It hasn't been that long since our last music post, has it? No, it hasn't. No! It hasn't! Don't look at the last post! Anyway, to kick off our very late Comic Con 2010 coverage, we've got some footage from an amazing DJ - Mike Relm. He's a super nerdy mix/mashup DJ that utilizes technology on the spot to create his live mashups, with synchronized audio and video. It's really quite amazing to see someone create video mashups live with turntables... and an iPad! Some of the examples were a music mashup using the "O Face" clip from Office Space and the "I'll have what she's having" moment from When Harry Met Sally. Basically, it was a set for the ladies, but it was absolutely hilarious. My favorite would have to be the "Peanuts" set, which I recorded at the live Diggnation.

The next night, we saw him perform the same set at the Tweethouse meetup on the USS Midway. It was definitely nicer having a larger venue than the House of Blues, but the party itself was pretty lame and way too expensive (though I did see Tyrese Gibson and iJustine).

To see examples of his other work, check out the links below:

Old Spice Remix

Iron Man 2 Remix

The Music as a Weapon Tour has long been known as one of the hardest tours this decade. With headliner and host Disturbed, it's no doubt that tour after tour, they are going to bring new rising-star bands in the world of hard rock and heavy metal to the table, along with an overall good show of some of the biggest names in those genres. Music as a Weapon IV definitely demonstrates the awesome pull Disturbed has.

This year, the tour features a main stage with the healiners Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, and Chimaira. All of these bands put on one hell of a show, but what I loved the most wasn't the main stage, but the second stage featuring After the Burial, Born of Osiris, Crooked X, and Spineshank.

This portion of the show was essentially free, all you had to do was walk up past the swag booths and you were in the pits, right next to the parking lot outside. I will admit I've never really heard of most of the second stagers, but I really loved the show they put on. They were out there rocking for their fans. There was nothing fancy about their fold-out inflatable stage. It felt like the real deal, and they drew an intense crowd and Born of Osiris and Spineshank had amazing energy that really got the crowd moshing. Crooked X was just something else, though. This was the band that really impressed me. Crooked X is a band of 16-year-olds from Oklahoma, and they were not the openers. They all had great talent and energy.

Overall, the entire experience was great. The main stage had incredible energy, that was expected of 35 dollar show. Unfortunately I was only able to catch the tail end of Chimaira due to the long lines to get in after the second stage ended, but what I did catch was great. Next Lacuna Coil hit the stage, playing most of their hits, but in my opinion they weren't exactly all that special. Killswitch was up next. They got on stage and the crowd was chaos until their last song. Insanely intense energy, with a near-perfect setlist.

Next was, of course, Disturbed. I've seen Disturbed twice before, and I'm still unsure of which show I liked more, Music as a Weapon 3, or 4. Overall, I definitely enjoyed Music as a Weapon 4 more, mostly because of the outdoor second stage, but as far as Disturbed's performance, it was kind of weak compared to the incredible setlist and pyrotechnics from Music as a Weapon 3. The lack of fire aside, it still was an excellent show. One thing I must note, however, was that during Disturbed's show, David Draimen got out on stage and kind of explained what the tour was all about, about how we must all stick together in these times and keep ourselves away from other, less... well... ok let's just say it. To not listen to pop music.

Also, I'd like to note that I saw this show in Waterloo, IA. Second stage did not include Suicide Silence or Bury Your Dead. These two bands will be taking the place of Born of Osiris and After the Burial half way through the tour. I would definitely recommend going to this show if you are a fan of heavy metal and hard rock. I didn't know who any of the second stage bands were, but that ended up definitely being the part I enjoyed most.

Thrice released a pair of albums in 2007 and 2008 that comprise an anthology entitled The Alchemy Index. Four volumes split over two releases, the set is themed on the natural elements, with six-track set lists to reflect each. Might as well buy them both, thanks iTunes.

Vol 1 & 2 - Fire & Water

The abrasiveness of the fire theme is very apparent, almost to the extent that I don't want to listen to it. "Firebreather" begins the dichotomy of voal emphasis and heavy instruments, firing in short burts. "The Messenger" hints at an urban undertone that isn't present in much of Thrice's music. The last fire track, "The Flame Deluge" is just so noisy that you have no idea what you're listening to, but it dies down and leaves little evidence of what came before it. Over all, there are not enough vocals and too many mid-high levels that hurt to listen to. The water set is much more peacful. "Digital Sea" has more of that urban taste to it, but by the time it surfaces, the song is almost over. "Lost Continent" evokes a feeling of drifting away from something. This is probably the hardest set to describe. A lot of it just feels like one long track until it ends with "Kings Upon the Main", which reminds me of Silent Hill for some reason.

Vol 2 & 3 - Air & Earth

This set doesn't have as great a contrast as the first, but it's much more enjoyable. The mellowness of "Broken Lungs" and "Deadalus" make me feel like I've been listening to it for longer. This set is definitely more for driving around (I can't wait to get my car stereo working again). I wish water had been longer, but it has to match the track set. Earth begins with the catchy "Moving Mountains", which has the live performance thing really going on. This has to be the saddest theme of all, particularly relating earth with mortality in "Digging My Own Grave". It's not all sad; "The Earth Isn't Humming" is pretty funky and more of the instrumental melange that I prefer from Thrice, rather than the thrash of fire.

Overall, I really wish that Thrice had released this as one set. With the death of physical media removing track limitations, albums can be any size at this point. Might as well sell anything called "volumes" in collected anthologies... unless it's about the money! Oh well, $20 well spent.

The musical selection I want to recommend to you is not new, nor is it the greatest musical release. It's a compilation of major tracks, kind of like a "Greatest Hits" on steroids, from the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers called Playback.

I grew up listening to Tom Petty, Phil Collins, Brooks and Dunn, Garth Brooks and other late '80s music behemoths. I had Full Moon Fever and their Greatest Hits collection (ironically their greatest selling album), but never got a chance to listen to most of their music. I found Playback on Amazon at a reasonable price and even though it's old music, it's definitely a must-have for Petty fans.

This collection boasts a 6-CD (yes, Compat Disc) set with 92 tracks, ranging from Petty's immortal "Free Falling" to his lesser known "Mary Jane's Last Dance". It also includes a couple tracks featuring his pre- and post-Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch. The discs seem to have themes, but I can't really make out what they are, but it really doesn't matter, since I ripped the tracks to my computer so I can shuffle them.

I know CDs are falling by the wayside, as are box collector's editions, but I still found this vital to keeping in touch with my roots.

Seether has always been an interesting group, combining metal with soothing guitar  tracks. They bring a unique flavor to the post grunge scene with their South African roots, especially when speaking in Afrikaans. The lyrics are incredibly meaningful and this new album is no exception. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces has got to be the best album Seether has released yet.

I'm not always up to date with my favorite groups when they release a new album, so I didn't find this until several months after they released it. When I get a new album, I start it and listen to each track, but there is usually a time when I just skip to the next because I feel like I've heard all that the track has to offer already. This is not the case. No two tracks are alike and it's organized very well.

Die-hard Seether fans may say that this isn't as hard of an album as Disclaimer II, but there's still tracks like "FMLYHM" and "Fake It" that feel true to the spirit of the group. Listening to "Fallen" and "Walk Away From the Sun" may make you think that you're listening to Nickelback, but the anger and energy is distinct.

This album is great from beginning to end and is great for every rock/metal/grunge fan who just wants some easy listening.