What the Movies of 2012 Can Learn From Those of 2011

It hurts to admit this, but I went to the movie theater less in 2011 than I ever have in the ten years since I started working and could afford to go whenever I wanted. It wasn't necessarily the quality of the movies in 2011 but more the lack of ambition. I just didn't feel like I needed to go and see that many movies. With that being said, I will use my favorite movies from last year to illustrate what I would like to see more of in 2012.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Assassin's Creed Edition

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

The first in the series of third-person neck-stabbing games, Assassin's Creed mixes paranoid conspiracy theories, pseudo-science, and history to make one of the most interesting worlds of recent blockbuster games. Musicians share a fascination with some of those themes, so enjoy a playlist of spoken word, folk, soul, and more all about Assassin's Creed.

Sophist Radio Episode 57: American Pie Presents: Hobos Invade Beta House

This week the crew teams up to talk movies, great TV, and yes, videogames. Before they can begin to look ahead to 2012, the Sophists take the opportunity to look back on the year that was 2011. Harold, James, and Aaron do their best to cover every game they had the chance to play, wanted to play, and didn’t get the chance to play last year.They even find the time to crown a Game of the Year (Hint: it has something to do with Dragons). The show does cast an eye to the future as your hosts manage to take a small look into the unknown with a chat about the potential great titles of 2012.

7 Awesome Debut Albums of 2011 from Bands to Keep an Eye On in 2012 and Beyond

If you've been listening to my Monthly Music Wrap-Up podcast, you're aware of all the great music releases that came out last year. It's always great when a band we know and love put out a new album we enjoy, but the exciting part of music is finding those new up and coming artists that blow us away. With an amazing debut release, there's so much potential and promise ahead. It's fun to get in on the ground floor of a great new band and watch them grow and evolve. That's why I'm highlighting seven releases from 2011 of bands that are just getting started. The possibilities for these careers are endless. Let's sit back and watch them unfold together, shall we?

The 2011 Music Wrap-Up Podcast

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
2011 was an amazing year for music. I thought it only fitting -- given I'd wrapped-up all the music releases for each month of the year -- that I also put together something for the entire year. Not necessarily the "best" music of the year, but this podcast is a collection of favorite releases of the year. Not just my favorites; I also invited on plenty of special guests. Cerebral Pop staffers Chris Whitehead, Alex Martin, Matt Giguere, Cameron Pershall, Roberto Flores, Luis Alvarez, and Tom Heistuman all shared their favorites, as well as fellow podcaster Tyler Abstract, past Shuffled guest Brian Shirk, and one of my "in real life" friends Josh Meyers. Oh, and listener Suriel Vazquez emailed in his pick -- All amongst my own choices. Yes, it's a music-packed podcast to celebrate a music-packed year. Wave goodbye to 2011 along with us.

Shuffled #25: Math the Band Interview

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
It's a new year and a new edition of the Shuffled Interview series! This week I'm pleased to have Math the Band, an electronic punk rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. The two of them, Kevin and Justine, have been part of the local music scene for quite awhile now, and with all the touring they do (in addition to having day jobs) it's amazing to see how much crazy energy they put into their shows and songs. Check out more about them on their website and in the links below.

Three Games of 2011 that are Important to Gaming

Gaming in 2011 consisted of two things: first-person shooting and first-person shooting. As gamers we were forced to choose whose overly loud, hard to follow, and downright-confusing FPS experience to spend our time with. If their single player offerings failed to satisfy we had the opportunity to take our skills online and compete against millions of shoot-first-and-talk-later digital friends. Lost in this new-found rush to bolt on rollercoaster thrills and monthly map packs was the idea of a self-contained product. So join me as I shine a spotlight on three games that only ask you to play them and not become slaves to their quarterly financial reports.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

Disappointed with last year's movie offerings? Well, don't worry. 2012 is looking to be a bright year for the cinema. This list is chock full of awesomeness that the new year has to offer, so settle down with your buttered popcorn, pop open those M&M's, and throw some elbows to claim that armrest! These are my most anticipated movies of 2012.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (HD) Edition

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.
Stranger's Wrath may be set in Oddworld, but its familiar western themes and mashup species of Earthbound fauna provides ample material for an episode of Unoriginal Soundtracks. Listen for country from Grateful Dead side-project New Riders of the Purple Sage, multi-layered a-cappella from Jamie Woon, freak folk from Animal Collective, and more.

The Humble Indie Bundle: Reasons To Buy, Things To Think About

Hoping to strike up some conversation with fellow Cerebral Pop writers, I emailed everyone asking for their thoughts on the ubiquitous Humble Indie Bundle for a roundtable discussion. Much to my surprise, not many of the staff had purchased any of the bundles. Some said the only have access to a Mac; others were skeptical of the frequency of these bundles; and others voiced concerns that it has turned into a sort of elitist club for indie games.

All of these are completely valid arguments against purchasing the bundle.

However, I’d like to impose some arguments for purchasing the bundle, even if you don’t plan on playing any of the games. Here’s why:

Chris's Top 5 Albums of 2011

Welcome to my preamble! This is the introductory paragraph where I make a weak generalized observation about all five of my Top 5 albums. The third sentence--the one you're currently reading--will tend to have a lame joke. Again, don't blame that joke I just told on my unfunniness; I just know that no one really cares about this part of the post. It's just here to fill space. Here are my Top 5 albums of the year.

The December Music Wrap-Up Podcast

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
The December drought is over, and all of the amazing music of 2012 is just over the horizon, but first, we've gotta dig back through the past month and take a look at the few morsels of sustenance that helped us survive. There may not have been a lot of them, but they were some damn good morsels. That means this is a short episode, but worry not; I'm already hard at work on a 2011: Year in Review type of episode for release soon. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode, or read the blurb at the bottom of this post for details on how you can be included. But first, let's take a listen to December's haul.