things compiled and within easy access of each other can make a world of difference.

Once you've gathered enough ideas, don't be afraid to start throwing them together into a rough outline or timeline. Some authors will warn against overusing an outline, and I agree - you don't want to tie yourself down to the point that you curb your own creativity or limit yourself. But a good outline can give you clear direction, and even motivation when you see things start to fit together. I always think of it as constructing a skeleton, which you'll add to, take from and rearrange until it's more solid, paving the way for a complete and strong body.

Lastly, don't be afraid to learn from other authors. Obviously, you never want to copy, but to try and emulate the skills of your favorite writers can really be something worth striving for. I also recommend reading books on writing, especially those written by authors you may already be familiar with. I'm planning on listing a few of my favorites in an upcoming blog.

So if you have a story idea, start putting your thoughts down on paper. And don't be discouraged if it seems to take a long time to form something. (I outlined for 2 years before beginning anything, and I've talked to others who have done so for far longer!) And even if it's just for you at first, don't stop creating!

<3 Clint

Manga Review: Bunny Drop volume 1

Back when I was blogging regularly, one of my favorite things to do was feature manga that I liked. It got a pretty good response and was a lot of fun. So I wanted to continue that tradition with a manga I picked up recently, Bunny Drop. It was released in the states by Yen Press (who is quickly becoming a favorite of mine).

Bunny drop is by Yumi Unita. Anyone into warm, funny stories will love it. The description is best described by the paragraph on the book's rear cover:
"Going home for his grandfather’s funeral, thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover! The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to take her in himself! But will living with this overgrown teenager of man help Rin come out of her shell? And hang on, won’t this turn of events spell doom for Daikichi’s love life?!" (Source: Yen Press' Bunny Drop page.)

I think that fans of series such as Midori Days, Azumanga Daioh and Yotsuba&! (another title now published by Yen Press), will really enjoy this one. Though I will say that the humor is more akin to the innocent kind found in Yotsuba&! than that of the other titles. The situations Daikichi gets into, and the things he has to learn are both funny and heartwarming. The art and character design are great (some of the expressions are hilarious!), and Rin is just adorable!

So, I really enjoyed Bunny Drop, and would highly recommend it. Volume one is available now, and I can't wait for volume 2, which is coming September 2010!

<3 Clint

Update: Writing, Blogging, etc...

Ok, this is it: my attempt at a for-serious return to blogging! It used to be something I did at least a few times a week back when I visited 1Up frequently. I got to meet a lot of awesome friends (some of them I'm still lucky enough to keep up with!), and have some great discussions. It was a lot of fun, and I miss it! ...I know, I know... I've been talking about doing it again regularly for how long now? I don't know - a long time. Anyway, I figured I'd set a goal for myself: starting tomorrow, I will blog for 5 days straight, and then once a week (hopefully at least for all of spring and summer). It's fun, and I think it's a good exercise in writing.

So if you have the time to read over my random babbling this week, please do! You're likely to hear about manga, writing, video games and other dorky stuff. As always, comments are open and encouraged!

Other stuff...

Writing
I've been hard at work for a long time on another Feralia story, which is going quite well. Better use of outlining has enabled me to write far more productively than I've ever been able to before. I'm accomplishing a great deal each time I sit down to write, - sometimes 4 to 10 pages, which, for me, is quite a bit. ...So, how far along is the project? I'm guessing somewhere around 60-75% of the first draft is finished, but who knows? I'm really terrible at estimating those kinds of things. My goal, however, is to have everything done by the end of the year, and shoot for a spring 2011 release. :)

Games
It's pretty much been nothing but Final Fantasy XIII for me.


I'm 60 hours in and having a blast. I know that i'm nearing the end, so I've been taking my time and trying to get the most out of it. The story, graphics, music and character design are all beautiful. While it is more linear than many of the past FF games, I've still found it quite entertaining and endearing, and feel that I've gotten far more for my $60 than I have in a long time.



See you tomorrow!

<3 Clint