Double Feature: Flying Objects Attacked and Tilted Carrion Eaters...

I love Dave Grohl. I think he's probably one of, if not the most, talented musician in modern rock today. He's also one of the busiest (check out his wikipedia page...), so we get plenty of Grohl munchies to satisfy our urges. The reason I bring Diamond Dave up is that he's got not one, but two musical updates coming out very soon and they both sound great. While they have different sounds, both releases show that Dave is not a rock musician or an alternative musician or any other label. He's just a musician who loves his craft and enjoys performing for us, the listener...


First up: The Foo Fighters are releasing a greatest hits album November 2 (holla if it's your birthday... [HOLLA!]) and thank goodness. I used to think that a musician or band had to die or disband to warrant a greatest hits album. At the very least, you ought to have an extensive library of songs to warrant a list that isn't just the radio played songs of your few albums (I'm looking at you, Creed...). That being said, I think that Foo Fighters deserve a greatest hits album for a handful of reasons...

As far as modern bands go (read: bands formed in my life time...), FF has stayed around and prosperous while some of there contemporaries have fallen by the wayside (pick your favorite, I have mine...). They've had hugely successful albums, still grab significant airplay, and win awards consistently for their efforts. While they've evolved (who hasn't...), the Foos have managed to derive a sound all of their own, and I'd like to think it's mostly thanks to Mr. Grohl. Not that the band lives or dies because of Dave, but I believe it's his talent that enhances the group's efforts and makes them the rock powerhouse they are today...

I said before that Dave keeps himself busy, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he has formed yet another ensemble band (he's been in so many, he may have broken the term 'Super Group'...) called Them Crooked Vultures. They've got a QotSA member, Dave, and a Zep member (look 'em up...). Their debut album drops in November and they've released a single called New Fang and it is pretty damn good. Unlike the Foo Fighters, their sound is more like Eagles of Death Metal and their ilk (Tj calls it 'ball-to-the-walls' rock 'n roll...). Definitely not a bad thing at all, however, it does further show how broad Dave Grohl's taste in music reaches to. I'm looking forward to that album and what TCV gives us...

That is all for now. Tune in tomorrow where I shall a thought on Halloween and why I discovered, in my aging, that it is the most disappointing of all the 'government sanctioned' holidays. By the way, the Foo Fighters released a new song off their greatest hits album and it's called Wheels...

It's coming...

With November less than a month away, it is time to prepare for that month long event that many aspiring writers attempt in some form or another. I am of course speaking of NaNoWriMo (incidentally, does to 'No' stand for 'novel' or 'November'?). For those unacquainted with NaNoWriMo, it goes like this: a writer challenges him or herself to write a novel of more than 50,000 word in the month of November. The prize is as simple as the challenge: you get to say you've written a novel. The challenge of that much constant writing (more than 1600 words per day...) is daunting to many would-be authors, leading to some unfinished works...

Now, this author is taking it in a slightly different vein (I do have to be me...). As I am not exactly in novel writing mode these days, I am going to use NaNoWriMo for a unique writing challenge: I am going to write one comic book issue per day for the month of November. This will include dialogue and coherent notes for the artist. I will also be giving said issues for editting to those who care and aren't doing NaNoWriMo (Hi Jon, Jesse, Brian, etc...). However, per the rules of NaNoWriMo, I will not change anything of each issue until December 1...

This task is extremely daunting, and I'll tell you why. If one is writing a typical, run-of-the-mill novel, it will have a few characters that stay the focus of the project. This means you can travel with said characters as the story grows around them. Not so with comic book issues. I don't intend to write 30 issues of one character. The way I handle characters and stories these days, I need a break and/or write about something else. So I don't have the luxury to rest up between sessions; I just have to keep plugging along...

So, all that being said, here's what I'm doing to prepare myself:
- No actual issue writing until November 1...
- Keeping track of my various ideas I brainstorm...
- Work on other projects until NaNoWriMo starts...
- Catch up on my single issue reading to set the mood...
- Unearth other possible stories written and forgotten...

With all else going on (job hunting, back-to-schooling, vague wedding plans, household duties, puppy watch...), it's been a challenge just finding enough time to pump myself up for this. I can only imagine it will get harder next month when I put ink to paper. Oh yeah; I'm doing it old school, pencil and paper style mostly for NaNoWriMo. I know that some of my compatriots have been trying to ween me off of it (sorry Crash 'n Klein guys...), but I'm not there yet. Wish me luck...