If anyone wants a copy, just ask. Just when all the leaves outside are changing colors, pop in this mixtape and it feels like a summer night in the clubs.

Artists remixed include Ladyhawke, 3OH!3, The Killers, Trouble Andrew, The Chemical Brothers, Chase & Status, The Crystal Method, Rammstein, The Presets Peaches, Benny Benassi, Missy Elliott, Black Rob, Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Local H, Keane, Ghostface Killah, Katy Perry, Prodigy, Numberning, Pantera and Nine Inch Nails

Adema - Adema

Oh 90s rock. How I sort-of miss you.

During the Daily Show last night, there was a segment titled "Moral Kombat," a play on the video game franchise Mortal Kombat. But it got me thinking about the promotion for Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The developers of the game put a trailer online backed by the music of 90s NuMetal band Adema.

I hadn't listening to Adema since the Great CD Capper. So today I picked up a copy of their self-titled album, and I'm actually kind of happy I haven't listen to them in years. Like a lot of NuMetal, most of the songs sound exactly the same with some campy synthesizer in the back and lyrics about being different or about being angry.

The one song I did enjoy, maybe only because it brought me back to my highschool days rolling around in my 1996 Mazda Mellenia, was 'Giving In.' I remember bumping that song on the way to and from my highschool thinking I was all angst ridden. I was the furthest thing from angst ridden (but it beats trying to relate to rap).

It's no wonder that only a few NuMetal bands are still making successful music. It seems like NuMetal rode the wave of Nirvana, Alice in Chains and the Grunge wave, only to crashdown after the wave broke.

While the music may not be the best, Adema's self-titled album makes make for a good trip down memory lane.

With the weather outside being gorgeous, a rarity for Pittsburgh, I decided today to do a little outdoor reading. Not actually wanting to be schorlary productive, I grabbed an old 'Surfer' magazine.

I was immediately depressed.

For three consecutive summers, I worked down the Jersey shore, surfing everyday. This summer I got a real job, a non-paying internship writing for NBCPhiladelphia.com While the internship was awesome, it obviously limited my surfing time. Reading that 'Surfer' today made the fact that i'm 300 plus miles away from the nearest wave sink in.

However the depression was soothed by the discovery of Grinspoon. Without giving too much details, there was an article in 'Surfer' about Mick Fanning's title win and the big party that was thrown just after. Mick's wife organized the shindig and even got Grinspoon, Mick's favorite band, to play live.

I thought to myself, if I can't surf, I can at least listen to the music world champion surfers listen to.

Grinspoon's "Alibis and Other Lies" is, well it's different. The guitars, drums and bass are all like normal rock, but the difference comes with the lyrics. Unlike most rock, if you look at Grinspoon's lyrics without hearing the music, you would get pretty confused. After two or three lines, the lyrics don't relate to the ones that came before it.

It's actually refreshing. Some rock is starting to get stale. Bands sounds alike, the songs are bland with no personality. While Grinspoon may not be great storytellers, you feel like you know the band by listening to thier songs.

The best track on the album may be the opener, "Black Tattoo." It's quick, short (2:49) and full of energy. If you close your eyes, you can deffinitly picture Mick tearing a wave apart while the song plays in the background.

If your looking for something that brings back the old energy and fun of yesteryear rock, pick up "Abilis and Other Lies" and rock out like Mick Fanning.

Purpose

I'm starting this blog as a way to convey my explorations into finding and listening to new music. The music may not always be new in that an album was just released or the band just formed. Rather it will be about the way I hear about band I don't listen to, my reactions to the music and other various things I feel like writing about relating to the music.

The blog will also cover me rediscovering bands that I have forgotten about or haven't listened to since the "Great CD Caper of 2003.'

Allow me to explain.

In 2003, while I was in high school, my car was robbed sitting in the driveway of my house. Among other things, the thieves stole my CD case which contained around 150-200 different CDs. What made it worse was that this was before I had iTunes, so the music was really gone.

So I hope that you find Adventures in Audio in Exploration, not only an amusing read, but maybe find some new music out of it as well.