Monday, October 31, 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Friday, October 28, 2016

6 days of Halloween, Day 3

My favorite rock song from the 90s. Still kicks all kinds of ass.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

6 Days of Halloween - think happy thoughts think happy thoughts

tbt ~ Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar's first several albums are an absolute treasure trove of 80s rock awesomeness. Highly recommend!

Good news for pop music?

I wouldn't normally give a rip about this, but considering the TOXIC influence Vine has had on the pop charts the past few years, I can only stand up and cheer.

http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/twitter-vine-shutting-down-1201902457/

The mistake, of course, was letting six-minute clips influence the actual music charts, not the existence of Vine itself, but at least now we can go back to regular terrible pop music instead of Vine-terrible pop music.

Also, can we retroactively un-chart all the past Vine "hits?" Maybe lock them in a vault like the Hobgoblins and never, ever speak of them again?

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

6 Days of Halloween!

I'll post a song every day til Halloween that helps get me in the "spirit." GET IT?? This will be pretty much all modern rock, for a change.

Friday, October 21, 2016

OH AND

Chris Stapleton's "Parachute", probably my favorite song off of Traveller, has cracked the top 20, making it eligible for my best hit songs list. AND on the pop side, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd have all released killer new songs, so it looks like I'll actually be able to put together a good list instead of a grudging one. Huzzah!

If the world does end, I think I'll miss the year end lists most of all. *sniff*

Feel Good Friday

Rocktober album releases:

Green Day
Letters to Cleo EP
Blackberry Smoke
The Pretty Reckless

Suddenly, everything's coming up me. I better listen to 'em all now in case the rapture happens next month!

I'll just leave this here.




Thursday, October 20, 2016

WAIT WHAT LETTERS TO CLEO GOT BACK TOGETHER AND HAS A NEW EP OUT??!! WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS???

Well I was just informed of this, obviously. In an email from Spotify. But, I mean... LTC was my favorite band for years! And then I loved Kay's solo stuff! And they've been gone for so long! I just.... *sputters, fails to form coherent thoughts* I guess if I wasn't avoiding social media because of the raging junkyard fire, I mean election, I might have heard about it sooner, so FUCK YOU TRUMP. Okay. I'm okay now.

Shall I download it without listening to it first? Yes, I think I shall. Yolo, bitches. Whee!

In the past year I've gotten new albums by Weezer, Veruca Salt, Blink-182, Green Day, and now LTC. Yeah, it can go ahead and be the 90s again. I'm fine with that. Just don't go getting any ideas, Smashmouth.

PS: Kay is wearing a Pat Benatar tee on the album cover. I am complete and at one with the universe.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Feel Good Friday ~ cause we still have Rocktober, dammit

The world may be going to hell, we might have just had a bloody snowstorm in the middle of October, but dammit, it's still Rocktober! So here's some seasonal-feeling classic Canadian rock. Enjoy, and let's go Blue Jays!

On the bright side...

I got an email for something called "Astro Zombies." I guess all is not lost. :)
Why I hate 2016, the short version.

1. I don't care about Pokémon.

2. All mainstream music is now apparently made by the same person sitting at the same computer, probably eating the same sandwich.

3. I don't like Hillary Clinton.

4. I wish Donald Trump would meet up with the butcher from AHS: Roanoke on a red moon night.

5. A "human being" I find so hateful and dangerous that I wish for their gruesome death at the hands of Kathy Bates is one of two choices for motherfucking president of my birth country.

6. My equilibrium has been thrown completely off. What kind of world are we living in, anyway? Not the one I thought, that's for sure. And not in a good or interesting way, like "OMG wizards exist!!" or, "There was a portal to Narnia this whole time!!" Nope, we're talkin' bleak, dystopian YA novels here. And I hate that shit. Hell, I'd take the damn Twilight world over this. I just said that.

7. This year has made me tune things out on an unprecedented level. I can't take all the toxic ugliness, and I feel less and less connected to my own world.

And now, the longer version. This might just be a draft for something I'll get into more in-depth and thought-out later this year, or I might just let it lie and get on with my life.

Let's get music out of the way first, since that is the main focus of my blog. There has been a lot of music I've enjoyed this year, mostly rock, and I'll get to that in December. Probably. But here's the rest of 2016 in a nutshell. For some reason, we're being forced to endure a year where things like basic women's rights are being debated, yet every popular song sounds like it was made by robots. IT'S THE WORST OF BOTH WORLDS PEOPLE. If we're gonna go back in time, can we at least have some decent music for the ride?

So yeah. To expand on my #6 & 7, this year has really, really thrown me off. I'm not going to talk too much about Trump, because he is just one "person" and honestly even just typing his name fills me with nauseating unease. What I do want to talk about are all the people who got us into this mess. The ratings-whoring media is certainly partially to blame, but I've talked enough about the scourge of 24/7 "news" and the loss of actual journalism. I knew that already. Let's talk about what I didn't know, or expect, until 2016.

Unfortunately, things like racism, sexism, xenophobia and other forms of bigotry will likely always exist in some form. The main reasons for this seem to be fear of the different or the unknown; a need by some to feel superior over others, to the point that equality signifies a threat of dominance; people passing racism down through generations as though it were a family legacy, or a lamp. So the fact that there are racist, sexist, xenophobic assholes out there who felt "silenced" (boo fucking hoo) is not a surprise. There's bigotry, there's silent, insidious, institutionalized bigotry in things like police forces, but what I didn't expect to ever see in modern America is open bigotry without swift repercussions. Didn't we exile that guy who played Kramer to an island or something? I mean, there's a reason KKK members wear hoods. At least, I thought there was. Is the new rallying cry "Take off your hoods boys, we're FREE!"

OH THE IRONY.

But that's how these people seem to think. Their whiteness, their maleness, their America-ness has been shackled by the inclusion of those who are different. A strong, confident man (or woman) would reach out and shake hands in the spirit of equality, because they don't feel threatened. Why would they? If you view equality of others as a threat, YOU are the problem. Not the government, not your neighbors, YOU. This is the worst kind of entitlement, the kind that leads people to think they deserve something simply based on their perceived place in the world. And for many years, it was true. But that needed to change, and that change only has to be threatening if you let it.

I said before that pulling up the floorboards and exposing this rot was a good thing in the long run, and I still believe that. I mean, it was probably inevitable. 2016 didn't create the mold. But it's made a lot of us, including myself, very sick and scared and shamed. I feel kind of sick to be a human being right now. We're pretty disgusting. Well, that's what I think at my lowest moments, of which there have been many this year. Then I surround myself with things I love and try to move on, at least for a while. But there's no going back from this now. I don't know what will happen. I'm glad I don't live in the US anymore, but the sickness of the human condition knows no borders. I just want people to be better, and kinder, and for God's sake, smarter.

"There is nothing to fear, but fear itself" should be our slogan this year, because fear is what got us here. Fear and pride. Sure, there's such a thing as healthy fear. You won't catch me skydiving any time soon. But if you let fear turn you twisted and hateful, then fear is winning. You might think you're fighting it, but it's destroying you from the inside. And that's what this year is, the (hopefully) last, sad parade of the destroyed. I'm sorry you let yourself get into that state, but don't take the rest of us with you.

And here's the last thing I want to touch on. I've seen a lot of Trump supporters say "respect my opinion, that's all I ask!" and people saying everyone has the right to their opinion, and unfollowing (or maybe real life unfriending) someone because of their political beliefs is wrong. And every other year, I would have agreed with that. I still do, to some extent. But... look, I couldn't stand Bush. But I would have never thought to cut someone out of my life or insult them or say they're "wrong" for supporting him. I would have only unfollowed someone if they were very in your face about it. I had to unfollow someone I generally enjoy because of smug, tiresome pro-Hillary talk. I have my limits. But again, I'm not gonna say they're wrong just because I don't agree with them or I'm sick of hearing about it.

I feel like I can say, with 100% certainty, that Trump supporters are actually wrong. This is no longer a matter of opinion. Their ideology is dangerous and has no place in society. That said, let's look past the hot button issues, the "isms", because that can lead to madness. The bottom line is, this narcissistic madman is not competent or capable of leading. He has no idea what he's doing or how the world works. He's an old, overgrown spoiled rich kid who runs entirely on mania and fried chicken. Look, I get you're sick of politicians. We all are. But we can do better than this. This guy lies and then lies about lying more than actual politicians do!

So yeah. On top of everything else, this has made me a less tolerant person, because I feel like I'm being faced with crazy and told that no, it's just a different kind of sane and you must respect it. THIS. IS. CRAZY, folks, and no, you don't have to respect absolutely everything. I will NOT respect willful ignorance driven by fear. Bigotry is not an opinion and stupidity should not be an option. Remember when the US used to fight against stuff like this? What happened to that?


People... these are the villains in every single movie ever. What the hell have you been watching? No, movies aren't real life, but they often present an exaggerated, even cartoonish projection of villainy and... well, here are those exaggerated cartoon villains in the flesh. HOW THE HELL DID WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE VILLAINS ARE ADMIRED BY ANYONE EXCEPT OTHER VILLAINS??? I suddenly feel like all those movies were more cautionary tales than entertainment, and yet here we are. Amazing.

This year has left me feeling sad, and lost, and confused. I had no idea things were this bad, that so many people had been stifling so much hate. Society feels unpredictable now, in a very not-fun way. Even the air feels uncomfortable. If the madness ends next month (while I don't like Hillary, I feel confident in saying her presidency won't involve "madness"), there's still a lot of shit left to shovel.

Let's start by not letting the villains win. I'm not sure what we're missing more right now, kindness or common sense, but I'll take either one for a start. Find your heart again, America. I know it's still there somewhere. Maybe try looking behind the couch?

Thursday, October 06, 2016

Spooooky Good Friday... I mean Thursday ~ Happy Rocktober!

So I am mostly hiatusing from stuff... the internet... life... until all this nonsense is over. Or maybe the nonsense will never end, in which case look me up in my treehouse. Under the sea. On Mars. No, that wasn't supposed to make sense. Since when does life make sense?

What does make sense in these dark, troubled times? Great music, of course. Specifically, great rock music of the past and present that will help get you in the mood for the best month of all!



Does any band embody Rocktober more than KISS? This would be a must at my Halloween party if I had parties and y'know, liked people.



One of MCR's rockinest songs, and the perfect way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the iconic Black Parade. Crank it.



Let's take things down a notch with this gorgeous, creepy rock ballad from one of my new favorite bands. No matter how many times I hear this, it still gives me chills. Their new album fittingly drops a few days before Halloween, and I can't wait!



A song from possibly my favorite of the Elm Street movies. Doesn't get much more Rocktober than that. I love how so many 80s movies combined rock and horror. The 80s got it, man.



Let's pour a little maple syrup (the real stuff, not that gross fake shit) on our rock with this classic by Canada's own Triumph.



"Let's get hexed, let's hang out." I don't think I can possibly push this amazing UK band CREEPER enough. All three of their EPs are great, each one progressively better. Their first LP is scheduled for release next March, and the first song "Suzanne" is amazing and up on iTunes. CHECK IT OUT.

And have a wonderful month of spookiness! I'm going back to my treehouse.