Dual-Review: Anamanaguchi vs. Vampire WeekendMay 15, 2013 by

AnamanaWeekend sizes up the Kings of Chiptune against Oxford-Garbed, East-Coast Paul Simonites.

WRITER'S NOTE: This post assumes pre-existing knowledge of the conspiracy that Vampire Weekend and Anamanaguchi are acting together to produce one colossal partnership/split EP/album/mashup. This conspiracy may or may not exist solely in the writer's head.


Vampire Weekend and Anamanaguchi have been at it for years. The artwork for 2010's My Skateboard Will Go One single sparked the recently fueled controversy when Anamanaguchi slyly imported the art from Vampire Weekend's Contra and dropped a pair of 8-bit shades over Ann Kirsten Kennis face:

My Skateboard Will Go On (Single)

What is more is Vampire Weekend's own Ezra Koenig has admitted that the title Contra reminds him of the original NES video game of the same name, also an influence over Anamanaguchi.

While the conspiracy seems heavily weighed against Anamanaguchi and their desire to ride Vampire Weekend's wave, do not forget that Vampire Weekend conveniently pushed back the release of Modern Vampires of the City to May 14th, the same release date as Anamanaguchi's Endless Fantasy.

Extremities aside, both bands are known for their quirky and unique take on the pop-rock/indie genre. And sharing a release date seemed cause for a review of both albums... side-by-side...

Without further adieu, the dual-review:

Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

  1. Obvious Bicycle holds great potential for a car/coffee commercial with its light organic textures and Ezra's soft, sweeping vocals.
  2. Unbelievers brings the summer fun with Beach Boys style organ, a playful melody, and a driving kick.
  3. Step garners a slow and steady (yet oddly familiar) tune to the likeness of Pachelbel Canon partnered with harpsichord, an airy choir, and voice modulation.
  4. Diane Young shakes off the slow-mo as the band moves into breakneck speed with chaotic drum patterns, George-Michael-esque breaks, and massive voice modulation.
  5. Don’t Lie is a dampened and distorted reminder that time is always looming overhead...
  6. Hannah Hunt's peaceful pace, twinkling piano, and delicate slide guitar is perfect for early mornings, rainy days, and dwindling twilight.
  7. Everlasting Arms is a head bobbing groove heavy on strings, drums, and bass.
  8. Finger Back brings the sparkling melody of Bambi's "Little April Shower" to the pop-rock limelight while sprinkling in a little Devendra Banhart "Shabop Shalom" spoken-word here and there.
  9. Worship You is an upbeat romp that challenges quick-lipped, Micro Machines Man, John Moschitta, Jr. Nobody could sing this "better than Ezra"... see what I did there?
  10. Ya Hey blends high-pitched, Anamanaguchi-like, modulated vocal chirps into another Vampire Weekend chill track.
  11. Hudson is Vampire Weekend's first trek into darkness (I'm full of these puns!). Like Tom Waits at his best, Hudson tip-toes in the shadows and teases the underbelly of hell.
  12. Young Lion, with its plucked cello, ends the album with the feeling that it has been lifted from Jim Guthrie's Sword & Sworcery LP [OST].
Anamanaguchi Endless Fantasy

  1. Endless Fantasy is a dance epic wrapped around a catchy hook, setting the tone for the record and saying "buckle up for this endless fantasy..."
  2. Japan Air welcomes the cute vocals of m33sh over a track more suited for a Scott Pilgrim fight scene!
  3. Echobo... more like Echo the Dolphin Blasts Off to Space and Joins the Star Fox Crew theme!
  4. Planet sends your heart soaring to new heights in this '80s, John-Hughes-esque, victory credit roll track.
  5. Viridian Genesis could very well exist as Peter Pan's Lost Boy's Neverland theme, taking Eimear O'Donovan's vocals and chopping them up with likeness to Pogo and Skrillex.
  6. John Hughes drives Anamanaguchi's pop punk influence home!
  7. Prom Night is the stand-out track of Endless Fantasy, opening the ears of the masses to the voice of Bianca Raquel, Beyoncé's newest competition...
  8. Interlude (Gymnopedie No. 1)... ahhh... relax to this spacey track fit for NES RPG dialog.
  9. Akira won't feel like anything new from Anamanaguchi... untill the massive key change at the chorus followed by the 2nd verse's brooding pre-verse!
  10. SPF 420 is to Airbrushed as Michelangelo is to Leonardo: the quirky, party animal that feels so familiar yet so incredibly bodacious!!!
  11. Interlude (Total Tea Time) might as well be the theme for Sonic 5's bonus stage...
  12. Meow is the Internet. With  cat "meow" samples and a massive ball of chaos dropped post-bridge, this song deserves a music video... oh wait!
  13. Canal Paradise welcomes you to the jungle with this Arena-Rock Chiptune turned flute-driven Martin Page influenced jam session.
  14. Snow Angels picks up where Planet left off with a mild-groove on the back-half of the album.
  15. In The Basement could fit as the 2146 Brady Bunch theme song with a mindful and heart-warming progression.
  16. U n ME n Infinity Shred. This track comfortably fits inside of the chiptune brethren's glorious EP 001 (Gnar Dream)
  17. Space Wax America doesn't push the album much further in terms of flare; however, the driving double-bass after the bridge is a force to reckoned with.
  18. EVERYTHING EXPLODES, especially after colorful, arpeggio filled breaks!
  19. Interlude (STILL SPLODIN THO) thanks the player for listening to and conquering this album! But wait... there's more...
  20. Pastel Flags on a jet-ski across a digital sea against an 8-bit sunset.
  21. Bosozoku GF gives us a brief glimpse of an Anamanaguchi sans NES, featuring delayed guitar flurries and other moody electronics... but not for too long... still plenty of NES stylings to be had!
  22. (T-T)b is just an awesome thank you from Anamanaguchi with a message of hope! Get fired up on the dream!!!!!

Anamanaguchi's Endless Fantasy immerses the listener in the joy of completing any and all 8/16-bit video games over and over and over, Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City slows the pace from their usual quirky surf antics. Modern Vampires of the City is an album of subtleties that grow on listener while Endless Fantasy is very nonchalant about what it has to offer.

While these albums compliment each other very well, new listeners may be better served starting with Vampire Weekend's Contra and Anamanaguchi's "Airbrushed."


Music Videos

Vampire Weekend


"Diane Young"

"Ya Hey"





Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

iTunes | Amazon MP3

Anamanaguchi Endless Fantasy

iTunes | Amazon MP3


Originally posted on the TheStarrList.com


Kyle Starr is the creator and writer of TheStarrList.com and TMNTPartyVan.com. Kyle will continue to perpetuate the idea of a Vampire Weekend/Anamanaguchi conspiracy until the bands finally collaborate. Find Kyle on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Contact Kyle through TheStarrList.com Contact or by email.

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What Keeps Gamers From Gaming?March 26, 2013 by


Price? Time? Lack of interest?

As days goes by, filled with obligations, agenda, and responsibilities, I find myself spending less and less time enjoying my favorite pastime, video games. It is not that I don't enjoy the medium any less than I did as a child, it has just simply dropped (dramatically) on my list of priorities.

With forty+ hours spent working a fluctuating retail schedule; spending any and all shared time with my significant other; setting aside 1-2 hours for jogging per day (ideally); spending money on wardrobe upgrades, food, housewares, bills, transportation, and gifts; focusing on blogging on a near daily basis; and spending time with a large and spread out immediate family, finding the time and money to invest in an expansive RPG or learning (and retaining) all the mechanics in the latest action/adventure game seems nearly impossible.

Being able to set aside 1-2 hours a month to indulge in the latest AAA title does not justify a $60 investment. 1-2 hours is hardly enough time to watch an extended intro, play a prelude, and/or learn a few basic mechanics, most of which I will forget the next time I am afforded the luxury of playing. To add, on most of my 1-2 hour gaming spurts, I become anxious and find it hard to divert all my attention to the story or events for fear that there is an errand I need to run or the notion that if I am not productive, I am of no worth.

Months back, I wrote a post regarding the need for fitness services to partner with video game developers/publishers. To add to this, a fantastic side-effect for rewarding productivity such as jogging with in-game benefits would be the benefit of leisure, period. Credit for this obvious but overlooked observation can be given to my good friend Jered.

Lately, I have been hearing about loads of people struggling to invest time in games but still have an intense interest in the industry. As for myself, I find that I refresh IGN's iOS App during every 15 minute work break, out shopping, and during every lull in conversation. While jogging, listening to the The Indoor Kids, Game Scoop, Tech Fetish, and The Talk Show podcasts is imperative. I don't see lack of interest in gaming as a problem, as it is now trumping the movie industry in terms of revenue, I do see the possibility for the 8-bit generation to be spent on today's huge AAA titles, as Legacy Music Hour's Brent Weinbach will argue. Take the resurgence of 8/16-bit sidescrollers/RPG/mobile games as a sign.

Evidenced by its success and popularity, there is a cultural importance to video games. Be it the craft of building games, ground breaking visual and art design, riveting and deep narratives, simple to complex mechanics, reflex development, pattern awareness, memorable characters, competition for high scores, or it's ability to push the world of technology into new realms, video games spark and cultivate imagination and innovation. Whether it is price or time that keeps me from gaming, I yearn for its place in my life. Thanks to IGN, a multitude of video game podcasts and music, and other players in the industry, I am able to peak inside every now and then.

What keeps you from gaming?


Originally posted at TheStarrList.com


Kyle Starr is the creator and writer of TheStarrList.com and TMNTPartyVan.com. His earliest memory is playing Mega Man 2 on the original NES. Find Kyle on TwitterLinkedIn, and Facebook. Contact Kyle through TheStarrList.com Contact or by email.

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[iOS Review] EDGE ExtendedFebruary 6, 2013 by


What is seemingly simple on the outside may spike your nostalgia on the inside.

Like many, I am often guilty of falling head over heels for media that pays homage to my childhood hobbies. In the case of video games, very few have been able to tap into my childhood gaming roots like that of Mobigame's EDGE Extended. While the game may be an additive to the original EDGE, it succeeds as its own title.


EDGE Extended's core objective is to move your cube from point A to point B as quickly as possible without falling off of the edge of the level, all the while collecting prisms on the way. Your cube's movement consists of crawling along the ground or scaling other cubes of the same height within a level's layout. Boundaries are not forsaken therefore one false move could put you over the edge, racking up your death count, and harming your final score.

Level scoring ranges on a scale of A to D with special S (Professional) and S+ (EDGE Master) rankings based on completion time, prisms collected, and number of deaths (or lack thereof). Hang-time bonuses are given when the player holds the balance of their cube during mid-climb without completing the climb completely, a la manuals/grinds/plants in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

Each level offers a unique design and mechanics that keep the player riveted and guessing. The rate at which this simple 3D game is able to innovate is mind-blowing, offering unassuming players nostalgia of their first play through of Super Mario 64. Many popular platforming mechanics are aplenty throughout each level such as triggers that open bridges, temporary floors, shadow cubes, and even a Morph Ball-esque ability that provide additional challenges in reaching the each level's goal.


EDGE Extended's visuals are reminiscent of the original TRON: blocky, greyscale level design sprinkled with lines of glowing hue. At initial glance, the game may seem a bore, however it's perfectly timed moments of shimmering colors send the mind racing back to a time of '90s-era sparkly stickers and Lisa Frank products, perfect for today's aging gamer.


Simply put, the sound design is sharp and smart. A plethora of shimmering chimes move the player through the menus while the soft cushioned thud of the cube satisfies the auditory sense. If that is not enough, the EDGE Extended soundtrack pays homage to the 8/16/32/64-bit melody heavy video game scores of yore such as Sonic the Hedgehog, various menu music, and Super Mario 64 (I may be obsessed with this game...).


EDGE Extended is a love letter to historic platformers, memorable mechanics, and the video game music of yesteryear in the form of a casual iOS game. EDGE Extended is a game worthy of a $30 price-tag offered for only $3!



EDGE Extended is available for iOS on the App Store. Buy now!


Kyle Starr is the creator and writer of TheStarrList.com and TMNTPartyVan.com. Find Kyle on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Contact Kyle through TheStarrList.com Contact page or by email.

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