The Republic of Thoronia

Mojiferous Industries has officially released the excellent Atomic Combat 2.0. It’s Macintosh only, but offers an excellent variation on Battleship. Download it today and keep up with us on the leaderboards (some snob calling themselves “blah” has already beaten the high score, but you’ll notice that I have the highest remaining population still). I am dedicating myself to being number one on that list, dammit. Download it here. While you’re there, don’t forget to snag a copy of Zoltan and hear the magical sounds of the Republic of Thoronia Band. As always, the programs are free.

So, here in Thoronia we have been epically busy living life, running things into walls and making stories. So, we’ve been a bit out of date when it comes to our usual selection of reviews on stuff and things, comments about worlds and other various tidbits of information. So, we’ve compiled it all here into one post. Tons of reviews of things, pointless arguments and opinions about random stuff. Why? Because we are well aware that the Republic of Thoronia is your number one place for news and reviews, and you value our opinions far more than everyone else’s. Right? Break!

» Read the rest of this entry «

As though King Thor was watching… coincidence that I just mentioned my disregard? Or perhaps a sign? Anyway, send this off to the Westword before the DNC and suddenly it appears today on the site.

Obi Best
Capades
Social Science

02:00-02:45 of “Nothing Can Come Between Us”: When I first saw this cover and name, I was really, really hoping that it was going to be a sort of Star Wars meets Feist sort of thing. Unfortunately, it’s just a Feist meets Feist kind of deal. I mean, she didn’t invent it, but Apple sure blew it away. Too bad: “1-2-3-4, Obi-Wan and Yoda score, 5-6-7-8, Darth Vader learns to enunciate” would have been sweet.

Bart Millard
Hymned Again
Simpleville Music

00:00-00:45 of “I Saw the Light”: What the hell kind of good Christian family gives their child a name like Bart Millard? Listen, I know we have a friend in Jesus and all, so can’t you ask him to time travel back to the moment you popped out of yer mama and give you a name change? Maybe switch up your label’s name while you’re at it, too. I mean, “simple” means a couple of different things.

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via [Westword.com]

Black Kids
Partie Traumatic
Black Kids Inc.

01:30-02:15 of “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You”: I remember hearing good things about this band a couple years back with the Wizard of Ahhhs EP, but I have to say that this is a bit disappointing – maybe just because it sounds, ugh, so two years ago.

CSS
Donkey
Sub Pop Records

01:00-01:45 of “Jager Yoga”: Oh man, when I first read the band name I thought it was the VSS and I got really stoked. Than I figured out it was CSS – and I got really stoked again, because I love cascading style sheets. Than I was disappointed a final time when I figured out it was that stupid iPod Touch band.

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Via [Westword.com]

Blind Pilot
3 Rounds and a Sound
Expunged Records

01:00-01:45 of “The Story I Heard”: “The Story I Heard” proves that the only difference between some indie-rock and commercial pop music is the fact that the indie bands just don’t get signed quick enough. This is the same crap that Coldplay churns out year after year – the big difference here is that no one gives a shit about Blind Pilot.

Hit the Lights
Skip School, Start Fights
Triple Crown Records

00:00-00:45 of “Count It!”: The beginning seconds of “Count It” quickly reveal that the boys in Hit the Lights had access to some sweet Garageband-like licks – with a piano tapping along at the caliber of a one-armed fourteen-year-old with ADD. Suddenly some reverb-drenched drums chime in as the singer croon’s along with that voice that is so unmistakably “pop-punk band” that even the cutest of ‘tween’s isn’t going to be able to distinguish this from the rest.

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via [Westword]