Feel The LOVE

I consider this, at this point, the pinnacle release of my life ... Tom DeLonge

The Angels And Airwaves lead man is absolutely correct. After years of waiting and building anticipation, Angels And Airwaves have finally released their third album, LOVE, and it is truly epic.

In a time where every other band seems to be churning out the same generic sound; catchy/repetitive riffs, meaningless lyrics and all of which packaged in the familiar 'indie-rocker' way. Angels And Airwaves have continued to supply the music scene with some long awaited originality.

Their most notable traits that have made them so popular still remain in their new release and they have been emphasized to immense levels to create a totally unique sound. The band have invested heavily into developing even more synthesised effects into their songs, all of which create a euphoric feeling when listening to the album, especially in the instrumental track, 'Et Ducit Mundum Per Luce'.

However, the biggest breath of fresh air Angels And Airwaves have brought with this album is the sheer hard work and desire put in by everyone in the band to make LOVE as good as it can possibly be. In an interview before the release of the album, Tom DeLonge said, "There’s nothing that I have put more effort, more time, more heart, and more stress into than this release." It seems too many bands these days are desperate to write, record and release an album in the quickest possible time so they can begin to enjoy the rock 'n' roll lifestyle without the tremendous burden of actually creating music. Whereas the Angels And Airwaves philosophy is and has always been to create something with a clear message, no matter how long it takes. A characteristic which has to be admired.

One of the reasons behind the pure originality in the album is the fact that the album has been written as a score for an upcoming film, LOVE."It’s been a very long time since a band has attempted to make a motion picture associated with an album — So when you listen to the record, it’s not orthodox by any means. There’s a lot of interludes and segues that draw you in and transition you to different levels of excitement," Tom later explained.

This album is modern music at it's best. An utterly outstanding composition of music and with the band releasing it for free, you would have to be insane not to download it.

To get the album for free now, visit Fuel.TV

A Miserable Business

A similar scene occurs every time I attempt to use public transport, and I know I’m not the only one who is guilty of using this carefully executed facade. My knees bend slightly inwards, I put on the best cute-and-innocent face that I can muster and my voice turns somewhat high-pitched, as I daringly ask for a child ticket. An excruciatingly tense pause follows, as I wait for the verdict: I’m hoping that they are the type of driver that does not care how old you are, as long as you don’t pay them with that £20 note. This is by far the best kind, but is becoming some what of an endangered species in this day and age. The second type is less compliant; he asks for your age. However, when you assure them that you ARE fifteen, they nod in agreement, too naive to think that you might actually not be telling the truth. The third type is a force to be reckoned with. Due to your inability to show them any ID, you end up forking out an extra £3 or walking home in the rain - usually the latter.

The point that I’m really trying to make here is that our generation seems to be suffering from a severe case of not-a-child-but-not-an-adult-either syndrome. And the circumstances where we are considered to be an adult are beyond our control. The need to have to pay adult prices on the bus should bring on a whole load of privileges, the vote for example, or preferably the right to purchase alcohol. It seems we are being taken advantage of, our apparently “disposable” income is being snapped up by those corporations that can get away with classing under 18’s as adults.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not promoting the idea of regressing back to our play school years, however tempting the thought of free milk and digestive biscuits may seem. In fact I take quite the opposite stance; I wouldn’t mind paying extra if it meant people would take us more seriously. I mean, we can’t even qualify for the full adult minimum wage until we are 21, and by that time most of us will have accumulated about £20,000 in dept. It seems the only privilege gained when you turn 16 is being charged extra for things. But don’t worry, there’s always that faint glimmer of hope when you buy your first lottery ticket! (Oh the irony).

I suppose this is simply a reflection of the world in which we now live, where freddos no longer cost just 10p - no doubt the era of the glorious 1p sweet is long over. And as for the Bristol bus service, it looks like we’re going nowhere fast - quite literally.

Capello Crumbles Under Media Pressure

Media witch hunt leaves John Terry Stripped of the captaincy

Last Friday evening Fabio Capello made his first noticeable mistake as England manager. After one of the most publicised weeks in John Terry's career, the England boss decided to give in to the media's pressure and relieve the Chelsea skipper of his duty as captain.

John Terry was drowning in a sea of front and back page headlines after it was revealed that he had been cheating on his wife with Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-girlfriend of Manchester City left-back Wayne Bridge. That's when the newspapers decided to get together, light their torches, sharpen their pitch-forks and have themselves a good old fashioned witch hunt.

In a statement released by Fabio Capello a few hours after his decision, he explained, "As a captain with the team, John Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour. However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad. What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice."

Very admirable you may think, however Capello still hasn't eliminated the possibility of any problems within the England changing room. He may not be leading the team out to South Africa but John Terry will continue to be a dominant figure within the England team. He will continue to be a big influence within the squad.

So any fear of tension in the England team has not been avoided. Not by a long shot!

Fabio Capello has set a dangerous precedent for English football. From this moment on, every England captain that has a slightly checkered past or makes a mistake in their personal life shall be stripped of their honour and fed to the rabid media hounds.

The prestigious award of leading your country as captain has been whittled down from the best man for the job, to the most popular media figure.