Reviews

Chicktionary

Chicktionary is essentially TextTwist with chickens. For the uninitiated, TextTwist is a popular word game that was created by GameHouse and runs in Java. As mentioned, Chicktionary is similar to TextTwist in that you have to come up with words using a provided set of letters. The only difference with this one is that you get clucking chickens who "hatch" the letters to form the words. Created by Blockdot. Inc, the game used to be offered for $1.99 when it first came out but currently it's being offered for free on the App Store. If you're up for some fun and maybe testing your vocabulary, give the game a go.

Bobby Blunt: A Traveleres Notebook EP

Swedish music blog, Apple Juice Break, has been posting about music ever since 2008. More recently, however, AJB decided to venture just a bit outside of their comfort zone into the world of art & graphic design and ... even more music. Their recently created collective YES WAY!, has brought us a great new free EP, A Travelers Notebook, (made available on June 17th) by Virginia based vocalist & rapper Bobby Blunt and Australian born producer TA-KU. The EP is a hip-hop, neo-soul, rap influenced 5-track release with just a hint of electronic sounds and some stand-up vocals. Overall, a pretty sweet first collaboration project.

Heartless: The Story of a Tin Man

We all grew up with The Wizard of Oz. Some had the story read to them before going to sleep and some could not stay away from the television set while watching Dorothy and her magical red shoes. As much as we know about our little heroine, do we know just how the other characters in this timeless classic came to be? Whitestone Motion Pictures decided to do just that, and with their beautifully executed twenty minute film take us to the beginning on a journey through the life of Tin Woodsman.

Let Me Crazy: Contraflow

Formed back in 2007, Let Me Crazy, breaks into the music scene brandishing their brand of upbeat and catchy punk rock. Currently based at Huntington, NY, the guys originally formed and got together at The Big Easy. Contraflow is the second compilation from the group and it's filled with a series of thrashy, good-old kick-balls punk rock, performed by a bunch of guys who sing about New Orleans and the various situations that come up out of living in a hurricane zone. Describing their music genre as "shred-era power slurdge" might not be much of a help, but trust me, this is an awesome punk record worth your time.

Paper Toss

Paper Toss is one of those games that most people think is just absurd, I mean, how fun can it be to toss paper inside a wastebasket? I thought that too until I tried it. You see, once you try it there's a big chance you'll find yourself hooked and playing for hours. The gameplay is as simple as its title. You basically try and toss a piece of crumpled paper towards a waste basket. To make it a bit interesting though, the game offers different difficulty settings as well as random locations with their own special quirks. Developed by Backflip Studios, Paper Toss was initially just for iOS devices but later on was made available for Android as well.

The Black Pawn: A Breath of Fresh Air

A Breath of Fresh Air is a hiphop compilation released by Pawn Structure Productions. Spearheaded by record producer and artist, The Black Pawn, the album compiles works by various artists under the indie hiphop netlabel. From main man, Hank McCoy to Sol Infinite and Epidemic; the album is peppered by talented underground/up-and-coming artists in the hip hop world. The album itself comes with 14 tracks that revolve around easy-listening, hip hop music. With likable beats and smooth rhythm, the album exudes a retro vibe throughout. It's a lot like listening to a 90s rap/hip hop record with a very slight modern twist.

eXtermination (Panic Arts)

There's nothing like a good zombie game to spend your afternoon's on and eXtermination is among the long list of such finds that's invading the indie gaming world for some time now. Created by Panic Arts, this zombie apocalypse is a horror platformer that incorporates great fun and interesting game play to create a more than just entertaining adventure. Being a fairly new game, it isn't perfect yet it still manages to engage gamers in a full-on entertaining zombie romp. With two game modes available, several weapons at your disposal and tons of zombies for target practice, this is quite a fun game to check out.

Interface: The Morning Light Project

Interface is the second EP from Italian crew, The Morning Light Project. The album is a great mix of retro 80s synth rock that bring to mind artists like, The Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran. The band first formed back in 2008 and since then have churned out several releases through their Jamendo and BandCamp. Made up of Francesco Algeri, Angelo Cincotta and Augusto Ielo, the trio weave together a mix of danceable electronic ambient beats that became their ticket for gaining followers when they first started out. Their sound is charming and there's a lovely retro feel to it that makes you think of the good old heydays of 80s synth rock.

Tiny Ball vs. Evil Devil

Here's another cool game to add to your favorite iOS device. Tiny Ball vs. Evil Devil is an interesting physics based game that tests out your aiming and strategy skills. The objective is to help the little blue ball get his ship back from the evil red guy. Developed by iTankster, the game is currently available as a free download over at the App Store. Thanks to its colorful graphics and fun yet challenging gameplay, you're guaranteed to keep playing this game for hours on end.