New Short in Production

My Design class began a new project this week, a flash animation. Hopefully ill get something good out of it and some motivation to go along with that. Expect the animation to be out in about 2 and half weeks. By the way its set to the song Hang Me Out to Dry by the Cold War Kids.

04/18/2007 16:00 |

Shine On

I Saw JET last Thursday night in New York City, Webster Hall. It was my first time seeing JET and my first time in Webster Hall, both of which were impressive sights. The thing I liked most about jet was how good their music still sounds live. With some bands you find yourself complaining about the overproducedness of albums and of artist sounding crap on stage, but jet was brilliant.

They, of course, played the classic sounds of Get Born (Cold Hard Bitch, Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Look What You’ve Done) and mixed it up with the more well known new music from their new album Shine On (Put You Money Where Your Mouth Is, Shine On) as well as some of the really good unappreciated music from Shine On and Get Born (Stand Up, Last Chance, Skin and Bones, Bring it on Back, Move On) and finishing up the set with an amazing performance of Roll Over DJ (which is apparently Nic Cester favorite song). So all in all, really pretty damn good and I might be going to see them again in the beginning of May up here in Hartford. Oh, also, Happy Easter / Passover / Whateverday.

jettheband.com

04/11/2007 19:16 |

Weekly Favorite

This week I just wanted to emphasize one part of my site, just explain it, you know. If you scroll down on the main page youll see in the side bar a feature called ‘This Weeks Favorite’. This section features a piece of work by another creator, whether it be flash, game or website that I want to share that I had found in the past week. At the point of writing this it’s an inventive game by Jared Riley called Bubble Tank, but it changes every week (generally on Wednesday). Take a look once in a while, you might find something you like.

03/28/2007 13:39 |

Madame Tussauds

Theres something cool about a wax museum. Whether its seeing the incredible likeliness of wax figures to their actual counterpart or just getting to pose with people that you probably wouldnt meet in everyday life. Wax museums can be fun with your parents, the "ohh, look at how well Oprah is done" and the "hey look its George Bush", but going with you friends that a whole other experience. It becomes "ohh, I just grabbed Oprahs ass" and "Pull my finger George Bush". So yea, I had a lot of fun, the wax museum is what you make of it.

03/21/2007 15:16 |

Got Ma Nuts from a Hippy

The Fratellis Costello Music dropped this week, and Ive been waiting for it for a while now. Last summer I heard the drop you things, jump up and down, scream the lyrics, do whatever you want record Chelsea Dagger and have been anxiously wanting a full 12 more songs that make up the album Costello Music. From its four song debut, including Chelsea Dagger and Flathead (the itunes commercial song), through its brawly middle to the triumphant end every song contains one hell of a mouthful of lyrics, a good hard drum beat and cool guitar riffs. Over all there is really no song I would skip on this album as each is individual yet each represents the overall rhythm and contrast of the album as a whole and The Fratellis.

03/15/2007 18:32 |

Nothing New

Nothing really new going on in mercury studios; the majors being sickness and addition to StumbleUpon. Im just saying Im still here, and theres a new weekly favorite, this time by a pretty popular artist.

02/22/2007 16:46 |

Grammy Week

Another weekly favorite, this time blank by blank. Just a note on the Grammy Awards this last Sunday night. I don’t think its right for a single artist/group to win all top three awards (that is, record, song and album of the year). In fact for all five Grammy’s the Dixie Chicks were nominated for they won. Now I’m not a big fan of country, but am I wrong in the fact that just a couple of years ago they had their albums burnt in the street! I guess it was a year of returns for the grammy’s and, while I would liked to have seen some of the newer artists get some credit, I can appreciate the credit given to the Chili Peppers(rock song and rock album of the year), John Mayer’s new album and even Mary J Blige’s new album(though not her 59 person acceptance speech).

02/14/2007 12:50 |

Week 2

Week two of mercury studios is here, so my weekly favorite has changed, this time to a piece by a New Zealand artist called Dumbbell. Also I just like to comment on the social irregularity that is the superbowl, how can one program screw up television so much—since when did we watch a tv show for the advertisements. It makes now sense; in a regular day we have things like tivo to skip the adverts, but it’s completely backwards on this one day. Oh and by the way: best commercial was, by far, the bud light slap.

02/07/2007 13:45 |

mercury-studios.com

Welcome to Mercury Studios dot com. That’s right, were live and the website is at least 3 and a half times better than Mercury Cartoons. In the future look for the about page, possibly a breadcrumbs-style navigation system and possibly some unobtrusive ads to pay for a bit of the hosting.

02/02/2007 18:45 |

Happy New Year

I Just wanted to say ‘Happy New Year’; its 2007. Oh my god! The sites set up for my ideas in 2007, whether that’s new flash—which is sort of my new years resolution as the production of 2006 and to an extent 2005 was miserable—interactive material or new sites. I have some ideas for new flash and my classes at school should hopefully yield some more sites, if not interactive substance.

01/01/2007 15:37 |

Top 10 Albums of 2006

As 2006 draws to a close I’m looking back at the best albums that came out in this year, as I count down 10 to 1 in the best albums of 2006. Starting with 10-4 listed then some ideas as to why i chose 3-1 in so many words.

10. The Kooks — Inside In/Inside Out
9. Keane — Under the Iron Sea
8. Pink — I’m Not Dead
7. Snow Patrol — Eyes Open
6. Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
5. Muse — Black Holes and Revelations
4. Red Hot Chilli Peppers — Stadium Arcadium

3. The Feeling — Tweleve Stops and Home: As their first studio album, this new ground from Britain has created an album that can be listened to over and over again. With great melodies and catchy lyrics this band are destined to take over America. I say this because, while the actual album won’t be released till January 2007 in the United States they have been alive and kicking in England for a reasonable amount of 2006, releasing 3 singles now. In America 4 stop and home has been released as well as the single Sewn as iTunes free download of the week.

2. Razorlight — Razorlight: Following up from their previous album and singles like ‘Golden Touch’ and ‘Somewhere Else’, Razorlight come out again

with a self-titled album that keeps what is Razorlight reinvents the active harmony. In 2006 this album was not as popular in America as they are in England, but nevertheless represents and great listen. Their single America is a highlight of the album, with its seriousness, yet lively sound; this mixed with the more vibrant sounds of ‘Fall to Pieces’ and ‘Los Angles Waltz.’

1. The Killers — Sam’s Town: My Number one and most awaited album of 2006, The Killers come back from their 2004 hit album ‘Hot Fuss’ with new songs and new sounds. While some have criticized the new album of a sound that variants from the ‘Hot Fuss’ Sounds; I think that ‘Sam’s Town’ Takes what is killers and runs with it creating singles like ‘When You Were Young’ and their newest ‘Bones.’

Adding things like a section of horns to songs like Bones creates an indefinitely better sound than that of ‘Hot Fuss.’ Other Songs like ‘Why Do I Keep Counting?’ represent Brandon Flowers new view of lyrics and new sounds. Las Vegas, Metaphors and escapism echo through the album that represents who The Killers really are.

Finnally i have some additions to the Top 10, because there are some albums that deserve to be here; here are the other awards:

Should be here but was actually from 2005: The Fray — How to Save A Life
Honorable Mention: Editors — The Back Room

That’s it, I like music so I put it together, its not official or anything, just my thoughts.

30/12/2006 19:12 |

Mercury Cartoons Becomes Mercury Studios

With the beginning of a new year comes version three of mercury studios, a new look and a new name. Mercury Studios stands now, not only for the cartoons produced but also the interactive features and websites produced. This is the new generation—version three—welcome to it. Mercury Studios.

09/12/2006 11:56 |