Reviews

Dream Heights

The casual gamer will never be without a smile, as everyday a developer churns out an epic offering for this genre. Dream Heights is just a prime example of this statement. The game is very much on the lines of Farmville, Castleville, Cityville and the likes produced by leading game developer. Created by Zynga who has taken the social-gaming platform to all new heights not only on social-networking sites, but on smartphone platforms such as Android & iOS, Dream Heights seems to be a perfect extension of this phenomenon.

El Papado: Canciones de Amor y Derrota

Good music transcends all boundaries and El Papado proves that in Canciones de Amor y Derrota. El Papado started writing and playing the guitar at the age of 14. After a long period as a member and lyricist of heavy-rock group Akeron, he tried incorporating reggae into his musical brand. Released last July 2011 under Mésdemil, this eleven-track collection is a showcase of El Papado’s versatility and talent.

PicsArt Photo Studio

PicsArt Photo Studio is a photo editing app for Android phones. This isn’t as powerful as the desktop version of Adobe Photoshop, but for mobile phones, it packs a punch. Aside from basic photo editing features, there are special effects built in too. For a free app, PicsArt Photo Studio is comparable to paid programs in terms of capabilities. However, the software is not difficult to learn. Icons are used instead of text, keeping the interface tidy. Its notification bar is located under the seven main icons. They are Photo, Camera, My Network, Profile, Gallery, Collage and Draw.

Cruiser: Cruiser EP

Don't you just love carefree beach music? Cruiser brings us closer to the waves and sand with its latest self-titled EP. Hailing from Philadelphia, Cruiser is a solo project of Andy States and was produced by States himself and Jeremy Park (producer of Lagoon�s The Year of Hibernation). Released last May 28, 2012, this collection offer six tracks that is certainly meant to make you feel good. The beat drops in The Fritz. Beachy guitars and ethereal vocals establish a strong sonic backbone for the whole album. This infectious track is certainly worth repeats.

Bebbled

One of the most exciting Android games around, Bebbled, will have you bursting bubbles in over half a dozen gameplay variations. There over 30 levels too. Each level is different, providing hours of fun. To play the game, you have to match the color of at least two orbs. If you can join up several orbs quickly, you will be able to surpass the preset scores. It sounds basic, but the game actually offers a lot of challenge.

Musical Mathematics: First Time’s a Charm

First Time's a Charm is a free compilation culled together by online indie music site/zine, Musical Mathematics. The site does reviews, features, promotions, and sells various music from up and coming indie rock bands. What started as a small little place for bringing and exposing indie music has grown into quite a collective. The site now boasts various writers, designers and contributors; helping share and bring internet fans a taste of indie music heaven. The site pretty much reviews and tackles different bands from different countries but they also strive to bring some of their local Leeds talents a chance to shine.

Pocket Express

If you love staying in the know-how about the latest news in real-time, well, this is just the app for you. We are talking about Pocket Express. This is a news app that streams the latest happenings around the World as they happen. The application was developed by Handmark Inc., a company with a vast number of apps under their kitty for various smartphone OS', such as Blackberry, Android, Palm OS, Symbian, iOS and even the more humble Java.

Raging Moses: Blue Sweats Red Dirt

If hip hop was all about raw talent, Raging Moses would definitely be in the spotlight many times over. Featuring solid rap skills, dope samples and beats that's incorporated with positive lyrics, it's hard not to find inspiration in his songs. Although not much is posted about the artist himself, in a way, you can take his music to speak for him. Blue Sweats Red Dirt is the second BandCamp release from the artist but it's the first one he's offering as a free download. His initial album, When Kings Go To War, is a full record that's offered for purchase on the page as well.

Inner Steppe

Treat your eyes with another stellar short film by Alex Schulz. Inner Steppe is a stop-motion animation based on the work of Herman Hesse and Carl Gustav Jung. Just like the character of Harry Haller in Hesse's Steppenwolf, the film revolves around an isolated main character who traverses the inner landscapes of his ego consciousness and collective unconsciousness. Through this process, he meets different characters that impersonates his repressed needs and pleasures in life.