Review a band or musical act that you enjoy—make sure to let us know why you think they’re a significant act

AFI, Because the shows are always active, on stage and off. They dance, and they jump around the stage and not to mention davey has a habit of walking in the crowd like a god, during his song god called in sick today. I enjoy them because thier music fits my life and life style.



While still in high school in Ukiah, California, Davey Havok (vocals), Mark Stopholese (guitar) and Vic Chalker (bass) formed an outfit called AFI in 1991. At the time, the band did not know how to play any instruments. Stopholese suggested his friend Adam Carson, who had a drum kit, join the band.[1] Stopholese learned guitar and Chalker learned bass, but Chalker was soon replaced by Geoff Kresge and AFI made their first EP in recording Dork (1993) with the now defunct Loose Change, which included future AFI guitarist Jade Puget.
AFI disbanded when its members attended different colleges, including UC Berkeley where members of the band lived and practiced for a time in the basement of the Delta Chi fraternity house on Channing Way. Kresge moved to New York where he played with Blanks 77. After reuniting to perform a live show, the other members decided to drop out of college to play full-time with AFI. Between 1993 and 1995 they released several vinyl EPs (Behind the Times; Eddie Picnic's All Wet; This Is Berkeley, Not West Bay; AFI/Heckle; Bombing the Bay; Fly in the Ointment;) independently. Their first full-length, Answer That and Stay Fashionable was released in 1995. In 1996, the band released their second album, Very Proud of Ya, on Nitro Records. The songs "Cruise Control" and "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" from Very Proud of Ya were used in the 1996 independent film Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore, which was first screened in 1997 and also featured Havok in a small role.
After several tours in support of the album Very Proud of Ya Kresge decided to leave the group. His spot was filled by Hunter Burgan for the remaining Very Proud of Ya tour dates. Burgan went on to help AFI record Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes (1997) and was invited to become the full-time bassist. Future AFI guitarist Jade Puget also provided background vocals on Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes, making it the first album to feature all four current members of the band.
After recording the A Fire Inside EP (1998), Stopholese left the band and was replaced by Jade Puget, his close friend. Following the A Fire Inside EP, the band recorded Black Sails in the Sunset (1999), a musical turning point which introduced AFI fans to a much darker sound.[2] On this album, their original hardcore roots were still the base of their sound, but with Dark Romantic influences (a poem by Charles Baudelaire, "De profundis clamavi," is present in the hidden track "Midnight Sun"). The influence of the Deathrock & Horrorpunk scenes was also apparent. As a result, since then AFI's genre has been often described as "Gothic punk".[3]
The All Hallows EP (1999) spawned the single "Totalimmortal," a track later covered by The Offspring for the Me, Myself and Irene soundtrack. It received a fair amount of radio play and exposed AFI to larger audiences. Offspring frontman Dexter Holland was featured as a backing vocalist on a number of Black Sails tracks.
In 2000, AFI released The Art of Drowning, which debuted on the Billboard Charts at number 174[4]. "The Days of the Phoenix" was released as a single and video in order to promote the album. "The Days of the Phoenix", like "Totalimmortal", had some moderate mainstream success, garnering the band both TV and radio airplay.
AFI's new logo as of April 11, 2006
In 2002, AFI left Nitro Records and released Sing the Sorrow (2003) on DreamWorks Records. The songs Girl's Not Grey, The Leaving Song Pt. II, and Silver and Cold had some Billboard chart success and exposed the band to even larger audiences. They were nominated in the MTV Video Music Awards 2003 in the MTV2 award category for the video "Girl's Not Grey", which came to be the first VMA they won.
In June 2006, their newest album, Decemberunderground, was released on Interscope Records. Reviewers have noted an even progression in sound for AFI in this album, featuring ColdPop and New Wave[5] elements. The album's first single "Miss Murder" reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts.[6]The release reflects the continually changing and growing fan base of the band, and the album debuted as No. 1 on the Billboard charts.[7] The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies of the album, and is expected to go platinum later this year.[original research?] Also, the band's second single, "Love Like Winter", enjoyed tremendous success on MTV's Total Request Live and was retired after 40 days on the countdown.
On December 12, 2006, AFI released their first DVD I Heard a Voice, featuring a live performance shot in Long Beach, California.
On January 20, 2007, AFI played "Miss Murder" and "Love Like Winter" on Saturday Night Live. Although the band performed "Love Like Winter" according to plan, technical difficulties occurred during their set of "Miss Murder", in which Davey sounded mute during various points of the song. However, in later reairings of the episode, Davey's voice is very audible during "Miss Murder".
Though "The Missing Frame" was originally supposed to be the third single off Decemberunderground,[8] Davey Havok has confirmed in the "Ask AFI" section of the Despair Faction message boards that there will not be a video for the song.[9] It is unknown if there will be a video made for another song. Havok also confirmed on the same boards that there will be no summer tour.[10] Puget has begun writing some material for a new album.[11]
On July 7, 2007 AFI performed at the American leg of Live Earth. They performed "The Missing Frame", "Love Like Winter", "Miss Murder" and a cover of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust".
AFI released a live album called I Heard A Voice from Long Beach Arena. This was released on iTunes on November 13, 2007. It features notable hits from past AFI records such as: "Miss Murder", "Girl's Not Grey" "The Leaving Song, Pt. II", and "The Days of the Phoenix."
A new EP has been confirmed for a possible December release. It will contain previously unreleased songs from the Decemberunderground and Sing the Sorrow sessions.
Carcinogen Crush was made available as a downloadable song exclusively for the XBox 360 version of Guitar Hero III by obtaining a code from purchasing the official soundtrack of the game.[12] It has also been confirmed that the song will be on the upcoming EP, and as of December 4, 2007, can be downloaded online as its own single. The song was originally recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions, but was never released. The band re-recorded it during the Decemberunderground sessions, the latter will be on the new EP.
Davey Havok - vocals (1991-present)
Jade Puget - guitar, backing vocals, programming, keyboard (1998-present)
Hunter Burgan - bass, backing vocals, programming, keyboard (1997-present)
Adam Carson - drums, backing vocals (1991-present)
Former
Mark Stopholese - guitar, backing vocals (1991-1998)
Geoff Kresge - bass, backing vocals (1992-1997)
Vic Chalker - bass (1991-1992)

Midnight

the clock struck midnight last night...
My back is against a wall Im fighting with myself
My head, heart, and stomach all hurt. I can feel my heart beat in my face. I can feel my blood pressure starting to rise. Im shaking for some unknown reason. Not to sound weak but I hate this. I can do nothing but ride this feeling out. It comes and goes when I'm going through a "change". I keep things close to meet that are items of strength, trying to harden my resolve. I know I'm far better then I was, but I still can't stand this. Feeling as if I'm not getting where I want to be fast enough. Feeling like I'm alone and hating it, even though I chose this for my self. By NO means am I weak. Im just fighting myself for control over my own being. Nothing And NO ONE will stop me from getting where I want to be.
Don't read this and think im sad, or depressed....I'm not.Things are just coming into view about my life and who I have in it.

Write about your “experiences with diversity.” How do you interact/engage people and ideas that are different than you?

people who are different then me, are the types of people i tend not to get alog with or even bother with, because most of those people tend to anoy me. Im not really sure why, i just dont like what i see from most people, even if they arnt that diffrent from me. when i do interact with people i useually prepare myself for a headach, because all people tend to do is talk, bitch and moan, cry and curse up a storm because they arnt grown enough to such it up and controle themselfs. I rather engage with people who can act like adults and handle things as such.
But i have had to deal with many people who are diffrent, some of them just like to get into small conversations and withh just about talk about anything with out getting hyped up, i suppose i only like people who are not hyped up crack addicts.

Review a band or musical act that you enjoy—make sure to let us know why you think they’re a significant act

AFI of course, Their music is not only able to connect in some small way to every and anyone, but in concert each band member is energetic and have thier own styles in doing things on stage. They jump, kick, dance and sing at the same time. not to mention very sexy! and of course straight edge, which is a way to influence me!


"decemberunderground is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation. It is a community of those detached and disillusioned who flee to love, like winter, in the recesses below the rest of the world."-Davey Havok
decemberunderground is also the title of AFI's seventh album. And like much of the record's lyrical and visual imagery, it seems to stand in stark contrast to the name behind the band's world-renowned moniker: A Fire Inside. Then again, the brightest flames burn white-they just don't usually burn so bright for so long.
The documented origins of AFI stretch back to 1991 when Ukiah, California teens Davey Havok and Adam Carson formed the band and released a debut split 7" the following year with fellow Ukiah High students Loose Change (whose lineup at the time featured future AFI guitarist Jade Puget) titled Dork (Hey, they were in high school). A handful of singles, EPs, compilation tracks and early albums Answer That And Stay Fashionable (Wingnut, 1995) and Very Proud Of Ya (Nitro, 1996) followed in that youthfully exuberant, sometime sophomoric East bay hardcore/punk mode, as early incarnations of AFI hit the road and began to cultivate a worldwide following.
The earliest hints of AFI's move in a more diverse, mature direction appeared on their third album and first to feature current bassist Hunter (ex-the Force), Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes (Nitro, 1997) and the subsequent A Fire Inside EP (Adeline, 1998). It would be one more year, however, before the present AFI lineup would click with the addition of Jade Puget (ex-Redemption 87) and the release of fourth album Black Sails In The Sunset and the All Hallows EP (both Nitro, 1999). Another year later, The Art Of Drowning (Nitro, 2000) would find that AFI signature sound received by a rabid audience by then numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Yet more new AFI disciples would come into the fold as that record's "Days Of The Phoenix" somehow found its way onto modern rock radio playlists.
AFI would make the decision to brave major label waters soon thereafter, releasing sixth album Sing The Sorrow on Dreamworks in 2003. Another ambitious leap forward for the Ukiah foursome, Sing The Sorrow was co-produced by Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink 182) and Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins), and expanded the AFI palette in all directions: "Girl's Not Grey" would be the band's single most infectious "pop" moment to date, while "Death Of Seasons" incorporated lockstep industrial rhythms and mournful choruses before dissolving into a cacophony of screaming anguish. Elsewhere on the record, "Leaving Song Part 2" and "Dancing Through Sunday" showed that the familiar AFI chant-along choruses were as fierce and frantic as ever, even if they were couched in increasingly virtuosic musicianship.
As with AFI's previous forward strides, their fans made the leap of faith with them-and then some. Sing The Sorrow sold in excess of one million copies U.S. and the bands burgeoning live draw continued to grow exponentially. Sing The Sorrow's success would also provide AFI its first truly mainstream recognition, in the form of the 2003 MTV2 Viewers Choice Award, as well as best of 2003 accolades from the NEW YORK TIMES, GUITAR WORLD, SPIN, ALTERNATIVE PRESS, REVOLVER and USA TODAY-who named "Girl's Not Grey" one of the top singles of 2003.
"I was completely in awe then and still am now," says Hunter. "It all seemed to have come naturally from our efforts and honestly that's really hard for me to comprehend."
As the members of AFI readily acknowledge, their atypical success story owes no small debt to possibly the most passionate and unlikeliest assemblage of fans to coalesce around any artist: The Despair Faction. "They're not really a fan club per se," says Jade. "The Despair Faction was conceived to be more interactive than that, to have more of a direct connection with us." As such, in addition to more conventional fan club perks such as exclusive merch and ticket pre-sales, DF members regularly attend AFI's soundchecks, where they come bearing gifts ranging from vegan baked goods for Davey and Hunter to homemade AFI merchandise, clothing, artwork and other keepsakes.
Now with the new decemberunderground, AFI invite the Despair Faction and other fans new and old (and yet to be made) to experience their most accomplished and labor-intensive work to date. The product of some two years so worth of painstaking songcraft and performance, decemberunderground finds producer Jerry Finn returning to provide an evolutionary continuity between Sing The Sorrow and the new record. With their team in place, AFI then set about the process of writing and perfecting decemberunderground.
"There's a lot more attention to detail on this record," Jade recalls. "We spent a long time writing it. We refused to rush ourselves. We took our time not just on every song but on each guitar part, each vocal, each bass line. We definitely didn't rush into the studio."
"Plus we had such a huge amount of material written," Adam adds. "Condensing that sheer volume and magnitude down an album's worth of songs was very difficult. We could have made five different records"
The fruit of this labor is a record that Davey Havok is confident "should break us out of any preconceived genres." And even on a cursory listen, the wealth and diversity of material backs him up from the first note: "Prologue: 12/21" is a rhythm/vocal-oriented curveball that differs radically from the customary calls to arms that have opened all AFI albums since Black Sails From there, decemberunderground veers from AFI's first straight-up vintage glam style shuffle on first single "Miss Murder" (complete with backing chants from the Despair Faction) to the stark and stunning soundscape of "Love Like Winter" and the epic suite "The Interview." The longtime AFI faithful need not worry, as decemberunderground features more than a fair share of familiar AFI hallmarks, from the slash and burn of "Kill Caustic" and "Affliction" to the balladic finale' "Endlessly, She Said."
Of AFI fans' reaction to the new record, Davey says, "Our fans always come with us every step of the way. I think they recognize honesty in our music, that this is the only way we can express ourselves, to make music that we love. Nothing else. That's what allowed us to make the jump way back when and what continues to keep us going now."
"Some artists fear change and their fans' reaction to it," Jade says. "A big part of our relationship with our fans is that we do change with every record. It's expected and embraced."
"That's true," Davey agrees. "Our fans would probably be devastated if we ever released a record that was too similar to the previous one.""Whenever we start covering territory we've covered before," Adam adds, "We just get bored."
Jade condludes: "As long as you make the record you want, sales don't matter. We have our music and our fans. Everything else is subject to the whims of the marketplace."

people iv met at hvcc

Iv met many people here at hvcc, though ill only remember a few names, such as Fallyn, Chris and mark.
Fallyn because shes the wildst and crazyest person iv ever met, she also has a obsession with green day that no one could beat. Chris, because hes from a family of 5 brothers and can actually amazingly stand them, also he was the first person to talk to me when i came here. Mark because hes just plane weired, he asked me my name then told me he planed to ask me out the same day and wanted my number, i havent spoken to him scenc, he just freaked me out. These are some people iv met and i actually am glad to have met some and others nopt so much.

how do i feel about english class

what you have learned in this class-I have learned that not all essays have to be serious, such as in high school, my high school teachers never Appreciated humor in our work. were as, you actually do.

what you would like to know more of- I would like to know more about everything, and anything that has some intrest.

what you like about class-What, do i like about this class...blogs are fun, papers are short, not like the 12-15 page papers i had to write in high school. Everyone in the class has fun, and lots of laughs, yeah it sounds really cheesy but it makes me laugh which in return makes me happy.

what you don't like about class-The group work, i hate group work and i hate the attention when i read aloud, i really dont like people looking at me at all.

Final project idea and next essay topic

For my final project i chose to write about is what prevention techniques and/or penalties should be applied to sex offenders and abusers. I picked this topic because being the victim of sexual abuse, i found it to be devistating on my life.

The larger idea to this writing is the prevention and the penalties, are they strong enough?I dont think so.

should they be harsher? I think so.

The smaller idea, I dont think thier is a smaller idea to this topic, but it would be should be the out come of a victims mental and physical state after being victimised.

My topic will help shed some light on ways to protect yourself and others from being placed in a position that involves being harmed. The Topic will also have facts from doctors and phycologists to prove my thery.