Director Drew Appreciation Video Filbert & Grizz Show

Hello there! This is Filbert, here is something me and Grizz cooked up. It is for our director. Grizz just wanted to say: Have a nice day. Oh, such a nice little black bear. He is plushy too! But that is beside the point, right now I wanted to let you know this is a great video! If I do say so myself.

 

 

The bloopers were very funny! We did this without Director Drew! It was very hard, but we did it!

Hope you enjoyed it. If you have a problem or want to say something about this video then just comment below. Remember every Monday a new video!

M&F Bloopers - Monster Hunting

Here are the bloopers for when we did the Monster Hunting video. Enjoy! (Be sure to watch until the end, there's a surprise).

 

Slingshot Grizz

Hey! This is Zach-O! Here's some amazing work by Joshua! Having some fun and make'n money.

Writing Competition (Not Mine) And I Need Your HELP!

Greeting Genius Fans! This is the Executive Manager of Genius Brothers Productions. (In other words, I'm not Zachary. He's the President of Marketing).

Okay, I'm going to make this short because I know you all hate to read. (You love to watch videos, though, so a Murray & Filbert video should be posted in next couple of weeks).

I have just entered a writing competition hosted by Brock Eastman, a Focus on the Family employee. (For those of you who know Adventures in Odyssey radio show, Focus on the Family produces that show).

Currently, on this website (just type all that - or copy and paste it - into your browser to go there. Don't forget to ask your parents before going to the site, which is completely safe, family-friendly, and virus free):

http://brockeastman.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/saga-writing-contest-voting-begins/

There are ten short stories on that webpage. I wrote Sample #6. You'll know it when you read it, because it is about Ninjas. So the male audience of this blog will most probably love it. Also, if you are one of those unique girls who love medieval hand-to-hand combat, you'll also love it. If you are not any of the aforementioned personality types, you are still awesome, but you may not enjoy the story as much as others might. Okay, moving on.

If you have the time, simply read through the stories (so you have to love reading at least a little bit) and rank them in order of what you think is best. Then e-mail that ranking to:

thequestfortruthbooks@gmail.com

Once again, MAKE SURE YOU ASK YOUR PARENTS BEFORE DOING ANY OF THIS.

If you are confused by the process, read the beginning of the webpage for more instructions. You can also ask your parents to explain. Parents are awesome and smart, so they should be able to help.

I will not ask you to rank my story as the highest. Just kidding. What's the point of having a blog if I can't shamelessly promote myself?

Anyway, if you don't feel like doing this, then tell some adults or older people about it, and they can do it if they want. Thanks you, fans! Also, here's a random video of a couple of penguins. Enjoy.

Three Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure

Found this video on Godtube. Love those British accents!

And here's a couple of videos courtesy of Jostie Flicks, a Christian Homeschool online video-making family studio. (Kinda like us without the puppets and Legos).

M&F Short - Introducing Robin

Hey, everyone! This is Murray Fuzzyface, your friendly internet raccoon! Someone stole our camera, and we found this video in the data file. I have a feeling this was caused by one the many animals that have been sneaking into my house lately. If this keeps up, I'll have a veritable animal boarding house. It's bad enough sharing the house with Filbert, even if he does pay half the rent money.

Murray & Filbert: Water Polo, etc.

Happy New Year of 2014! Open Doors! Also, feel free to leave a comment below. If you don't have a blogger profile, just leave the comment as "Anonymous".

 

Murray & Filbert - Monster Hunting

Rise

Rise - Album Review - The Genius's Take

Introduction

I've read quite a few reviews on Skillet's newest album, Rise. They range from those who absolutely love the album, to those annoying people who are never satisfied no matter what they review. :) Given that I have my own blog (which I don't believe anyone reads anymore), I figured that I should probably write a review myself.

First, let me start off by saying that I first listened to Skillet's music on the album Invincible. I loved it as a 6 year old, thinking that the techno was the coolest thing I'd ever heard. For the longest time, Skillet and Relient K were the only artists I ever listened to. As time went on, I dumped Relient K, and forgot about Skillet. Some years later, my older sister played the song "Hero" for me. She gave me quite a shocker when she told me that Skillet did that song. It sounded completely different from the techno I was used to in Invincible. (By the way, after getting used to the new, harder sound, I loved "Hero." It's still one of my favorite Skillet songs).

It would be a few more years before I started listening to the albums between Awake and Invincible. After that point, I found that my favorite album was Alien Youth, with Comatose as a close second. I only liked three songs on Awake (Hero, Awake and Alive, and of course, Monster), and in my mind, Collide doesn't exist. (Maybe Savior, but other than that, I don't have anything positive to say about that album).

Then I heard that Skillet was going to release a new album, Rise, in June 2013. I was mildly interested, as I wasn't impressed with Awake, and I figured they would do a lot of the same stuff they did in that album. (Namely, a few great songs, and a bunch of forgettable songs).

Then the singles started getting released, and finally the album, which I listened to online. I can't say anything more without getting into the meat of this review. So here we go:

Rise:

The first song on Skillet's new album, and the namesake, starts with a synthesized tune. It sounds quite different than the hard rock guitar opening of "Hero". Then the drums go, and the song really gets you going. Vocals-wise, the lead singer is John Cooper. But Jen Ledger gets in a few good lines as often as she does on "Hero." Given how much I liked "Hero", I really liked this song. It's a great opener to the album, and it's lyrics are a call to action for us to rise and make a change. Far from being hopeless, the lyrics give the feeling that we can and must make a difference in the world: e.g. "Sound it off, this is the call. Rise in revolution. It's our time to change it all. Rise in revolution. Unite and fight - to make a better life. Everybody, one for all. Sound off, this is the call. Tonight, we rise." It's a real fight song. And I think it's safe to say that if you liked "Hero", you'll like "Rise."

P.S. I'm really annoyed at all of the lyrics websites online that say that the lyrics go "Rise and revolution." I have the CD lyrics. It's "Rise in revolution."

Sick Of It:

This song was the first single, and the first song I heard off of this album. When I first heard it, the first thing I noticed was very electronic sound of the track. It reminded me of the earlier days of the band in Invincible and Alien Youth. The song's lyrics focus on something (which is never specified) that you are sick of. The song exhorts you to "get rid of it, while there's a fighting chance." I like to listen to this song while thinking of something that I am sick of, that I just want gone. This is definitely one of the albums harder tracks, so if you're in the mood for a hard rock song with some nostalgic, cool electronic elements, this one is for you.

Good To Be Alive:

The first thing my sister (not the one referred to in the beginning of this post) said when I played this song for her was, "Wow. He's (John Cooper) not straining his voice. He's actually singing normally." And she is partly correct. For the first part of the song, his usual raspy voice is almost non-existent. Granted, it doesn't sound as good as it did in "Will You Be There" from Alien Youth (one of my favorite songs), and I realize that he's not singing very loud, which probably helps. But still, it's almost refreshing to hear. The rest of the song has a very "Feel Good" atmosphere to it. The lyrics reminds us to be thankful for what he have, rather than dwell on what we've lost. Chorus: "This life could almost kill ya, when you're trying to survive. It's good to be here with ya, and it's good to be alive." Normally, I'm not a big fan of Skillet slow songs. (Notable excepts before Rise: "Rest", "You Are My Hope", "Will You Be There", and all of Ardent Worship). But this has a catchy melody that makes it hard for me to skip it and go straight to the next track. A considerable feat for Skillet.

Not Gonna Die:

If you're hoping for some signature Skillet symphonic rock (i.e. electric violins) that we all know and loved since Comatose, this song definitely does not disappoint. This song could easily be my favorite song from the album, but it does have some competition from other songs in this album. That said, this song makes me sing along as loud and as best as I can in the car (which isn't that great, according to my younger brother's facial expression in the rear-view mirror). Once again, Jen Ledger's voice backs up Cooper in key places, much like "Rise." And like "Rise", this is a fight song. If you liked "Awake and Alive", you'll like "Not Gonna Die". (If you're a grammar teacher, you won't like the word "Gonna"). The lyrics really get me pumped, especially this part, "In a world gone mad, in a place so sad, sometimes it's crazy - to fight for what you believe. But you can't give up - no - if you want to keep what you love."

Circus For A Psycho:

My sister (the same one in "Good To Be Alive") frequently misquotes the name of this song as "Psycho On A Wheel". The reason she doesn't remember very well is probably because she doesn't really like this song. Which is probably because she doesn't really get the lyrics... or maybe because of the kids in the background singing, "Psycho, go go go. Psycho, here we go." Or maybe because of the crazy guitar. Or maybe because of the word "psycho" in the title. In other words, you'll either avoid this song altogether because it makes you feel uncomfortable, or you'll listen to it because you like the energy of the song... like me. Some of the lyrics are easy to understand. For example, "You push me 'till I break, and the anger turns to rage. Why can't you just leave me alone? Got your finger on the trigger, you think that you're the winner; but you're gonna get kicked off of your throne." The chorus's lyrics, on the other hand, are a little confusing, casting uncertainty on exactly what the "circus for a psycho" is. "Tonight, get ready for a fight. So now you know it's time to ride my circus for a psycho. Round and round we go. Look out below 'cause I, want off this, I want off this circus for a pycho." So is the cirucs an instrument of torture for the devil, or is an instrument of torture that Cooper wants off of? It's confusing. And if you can't listen to a song unless you understand the meaning behind the lyrics completely, than this probably isn't the song for you. But if you like the energy and combative lyrics, and want to see a song where you fight back against the "beast inside" (which we didn't see in "Monster"), then this song might work for you. I confess, sometimes I skip this song, but mostly because I want to get on to the other great songs in this album.

American Noise:

Another slow Skillet song. Although, unlike "Good To Be Alive", this one is liable to be skipped by most Skillet fans. It was the second single off the album, and likely was selected to show some of the diversity in music that comes with the namesake "Skillet." But if I were to choose a song that shows off Skillet's musical variety, I would have chosen "Fire and Fury." But more on that later. The lyrics aren't terribly deep. "Times will be bad. Times will be good. Things I wish I hadn't done, and some I wish I would. Cutting through the American noise. You got a voice. And a song to sing. Drink deep in the morning. Drink deep in the morning. See what the day will bring." As I've said before, "Good To Be Alive" does a better job of encouraging someone who's had a bad day. This track is okay. And I will listen to it from time to time. But it is most likely going to get skipped.

Madness in Me

Some people have compared this song to "Monster" from the album Awake. It is similar lyrics-wise. The song talks about the monster inside that threatens to take us over. But if you're looking for the hard guitar or the "monster chasing you" similes, you won't find it here. Like "Monster", it doesn't really get resolved in the chorus.It just focuses on the madness taking over. But there are some redemptive lyrics, the ones that make me want to listen to this song: "Just one chance, is all it takes. Can't change the past, but I can fight to change today." This is a hard song, but if I'm in the mood for hard, I'll probably listen to "Sick of It" rather than this track. To be honest, the biggest reason I listen to this song is to get to the interlude that comes after the main song.

Salvation

I haven't said anything about the interludes so far, and that's because they usually don't lend anything to the real songs. You can skip past them easily, and in most cases, I do. But this is the one interlude I can never skip, for a number of reasons. One, it has a scripture reading from Isaiah (which is for any of you fans who wondered if Skillet was still Christian). Two, the prelude flows right into the main part of the song. Third, it's always nice to hear a child's voice in the middle of a rock album. Speaking of other voices, Jen Ledger, for the first time, is the lead singer. And it works really well for this song. After hearing so much hard rock, the contrast in style of music and the different singer makes this song that much more refreshing to hear. The chorus goes: "I feel You keeping me alive. You are my salvation. Hold me. Heal me. Keep me near." For those fans who wanted a song with more of Jen Ledger's vocals, that song is here.

Fire And Fury

This is one of my favorites on the album. Cooper and Ledger share about an equal amount of the lyrics in this song, and it works really well. Although it is one of their slower songs, it is also one of their more different songs. If you listen closely, you can actually hear an accordion in the background. The lyrics go, "I will burn, I will burn for you - with fire and fury, fire and fury." The singers really project the idea of resolutely following God, and affirming how much we need Him. This has to be my second favorite Skillet slow song of all time (number one is "Will You Be There"). I can't ever skip this one.

My Religion:

Hmmm. Let's see. How do I begin this review? Well, let's put it this way. I downloaded the entire album Rise onto my MP3 except for this track. That just about sums it up. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any issue with the lyrics. But sometimes Skillet can get a little too diverse in terms of musical style. All it takes a few seconds of listening to this track and you'll know what I mean. It sounds almost like the blues. But with electric guitars. The lyrics aren't bad, but they don't make up for the music: "I don't need to stare at stained glass in a steeple. I don't need to dress to impress all of the people. Don't need no priest. Don't need no pew. You are my religion - my religion is You." This is the kind of song where the music makes you think, "Am I still listening to Skillet?" The answer to this is, "Yes, you are listening to Skillet. And apparently they burnt something in the skillet that smells really bad."

Hard To Find:

The song starts with some keyboard and some violin. Not a bad start for a Skillet song. Then comes a gentle melody. Then the chorus starts. And it works. It's not hard rock, but it's good. Much like "Good To Be Alive", I find it hard to skip this one, even though the next song is so good. Another great feat. The song goes, "You give me faith, to believe there's a way - to put the past behind me, behind me - and hope to make it through another night. You give me strength, during these dark times, when I'm blind, You are my light - when faith is hard to find." The rest of the lyrics give a real atmosphere of hope, even when everything around is screaming that there is no hope. Because God's reality is more real than any troubles you might be facing. At least, that's what I got out of it. It's a great song for when you're facing impossible situations, and you just need to be reminded that, with God,  there is always hope.

What I Believe:

Most bands put their best song in the beginning of the album, and leave their slow (and sometimes weaker) songs at the end. Not so with Rise. While "What I Believe" is not as a strong as Rise in terms of hard music, it definitely rises above "Rise" in terms of lyrics. This song sees the return of Jen Ledger in the vocals, sharing lyric duty with John Cooper. She gets to sing more than she does in "Awake and Alive", but less than in "Salvation." But the melody is good, and it really takes you along so that, when the chorus isn't being sung, there still aren't any dull moments. And as for the way that the song begins, it's textbook symphonic rock Skillet. You can't play this song loud enough in the car. It's the perfect song to end the album with... unless...

Bonus Tracks (oops):

...unless you bought the deluxe version, which doesn't end on "What I Believe." It contains three extra songs: "Battle Cry," "Everything Goes Black," and "Freakshow". I had limited money when I bought Rise, and decided that I didn't like these three songs well enough to warrant spending more money for them. You may think differently. If so, get your own blog and write your own review. :) I will say this, though: From I listend from the songs, don't expect the driving Pillar type melody in "Battle Cry." Same title, but two different artists. And Skillet took a different spin on this song that is much slower than the Pillar counterpart. As for "Everything Goes Black", I don't remember that one very well. I might say that's because the song is forgettable, but then I read somewhere that Jen Ledger sang in that song, which I didn't remember. So I might be giving that song a second look. Freakshow is nothing to sneeze at, but it isn't anything to rave about either, in my opinion. If I'm in the mood to compare Christians to freaks, I'll listen to DC Talk's "Jesus Freak." But again, I don't own these songs, so maybe I don't have enough information to properly review these songs. Oh, well. It's my blog. And nobody is probably reading this anyway, so no one will be offended. So I can say things like: "Stop reading this blog and go do something useful."

Summary:

Rise is a great comeback for Skillet. Especially after the Awake fiasco. I bought Rise because I liked nearly the entire album a lot. Which hasn't happened for me since Invincible. If you do indeed decide to buy this album, you'll find hard rock songs, near-acoustic encouraging songs, symphonic rock fight songs, new-and-old-style "direct-speak-to-God" songs, and... My Religion. But we can just pretend that song doesn't exist. Like we all pretend that 80% of Awake doesn't exist. Or like we pretend that 99% of Collide doesn't exist. If we do that, Rise is a great album and it will not disappoint Skillet fans from Invincible to Awake.

Now go buy the album.