I recently purchased Ghosts I-IV, which isn't exactly "new" anymore (it came out back in 2008), but for some ridiculous reason I had skipped over it or forgotten about it until this year. But I am so glad I picked it up, even if I was a little late! I love the instrumentals of Nine Inch Nails, and a whole two-disc album's worth?! Fantastic! Then I posted about it on Facebook, only to realize that I was not alone in my procrastination: two of my NIN-head friends who I thought would be chastising me for not listening sooner were asking me to get them copies! Naturally, I referred them to the website where you can download the whole album for five bucks. But anyway, on to my original impetus for this blog entry, which is the breathtaking artwork accompanying this album.

There have always been extremely talented artists working to create the visual "feel" for every Nine Inch Nails album. For Ghosts, it was photographers Phillip Graybill and Rob Sheridan, whose landscape and macro photography fit so well with the music. You can download a free 40-page PDF of the Ghosts photographic images, and here are some examples:

Mirror entry from BurntWeiners.com: Seth Green Vs. Katy Perry - "Geek and Gamer Girls"

1. Johnny Cash (5), 1. System of a Down (5), 3. Slayer (4), 3. Danzig (4), 3. CAKE (4)

1. Nine Inch Nails (46), 2. Slayer (9), 2. Johnny Cash (9), 2. Pantera (9), 5. Faith No More (8), 5. Danzig (8), 5. CAKE (8)

1. Primus (11), 2. Alice in Chains (7), 3. Testament (6), 3. Tool (6), 3. Faith No More (6)

1. Slayer (35), 2. White Zombie (11), 3. Nine Inch Nails (8), 4. Static-X (7), 4. Johnny Cash (7)

The final CD turned out really awesome! I almost made a duplicate for myself, but then I figured I'd be hearing it ten times through every day and that would be enough. A couple highlights that he has really enjoyed are Peaches and Buttmachine (again, go figure).

1. Queen - We Will Rock You, 2. Queen - We Are The Champions, 3. Queen - Another One Bites The Dust, 4. AC/DC - Big Gun, 5. AC/DC - T.N.T., 6. CAKE - Mahna, Mahna, 7. CAKE - The Distance, 8. Sepultura - Ratamahatta, 9. The Presidents of the United States of America - Lump

10. The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches, 11. The Bags - Unlock The Cage, 12. Beck - Where It's At, 13. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Looking Out My Back Door, 14. George Thorogood and the Destroyers - Bad To The Bone, 15. Johnny Cash - I've Been Everywhere, 16. Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance, 17. That 1 Guy - Buttmachine

1. Nine Inch Nails (39), 2. Alice in Chains (23), 3. How to Destroy Angels (17), 4. Ministry (13), 5. Sepultura (6)

1. Music. Without electricity, I can't listen to music. This is why I married a musician--as long as he's alive and with me and has a guitar, we're golden.
2. Sleep. Oh, my precious, precious sleep. Hours and hours of sleep. How can a person be expected to sleep during a zombie apocalypse? Nothing but nightmares.
3. Medicine. Way-back-when, if a person had a fever, they would die. Nowadays we have Tylenol. How much would it suck to die of a fever when there's a perfectly good zombie apocalypse going on?
4. Shoes. Shoes wear out, become soiled, tear and split, and during a zombie apocalypse it's not often that you're strolling through the mall.
5. Bananas and citrus fruits. I live in Iowa--do we even grow fruit here? Maybe some strawberries, an apple tree or something, and a shit-ton of berries (but I don't think they count).
6. Toilet paper. Enough said.

This is all assuming that I do indeed survive long enough to get past the "OH SHIT" part of the zombie apocalypse and have time to gather my thoughts, mourn the loss of my family and friends, come to terms with the reality of the situation, figure out a plan to avoid dying, and THEN reminisce about the amenities of the "good times".

1. Alice in Chains (10), 2. How to Destroy Angels (5), 3. Nine Inch Nails (4), 3. Danzig (4), 5. Faith No More (2)

1. Les Claypool (7), 2. Soulfly (6), 3. Pantera (5), 3. Pink Floyd (5), 3. Queen (5), 3. Danzig (5)

1. System of a Down (63), 2. Johnny Cash (12), 3. Nine Inch Nails (9), 4. Alice in Chains (8), 5. CAKE (7)

1. How To Destroy Angels (23), 2. Alice in Chains (8), 2. Clutch (8), 4. Nine Inch Nails (6), 5. Pink Floyd (3)

First impression: absolutely LOVE the album cover art. It makes me think of pulpy science fiction novels--very cool. I want a giant-sized poster of it to hang on my wall.

As far as the music, I may not exactly be the most unbiased listener. But that's why I downloaded it in the first place, right? I like techno-industrial as a genre, and I like most of the stuff Trent Reznor makes. I also really like Mariqueen Maandig's voice. I've listened to the songs about six times through now, and as a whole I have enjoyed them.

I definitely like the first song, "The Space in Between" (the video is also awesome). When I first listened to "BBB" (which apparently stands for "Big Black Boots") it was a bit of an eye-roller; it seemed contrived and cliche. But wouldn't you know it, that's the song that's been stuck in my head all day! So I've really come-around on that one. The final song, "A Drowning", is quite excellent. I like this EP enough that I am looking forward to hearing more, and plan to purchase whatever full length album they release next year.

1. Nine Inch Nails (19), 2. Ministry (8), 3. CAKE (6), 4. Tool (5), 4. The Rolling Stones (5), 4. Sepultura (5)

1. AC/DC (12), 2. Ministry (11), 3. Beneath the Surface [Iowa] (6)

If I were you, I'd check out these posts first (hint-hint):

Sneaky Hate Spiral. "Sneaky hate spirals begin simply enough. In fact, that is one of the hallmarks of sneaky hate spirals - they are merely the confluence of many unremarkable annoyances. ... The turning point is usually a minor but slightly jarring incident, initiated by some force of nature that cannot be blamed or scolded - like gravity or sleeplessness or wind. That last specification is very important. In order to send you into truly batshit crazy hysterics, the final straw must cause anger that cannot rationally be directed outward in any way."

This is Why I'll Never be an Adult. "...a few times a year, I spontaneously decide that I'm ready to be a real adult. ... I sit myself down and tell myself how I'm going to start cleaning the house every day and paying my bills on time and replying to emails before my inbox reaches quadruple digits. Schedules are drafted. Day-planners are purchased. ... I prepare for my new life as an adult like some people prepare for the apocalypse."

The Awkward Situation Survival Guide. "Sometimes you are ogling a pretty girl, sometimes you are trying to get a better look at a horribly misshapen person and sometimes you are just spacing out and your eyes happen to be pointing directly at someone. Whatever the case, when you are caught, you will feel shame. Lots and lots of shame."

12 Emoticons for the Advanced Writer. "Have you ever been overcome with an emotion but unable to find the right emoticon to express yourself? The answer is yes. And I'm going to help you."