Video Killed the Internet Star

I'd like to announce the addition of video reviews to the Syndicate.

Our good friend Drew Walton has begun transmission from an undisclosed location in the middle of Arkansas. You might remember him from some guest review work way back in the day. We know you'll love Drew's infectious personality and sense of humor as much as we do. And it doesn't hurt that he's a pretty damn good drummer and hardcore connoisseur either.

Expect to see more video offerings from him in the near future.

End of Summer

Hey Everyone,

As you probably noticed, the last month was hectic for us. Eddy was in Brazil for most of the month and I've been slammed at work. Hopefully things will slow down for us in October. We have at least 2 interviews lined up this month, so check back for those in the near future.

Until then, keep rockin'.

A Week to Catch Up

Hey Everyone,

Well, with the DNC in town, I've got the week off from work. So between working on the house, I'm going to squeeze in some new content and finish moving the old content. I moved about 15 reviews from the old site this evening and with some luck, I'll have everything done by midweek. I've got 2 interviews to format and those will be up before the weekend.

Keep rockin'.

Pack Your Bags...

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the 2 week dry spell. I just moved. What a pain in the ass! Anyway, I'm starting to get organized, so you should start seeing some reviews popping up from me here and there. Eddy has been super busy at work, but he has a few things in store for you as well.

Until then, keep rockin.'

Old Content

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick note, I'm officially to the halfway point of transferring our old content. All of our past interviews and reviews from #-L are now accesible in the new format. I'll be moving the rest of the reviews over the next few weeks. As always, the old site is linked at the bottom right.

Until then,

Keep rockin'.

Coming Soon, a Cavalcade of Content

Rob and I have been working on some behind the scenes formatting issues throughout the last few weeks, and I've been holding back new content until we got to a good point. I think we're there, so expect to see some juicy new vittles from me in the coming days.

I'm really excited about how things have turned out.

Plus, I'd like to send a big thanks to Rob for his hard work. In addition to all the back end matters, there have been some events that have kept me from working on the site. Rob, as always, has done a great job during this chaotic time.

That's it from me. Thanks.

Current Happenings

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know where things are for BST at the moment.

We've been working on some internals and we believe we have made some changes for the better. Our review format is finalized and all of the reviews that have been posted since the site re-format have been updated. Soon enough, you will see a large update from Ed, covering the things he has been working on lately.

Also, I've been transferring our old content. As you may have noticed, the columns to the right are starting to include more content. I'm hoping to move 8-10 reviews a week, and hopefully all of our content will be in the new format before too long. If you can't wait for that, you can always use the BST 2002-2007 link at the bottom right of the frame.

Keep your eyes out for new reviews in the next week. I've got a bunch of new material to listen to, so I'll pass along my thoughts to you very soon.

Until then, keep rockin'.

Old Content

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I'm working on moving our old content over to the new format. I have moved all of our past interviews and a good portion of our spotlight bands to the new format. If you look to the right column of the page, there is an "Archive" section which will show posts by their original post date. Also, each item is categorized accordingly. I'm going to start transferring the old reviews in the upcoming weeks, so you should be able to find just about all of our old content in the new format very soon.

Keep rockin'.

Quite the Undertaking...

In an effort to further populate the newest version of the site with content, I've decided to re-format all of the content from the old site. Unfortunately, this won't be something that happens overnight. Keep your eyes open over the next few weeks, as I move things over. Any old content will include an "ORIGINAL POST" date at the top.

Keep rockin'

Review Format Update

So, after a bit of a trial and error period, we have decided to modify our review format again. We are streamlining things to make it easier on you, the reader, and us, the writers. In addition to the changes below, we will be breaking down reviews alphabetically into only 2 groups (A-L and M-Z). You can find your favorite bands with ease by using the search bar in the upper left corner of the page. (FYI, all reviews posted recently will be re-formatted to the new format).

As you may know, in the past there was little explanation of what our reviews were based upon and our scale was based on the traditional 90% or higher - A, 80-89% - B, 70-79% - C, 60-69% - D, 59% or less - F. Any reviews that have a % out 100% are past reviews using the old format.

The new format, described below, will give more explanation of how albums are critiqued and expose the strengths and weaknesses of each band. The new system will allow the truly special albums to set themselves apart from the average release.

Each of the four categories will be evaluated out of a possible 100, and the four values will carry equal weight in computing the “BSTscore”.

• Musicianship
• Vocals
• Creativity
• Impact
  

Definitions and scale explanation:

• Musicianship – This category will take into account the band’s talent/technical ability and the flow of the songs. Does everything fit together? Does the music fit the band’s abilities?
• 100 – The band has unmatched talent. The songs could not be composed better.
• 80 – Band members have above average talent. Arrangements are strong and tight.
• 60 – The band has average talent. Most of the album is consistent.
• 40 – Most members show average or below average talent. Songs could use work.
• 20 – The band has below average talent. The album should be re-written.

• Vocals – This category will evaluate the vocalist’s ability to deliver lyrics with clarity, range, and key, as well as the songwriter’s ability to convey the band’s message/express feelings.
• 100 – Vocals are unique, flawless, crisp, and clear. Lyrics are unique and meaningful.
• 80 – Vocals and lyrics are strong, powerful, and meaningful.
• 60 – Vocals are adequate, with some flaws. Lyrics are mainstream, somewhat impersonal.
• 40 – Vocals are off-key or muffled. Lyrics are generic.
• 20 – Vocals are incomprehensible. Lyrics are pointless, erratic.

• Creativity – This category compares the album to other releases. Where is this album compared to past releases? To other bands? Is the band pushing any boundaries?
• 100 – Genre defining, groundbreaking.
• 80 – Unique and strong.
• 60 – Stands out from the pack, but nothing extraordinary.
• 40 – Carbon copy. Same “equation.”
• 20 – Regression.
  

• Impact – Where is this band going? How will it impact your music collection? Do they have the "it" factor?
• 100 – This is top of the list material. An instant classic.
• 80 – This will be in regular rotation.
• 60 – Might be good for road trips.
• 40 – You might remember where you put it.
• 20 – Put this on the shelf and forget about it.

A New Beginning?

Hey Everyone,

Things have been kind of hectic around here of late, but as you can see, we have completed the new format. Both Eddy and I are adjusting to the new format, but we believe that we have created a more streamlined approach to bringing you new content. Obviously our site has been dedicated to the music community for the past 6 years (Can you believe it's been 6 years!), but we've also touched on many other subjects as well. Our new format will allow for us to provide insight on everything from music, movies, politics, or anything else that might be on our mind.

Keep checking back for new content in the next couple of days.

Thanks!

The New blood.sweat.tears

Welcome everyone.

You've happened to stumble upon the brand spanking new BST. The BST I've been talking about in my last couple of posts at the previous site. The one that's been over a year in the making.

Yep, it's finally finished.

As you can see, the site has been completely revamped. Out of all the versions we've been through, this is definitely the most dramatically different. You may also be noticing the blog format. We believe it will streamline the content creation process on our end, while providing a more dynamic viewing experience on your end. The days of writing an article and meticulously having to format the HTML are gone. This will save us an extraordinary amount of time, which means Rob and I will finally be able to post on a regular basis.

However, all the conveniences of our old site are still here, along with new ones. All our content will be filtered into topics, which you can access on the right. Also, you'll be able to make comments after each post. Remember the old BST Community? Well, we now have the opportunity to resurrect that dialog. Instead of news feeds, we'll post our articles right here, so you can immediately see what's fresh. And if you want to check out our previous site, just click on the link, also to your right.

Be sure to come back on a regular basis, as the content will definitely be flowing more frequently. I know that on my end alone, I have a ton of stuff I want to talk about.

And a big THANK YOU goes out to my good friend Mike Hardy for drawing the amazing sketch featured in our banner, which is also brand spanking new.

Thanks for visiting.