BenGraver.com

Innerpartysystem: The Ruling Class

Ben — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:09:50 +0000

Innerpartysystem is pretty badass club/rock band (think BT meets Lostprophets) from Reading, PA and I’m calling it .. they’re about blow up. Not only do they take their name from George Orwell’s 1984, but they’re just so damn catchy. I caught them on tour with ASHES dIVIDE in May, and their stage show blew me away. I can’t remember the last time I saw a band that meshed a driving club feel (with real drums) with the raw energy of rock. That night I picked up their self-recorded The Download EP and it’s been in constant rotation ever since. Just recently they made quite a wave at Lollapalooza, and made their way on to the Madden 09 soundtrack.

Their full-length self-titled debut album on Island Records drops on September 9th. I would highly recommend picking it up, and catching them live. I’ll be seeing them tonight at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster.

MP3: Innerpartysystem – Don’t Stop

Bush or Batman?

Ben — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:55:47 +0000

In honor of the epic film The Dark Knight (which I saw twice this weekend), I’ll share this quick sketch by Secret Pants. See if a few Philadelphians came tell whether a quote was uttered by our fearless commander-in-chief, or the caped crusader from the 1960s.

Kudos to one of my favorite web comics, ExtraLife, for the link.

AT&T Hates Me

Ben — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:21:34 +0000

AT&T 3G Coverage in Hellam, PA

Like many other iPhone owners, the first thing I did upon hearing about the new iPhone 3G was surf over to AT&T’s coverage map to shake the proverbial magic 8-ball of 3G coverage. My little nook of Pennsyltucky? Not likely, I thought. But when AT&T announced it was rolling out 3G in Lancaster County, I thought there might be some hope, as I’m a stones throw across the Susquehanna River. By the way, I’m happy to say I preempted the announcement by 20 hours. Yes, I surf too much.

As fate would have it, some entrails of 3G coverage are splattered around my apartment. I seriously think someone at AT&T is screwing with me, as I’m not the only one to see the hidden imagery encompassing my neighborhood. Bastards. Even though I do use WiFi at home, their coverage here is yet another reason I’m holding off the upgrade. At least that’s what I’m telling myself this week.

Dot

Ben — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:34:07 +0000

A few years ago, a friend of mine discovered a “mockumentary” which was in the process of being released, Dot. The storyline circled around a small dot-com startup company trying to get on it’s feet, just around the turn of the century (that would be before the market burst). I’m a little shady on the details of how exactly the film fell into my friends hands, but I believe he received a copy on VHS for free by promising he would “show it to very nerd he knew.” That’s where I step into the picture. I loved the film, although I still cringe during certain scenes as they hit a little too close to home. It has a very fresh feel as most of the scenes are improvised, and the cast are virtual unknowns (or college buddies who were given a few bucks to appear). It has also won a variety of indie film awards in the past years.

I picked up the DVD on Amazon a while ago, and it seems the filkmakers have now released a digital version of the full film, completely free. I highly recommend checking out this hilarious film, especially if you ever found yourself working at a small technology startup, with dreams of getting a “fat ass pool with a dollar sign.” Make sure to grab your pocket protector, for it is riddled with geek cliches.