God, Please Save These Troubled States

On the heels of the release of their new album, Crash Love, perennial rockers AFI have announced a new string of tour dates, taking them throughout the West in January. Fans who have checked out the band's East Coast dates have been treated night after night with a mix of old and new songs spanning AFI's massive eight album catalog. I have been on tour capturing AFI In Transmission ... Check it ...

We're starting a new weekly feature here at Buzznet in an effort to spread propaganda share with you things that we think are awesome. Each week, a different Buzznet staff member (and sometimes, a band member or community member) will give praise to the best in music, movies, art, television, books, and whatever else they're digging. AND YOU WILL LIKE IT! Or not. But come on in and enjoy the fun!

So I'm (Panasonicyouth) handling this week's inaugural run of the Buzz Guide. Expect the unexpected!

MUSIC

There's few things I am more excited and enthused by right now than Strike Anywhere's Iron Front. Released less than a month ago on Bridge 9 Records, it's a refreshing and inspiring slab of incredibly catchy melodic hardcore. Half this site listens to pop "punk" and completely ignores melodic hardcore. WHY. I am changing that. If you like your music to be infectious, fast, and thoughtful, get into this.

BOOKS

So, reading the Twilight series is painful to me, so I need something to wash away all the bad feelings. I've been doing that with John Ajvide Lindqvist's Let The Right One In before I go to bed. It's incredibly haunting, poetic, and terrifying. I've got less than 60 pages left and I'm in love. THIS is how you write about vampires and love. Also, it's all about being bullied and we all know my childhood was TRAUMATIC, so this book has already earned a soft spot in my heart.

MOVIES

Look, call me a hipster. I DON'T CARE. This movie is so wonderful for expanding on the subtext in the children's novel to create a two-hour extravaganza of joy, anger, fear, and sadness. THIS IS NOT A CHILDREN'S MOVIE, ALSO. It's a movie for adults who read the book as children. And it is glorious. Near tears? Yep. Smiling ear to ear? Gotcha. Wishing it never ended? That makes a fine movie. Go see Where The Wild Things Are.

TELEVISION

I don't actually have cable (THANK YOU, HULU), but I don't miss this show. GLEE is not perfect, but what it does get right redeems everything else. Subversive, hilarious, and wildly entertaining. It's an appreciation of music and, to a greater extent, of all of us in high school who did what we loved, even though it made us unpopular. Also: Jane Lynch. I'm a fan.

ART

The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (located in Little Tokyo) just started their sequel to their 2007 Giant Robot exhibit. Let it be known: I LOVE GIANT ROBOT. This exhibit is a celebration of all things Giant Robot and focuses on artists who have either appeared in the pages or on the cover of the magazine. If you live in Los Angeles or you're going to be here before January 24, 2010, make a point to go.

INTERNET

And the best thing I've come across on the Internet this week is Movember, a movement to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer. Grow gross, disgusting, and slightly ironic mustaches during the month of November for a good cause. I'm sorry, that sounds like the best idea of all time. Head on over to the Movember site and see how you can help!

Signing off,

Mark/Panasonicyouth

Look, if you're not watching GLEE these days, you're missing out on a show that's unique, hilarious, subversive, and FULL OF MUSICAL GOODNESS. In honor of one of the best shows on modern television, Buzznet is giving away 5 prize packs to the best representations of your love for GLEE. Bust out your cameras and get entering!

Full instructions on how to win a GLEE prize pack inside...

In an attempt to break a world record or two and to capture images for their upcoming video for their new single, "Kings and Queens," 30 Seconds To Mars will be shutting down the world-famous Santa Monica Pier on the evening of October 12th. Additionally, they'll also be taking over Hollywood and Highland. What do they need from you to help them reach this insane accomplishment? Your bicycle!

Find out why 30 Seconds To Mars need bicycles for their new music video...

Dudes. Dudettes. Do you love Where The Wild Things Are? Are you excited to see Spike Jonze's adaptation on the big screen? Do you have an endless supply of wit? Then I have the best contest for you! Buzznet is giving away 15 special edition "furry" editions of the The Wild Things that covers the making of the film. All you have to do is provide the best caption for one of the images pulled directly from the movie in order to win!

Full instructions for our caption contest inside...

You would think that after making a QOTD thread specifically to remind me to post this new photo assignment, I wouldn't forget about it. Talk about irony. Anyway, we're marching forward by wrapping up assignment #57 (Near/Far) and moving onto our new assignment: Light/Dark. Yes, this is going to fun. Yes, it's going to rule. Get out your cameras and start shooting!

Full results of assignment 57 inside, along with instructions for new assignment...

With a band like A Fire Inside (AFI), fans become used to seismic shifts in appearance and musical direction. It's been three years since decemberunderground and the band's widespread exposure influenced a scathing and upbeat set of songs that make up their new record, Crash Love. And, of course, they've brought with them a complete shift in their sound and presentation. Will you love Crash Love?

Full review of AFI's Crash Love inside...

So, we're set to host a really interesting interview with the wonderfully talented Tegan and Sara. We're going to have the two singers/songwriters interview each other. Here's your task: What would you have them ask of each other? What would you want to learn about the band from its members? Get out your thinking caps!

Full instructions for our unique Tegan and Sara interview inside...

Your life is significantly lacking in quality if you don't get your butt over to AFI's MySpace IMMEDIATELY to give Crash Love a full spin while it streams for the next 48 hours. The record, which comes out in a week on September 29, is totally different from decemberunderground and welcomes a new era for the group. What am I saying? GO LISTEN NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW.

Listen to AFI's new record and tell us what you think...

Our photo assignment for the past week, "Fear/Courage" did quite well for such a difficult subject. You'll definitely want to see how your fellow Buzznet photographers interpreted the idea of contrasting emotions. Additionally, we're set to start our next assignment, which will allow you to experiment with depth of field. Get into it!

Full results for photo assignment 56 and instructions for number 57 inside...

This past week, Buzznet's photographers tackled the contrasting ideas of "big" and "small." We only had a small handful of submissions, but they're impressive and creative! For the next week, our photo assignment will deal with two opposing sensations: "fear" and "courage." How will you represent these in photographic form?

Full photo assignment results and new assignment inside...

No, this isn't a joke. Head on over to VeronicaSawyer.com and download "Fainting Spells," a Decemberunderground B-side that will finally be released on deluxe editions of Crash Love. Thoughts? Complaints? Excessive fanboy/girling? It's time!

New AFI song inside...

The Orange County Register ran a sports column from Mark Whicker this Monday, which imagined that Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped, raped, and imprisoned in a tent in Phillip Garrido's backyard, had missed out on 18 years of sports in Southern California. (She's from Northern California, for the record.) The article quickly spread across Twitter and Facebook and Whicker posted an apology for the piece last night. I'm here to inform you, if it wasn't obvious already, that Whicker's apology is a lie.

Find out more about Mark Whicker's apology inside...

There are few bands that have affected me quite as personally as NIN has over the years. I can't count the times I've spent drowning myself in the music, using it as a personal catharsis for my own demons. Standing in front of the stage at the Henry Fonda Theatre last night, in what might very well have been the second to last NIN show ever, I couldn't help but feel sad that a huge part of my life was passing on.

Full review of the second to last NIN show inside...

In honor of Shane Acker's new film 9, which is produced by Tim Burton, we're giving away nine copies of an incredibly rare 9 Movie Book to Buzznet members! Every 24 hours, we'll pick the best comment describing what nine things you'd take with you during the apocalypse. You've got nine days to win one of these incredible books. Get commenting!

Full instructions for our exclusive 9 contest inside...

You know, there is no rhyme or reason to having separate journals for this. You should be able to see the results from the previous week on the same day you get a new assignment. So, from this moment on forward, these will be condensed into a single volume. We'll wrap up the "Plain/Elaborate" theme and move forward with this week's contrast: "Big/Small."

Results of assignment 54 and instructions for the new photo assignment inside...

I did it! I got it up on time! Today, we're tackling another contrast theme, but this one isn't about emotions. We're talking about texture, design, and what you think these two terms mean. How will you take a photo that best represents the ideas of "plain" and "elaborate"? Get out those cameras! It's photo assignment time.

Full instructions for this week's photo assignment inside...

OK, I swear I'm going to get better at this. Blame me missing this on Jared Leto. You can do it! I'm doing it now. Anyway, we'll have a new photo assignment later this afternoon, but I wanted to share with you the AWESOME results we got this week for our assignment, "Happy/Sad." See how your fellow peers interpreted another edition of our contrast series.

Full results to this week's photo assignment inside...

Just testing this out. I used my disgusted Twilight photo for this.

Enter the Bring Yourself contest - Create your own!

Attention Los Angeles Members: If you're not going to this year's FYF, you're missing out on a legendary line-up and the chance to help support state parks here in California. With bands such as Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, and No Age set to play a low-cost fest next month, the fest's organizers have also provided a way for people to volunteer for local organizations and get a pair of free tickets! Could this be the best FYF EVAR?!?!?

Learn more about this year's F**k Yeah Fest inside...