"9 ways you're cooking your steak wrong, according to the chef of Wall Street's oldest steakhouse"
Why not just save time and tell us the one right way to make it, then!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
P.S.
Moving around so much makes it hard to keep consistent sports loyalty, but if I had to choose my One True Team, it would still be the Red Sox. Being a Sox fan, at least back in the day (I remember '86, ugggh) is more of a LotR-style adventure than a fandom. It was a crazy ride filled with orcs, wraiths, evil wizards and scariest of all, NY fans, but it ended in victory. Fans coming in post-'04 won't have that same feel, but that was my experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
(You didn't hear that though, Blue Jays. Win!)
(You didn't hear that though, Blue Jays. Win!)
I'm coming for you next, Blue Jays!
So I have one very special "skill." Perhaps a superpower? Basically, I make sports teams win. Red Sox breaking the curse? Yep, that was me. (And possibly Schill, and Johnny D before he went evil, and Mark Freaking Bellhorn, and Tekker, but yeah, mostly me. :D)
I made the Tampa Bay Bucs win, people. The TAMPA BAY BUCS.
Okay, so this is mostly a tongue-in-cheek post BUT, I do have a pretty good resume of moving to an area, rooting for the local team, and that team winning shortly thereafter.
I've moved around, a lot. All over the US and now Canada. I've Been Everywhere is my song, literally. Though I was born and mostly raised in LA, I'm not gonna count the Dodgers '88 win because I wasn't much of a sports fan back then. Now if they'd won in say, '96, I'd totally take credit for that. :D I'm also not counting the Braves, because even though they were my top team for a good 12 years, I never lived in Georgia and there was nothing flukey or weird about their WS win. What's weird is that they didn't win more. Heck, I might even count that as a fail!
But on to the good stuff. Oh, and anyone can start rooting for a team after they win (hi, every Yankee fan outside of NY). My special skill is rooting for them right before they win. So we'll start with the early 2000s, when I moved from NC to FL. My two main rooting interests at the time were the Braves and NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte (because you have to have a driver if you live in NC or FL. Seriously, if you don't they issue you one at the border.) Upon arriving in FL, I pretty quickly adopted the Bucs as my team for one reason: their quirky, vastly entertaining and awesomely good kicker Martin "Automatica" Gramatica. And they needed a good kicker because holy crap, they could not score TDs. That team was all defense and field goals, which would have been boring as fuck if not for the aforementioned Mr. Gramatica.
He was just so delighted about kicking a ball through a post! It was contagious!
Long story short, the Bucs won the SB, their first and only to date, a few years into my fandom, and Bobby Labonte won the Winston Cup (whatever it's called now, I haven't followed NASCAR in ages). An honorable mention here is the Ohio State Buckeyes championship. I've never been a CFB fan; I don't like the lack of a playoff system and real championship game. The game itself is fine but that's kind of a buzzkill. Anyway, my bf at the time was an Ohioan living in FL and a huge Buckeyes fan, so I kinda adopted the team for that time period. (Hey, that Buckeye mascot is pretty cute.) And what do you know, during that short window of time, they won whatever semblance of a championship there was. I don't even like OSU anymore, but I'll half-count it. :P
In 2004, I moved to New England. We all know what's coming here. My family is from New England (CT), so I'd been a fan of the Red Sox, Pats, Celtics, Bruins and UCONN Huskies (the alma mater of my mom and several of my relatives) to varying degrees throughout the years. Mostly the Red Sox though, especially in the Nomar years. OMG, I loved me some Nomar. So I moved to RI in April '04, right at the start of the season. The UCONN men's and women's basketball teams had just won national championships (yep, totes taking credit for that too) so I was super pumped to be in the epicenter of so many of my sports fandoms.
The Red Sox '04 victory and cursebreaking came at a price though: my beloved Nomar was traded midseason. He never got to experience a WS victory. Curse breaking is a painful and messy business. I know, I watch Supernatural. In addition to the Nomar sacrifice, Curt Schilling had to appease the baseball gods with his own blood before the celebrating could begin. Scary stuff! But I was there for my boys, I watched every game, went to Fenway for the first (and not last) time. I bought a copy of that Dropkick Murphys "Tessie" song and started calling myself Tessie. I don't know if I listened to much else that year (and really, looking back on '04, that's not a bad thing). OMG, I wanted this to be the year. Even with Nomar gone, everything was aligned.
I went to game 3 of the ALCS. Yeah, that game. 19-8 Yankees. The only time I ever left a baseball game early. Before I left I shed a tear; it landed with a sad plop on the old, hallowed ground of Fenway Park (or possibly in my Rem Dawg, but the other way is more poetic).
Cue, the biggest comeback in sports history. The Red Sox finally defeated the hated behemoth that was the Yankees. In GLORIOUS fashion, so glorious it almost bent time and undid the pain of '03. It actually happened. And I was there. Still the favorite moment of my life. The WS win was almost anti-climactic it was so easy, except well, obviously it wasn't. It was also glorious.
Then the Pats won a bunch of times, and even the Celtics, who I watched all through their lowly last-place season where they won like two games. You're welcome, New England. And, thank you for all the awesome sports memories. (I can't count the Bruins victory as mine, because even though they're the only hockey team I've ever rooted for, I'd been away from NE for a few years by then and wasn't really paying much attention.)
My Pats fandom also waned a bit upon moving, and I was immediately struck by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, so I started pulling for the Packers at the start of his tenure. Aaaaand they won. And likely will again. Maybe this season.
And here we are today. I thought I'd met my match with the Blue Jays. I moved to Canada in 2012, and they were thoroughly mired in suck and one of the longest playoff droughts in baseball. The longest, until this year. But it looks like it might finally be coming to fruition this year. Just winning the AL East, hell, just making the playoffs is a pretty big deal, but they have a real shot to go all the way. As good a shot as anyone else, I'd say.
So that's my little sports saga. Is there anything to all this? Am I some kind of sports fairy? (Hey, it sounds more fun than being a tooth fairy.) Eh, probably not, but if the Jays win you know I'm gonna take a little credit. ;)
I mean, Tampa Bay Bucs, people. COME ON. (And sorry, Florida, for leaving you and condemning the Bucs to eternal suckage again. And sorry about the Florida half of FGL too, in case I had anything to do with that.)
I've got a pink Jays hat and a red leaf, let's do this thing Toronto!!
I made the Tampa Bay Bucs win, people. The TAMPA BAY BUCS.
Okay, so this is mostly a tongue-in-cheek post BUT, I do have a pretty good resume of moving to an area, rooting for the local team, and that team winning shortly thereafter.
I've moved around, a lot. All over the US and now Canada. I've Been Everywhere is my song, literally. Though I was born and mostly raised in LA, I'm not gonna count the Dodgers '88 win because I wasn't much of a sports fan back then. Now if they'd won in say, '96, I'd totally take credit for that. :D I'm also not counting the Braves, because even though they were my top team for a good 12 years, I never lived in Georgia and there was nothing flukey or weird about their WS win. What's weird is that they didn't win more. Heck, I might even count that as a fail!
But on to the good stuff. Oh, and anyone can start rooting for a team after they win (hi, every Yankee fan outside of NY). My special skill is rooting for them right before they win. So we'll start with the early 2000s, when I moved from NC to FL. My two main rooting interests at the time were the Braves and NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte (because you have to have a driver if you live in NC or FL. Seriously, if you don't they issue you one at the border.) Upon arriving in FL, I pretty quickly adopted the Bucs as my team for one reason: their quirky, vastly entertaining and awesomely good kicker Martin "Automatica" Gramatica. And they needed a good kicker because holy crap, they could not score TDs. That team was all defense and field goals, which would have been boring as fuck if not for the aforementioned Mr. Gramatica.
He was just so delighted about kicking a ball through a post! It was contagious!
Long story short, the Bucs won the SB, their first and only to date, a few years into my fandom, and Bobby Labonte won the Winston Cup (whatever it's called now, I haven't followed NASCAR in ages). An honorable mention here is the Ohio State Buckeyes championship. I've never been a CFB fan; I don't like the lack of a playoff system and real championship game. The game itself is fine but that's kind of a buzzkill. Anyway, my bf at the time was an Ohioan living in FL and a huge Buckeyes fan, so I kinda adopted the team for that time period. (Hey, that Buckeye mascot is pretty cute.) And what do you know, during that short window of time, they won whatever semblance of a championship there was. I don't even like OSU anymore, but I'll half-count it. :P
In 2004, I moved to New England. We all know what's coming here. My family is from New England (CT), so I'd been a fan of the Red Sox, Pats, Celtics, Bruins and UCONN Huskies (the alma mater of my mom and several of my relatives) to varying degrees throughout the years. Mostly the Red Sox though, especially in the Nomar years. OMG, I loved me some Nomar. So I moved to RI in April '04, right at the start of the season. The UCONN men's and women's basketball teams had just won national championships (yep, totes taking credit for that too) so I was super pumped to be in the epicenter of so many of my sports fandoms.
The Red Sox '04 victory and cursebreaking came at a price though: my beloved Nomar was traded midseason. He never got to experience a WS victory. Curse breaking is a painful and messy business. I know, I watch Supernatural. In addition to the Nomar sacrifice, Curt Schilling had to appease the baseball gods with his own blood before the celebrating could begin. Scary stuff! But I was there for my boys, I watched every game, went to Fenway for the first (and not last) time. I bought a copy of that Dropkick Murphys "Tessie" song and started calling myself Tessie. I don't know if I listened to much else that year (and really, looking back on '04, that's not a bad thing). OMG, I wanted this to be the year. Even with Nomar gone, everything was aligned.
I went to game 3 of the ALCS. Yeah, that game. 19-8 Yankees. The only time I ever left a baseball game early. Before I left I shed a tear; it landed with a sad plop on the old, hallowed ground of Fenway Park (or possibly in my Rem Dawg, but the other way is more poetic).
Cue, the biggest comeback in sports history. The Red Sox finally defeated the hated behemoth that was the Yankees. In GLORIOUS fashion, so glorious it almost bent time and undid the pain of '03. It actually happened. And I was there. Still the favorite moment of my life. The WS win was almost anti-climactic it was so easy, except well, obviously it wasn't. It was also glorious.
Then the Pats won a bunch of times, and even the Celtics, who I watched all through their lowly last-place season where they won like two games. You're welcome, New England. And, thank you for all the awesome sports memories. (I can't count the Bruins victory as mine, because even though they're the only hockey team I've ever rooted for, I'd been away from NE for a few years by then and wasn't really paying much attention.)
My Pats fandom also waned a bit upon moving, and I was immediately struck by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, so I started pulling for the Packers at the start of his tenure. Aaaaand they won. And likely will again. Maybe this season.
And here we are today. I thought I'd met my match with the Blue Jays. I moved to Canada in 2012, and they were thoroughly mired in suck and one of the longest playoff droughts in baseball. The longest, until this year. But it looks like it might finally be coming to fruition this year. Just winning the AL East, hell, just making the playoffs is a pretty big deal, but they have a real shot to go all the way. As good a shot as anyone else, I'd say.
So that's my little sports saga. Is there anything to all this? Am I some kind of sports fairy? (Hey, it sounds more fun than being a tooth fairy.) Eh, probably not, but if the Jays win you know I'm gonna take a little credit. ;)
I mean, Tampa Bay Bucs, people. COME ON. (And sorry, Florida, for leaving you and condemning the Bucs to eternal suckage again. And sorry about the Florida half of FGL too, in case I had anything to do with that.)
I've got a pink Jays hat and a red leaf, let's do this thing Toronto!!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Let's not.
ACTUALLY WAIT
I needed only to peruse the charts further to find an even worse abomination than... *sigh* Rae Sremmurd. It pains me to even type that. Anyway, you know how poor Hank Williams rolls over in his grave every time some douchebro mentions him alongside Drake or somebody? Well, that ain't nothin' compared to the calisthenics poor Marvin Gaye must be doing right now. May he rest in peace. And stop invoking the names of dead people who were much awesomer than you in your stupid songs! It doesn't give you cred, it just reminds people of how much better they were than you! In the immortal words of MST3K, "Never show a good movie in the middle of your crappy movie."
So... "let's Marvin Gaye and get it on." Classy. If you ever wondered what the combined sex appeal of Justin Bieber, the Chipmunks, and the entire cast of Glee would sound like, here you go. Hmmm, what other unsexy things can I add in there? Tap water? Creamed corn? Roadkill?*
So let's talk about Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth (?). Yeah, I still have a hard time believing he went with that name. Okay, whatever, let's puth this. I've already talked at length about Meghan Trainor, so I'll sum up her performance here in one line: "I'm like a dog without a bone." Umm, she said that, not me. I swear! I did not just call Meghan Trainor a dog who can't get laid, she did! Now I'm not the best judge of what women are sexy, and I'm not into judging performers on their looks unless they wear something incredibly hideous (Hi, Miley). So.
I think Meghan is attractive, most definitely NOT fat, and probably sexy to some people. To me though, she's way too young and too squeaky clean to pull off something like "let's get it on." She looks like a spokesmodel, like someone who'd be doing a commercial for paint swatches with a big perky smile on. It's like Suzy, your Time-Life operator suddenly started doing a phone sex ad. Whoa, Suzy! I just wanted to order "Cruisin: Greatest Hits of the 50s!" I'm sure you're a nice girl and all, but maybe you should stick to what you do best, eh? Meghan's voice is fine, and I do like her love of retro music, but nothing about her is fit to impart this message. Nothing. Someone like Lady Gaga who could maybe pull it off would never sing something so stupid. And she sang "ga ga ooh la la" and "cherry cherry boom boom."
Charlie... Puth. Now, I've never watched an episode of Glee, but I've seen enough clips to know I'd rather go to a Luke Bryan/FGL show than binge-watch that shit. And this Charlie Puth pretty much strikes me as all the cast members of Glee rolled into one person. Yep, even the female ones. Nope, not saying he seems gay or girly or whatever, or that I'd care if he was. I'm saying these kind of young celebrities are so indistinguishable from each other, even their genders are a big blur of blandness. I'll say he's mildly sexier than Justin Bieber, but so is a flat tire. And "mild" is just the right word for this guy and this song. He's so young and so squeaky clean, I feel like he's singing me this song from his bicycle. While doing his paper route. The level of sexy here can, once again, best be summed up by MST3K: "Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!"
I feel sorry for any children who might be conceived to this song. You're doooomed. YOU'RE ALL DOOMED!
*Tap Water, Creamed Corn and Roadkill kinda sounds like a roots-punk-rockabilly band. And they're way better than this mess.
I needed only to peruse the charts further to find an even worse abomination than... *sigh* Rae Sremmurd. It pains me to even type that. Anyway, you know how poor Hank Williams rolls over in his grave every time some douchebro mentions him alongside Drake or somebody? Well, that ain't nothin' compared to the calisthenics poor Marvin Gaye must be doing right now. May he rest in peace. And stop invoking the names of dead people who were much awesomer than you in your stupid songs! It doesn't give you cred, it just reminds people of how much better they were than you! In the immortal words of MST3K, "Never show a good movie in the middle of your crappy movie."
So... "let's Marvin Gaye and get it on." Classy. If you ever wondered what the combined sex appeal of Justin Bieber, the Chipmunks, and the entire cast of Glee would sound like, here you go. Hmmm, what other unsexy things can I add in there? Tap water? Creamed corn? Roadkill?*
So let's talk about Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth (?). Yeah, I still have a hard time believing he went with that name. Okay, whatever, let's puth this. I've already talked at length about Meghan Trainor, so I'll sum up her performance here in one line: "I'm like a dog without a bone." Umm, she said that, not me. I swear! I did not just call Meghan Trainor a dog who can't get laid, she did! Now I'm not the best judge of what women are sexy, and I'm not into judging performers on their looks unless they wear something incredibly hideous (Hi, Miley). So.
I think Meghan is attractive, most definitely NOT fat, and probably sexy to some people. To me though, she's way too young and too squeaky clean to pull off something like "let's get it on." She looks like a spokesmodel, like someone who'd be doing a commercial for paint swatches with a big perky smile on. It's like Suzy, your Time-Life operator suddenly started doing a phone sex ad. Whoa, Suzy! I just wanted to order "Cruisin: Greatest Hits of the 50s!" I'm sure you're a nice girl and all, but maybe you should stick to what you do best, eh? Meghan's voice is fine, and I do like her love of retro music, but nothing about her is fit to impart this message. Nothing. Someone like Lady Gaga who could maybe pull it off would never sing something so stupid. And she sang "ga ga ooh la la" and "cherry cherry boom boom."
Charlie... Puth. Now, I've never watched an episode of Glee, but I've seen enough clips to know I'd rather go to a Luke Bryan/FGL show than binge-watch that shit. And this Charlie Puth pretty much strikes me as all the cast members of Glee rolled into one person. Yep, even the female ones. Nope, not saying he seems gay or girly or whatever, or that I'd care if he was. I'm saying these kind of young celebrities are so indistinguishable from each other, even their genders are a big blur of blandness. I'll say he's mildly sexier than Justin Bieber, but so is a flat tire. And "mild" is just the right word for this guy and this song. He's so young and so squeaky clean, I feel like he's singing me this song from his bicycle. While doing his paper route. The level of sexy here can, once again, best be summed up by MST3K: "Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!"
I feel sorry for any children who might be conceived to this song. You're doooomed. YOU'RE ALL DOOMED!
*Tap Water, Creamed Corn and Roadkill kinda sounds like a roots-punk-rockabilly band. And they're way better than this mess.
Fun? with Billboard charts
17 Gonna Wanna Tonight
Chase Rice
18 Gonna
Blake Shelton
19 Wanna
Bryant Luke
20 Tonight
Bryce Chase
Okay, it's pretty sad that I only made up half of those. To say that mainstream country is unoriginal and samey at this point is redundant. All you need to do is look at the charts. What will the next song in this progression be called, "'Na (The Monosyllabic Caveman Song)" by umm... *sorts through country star name fridge magnets* Duke Cole? There ya go. "'Na," our next big hit song. Make it happen, Nashville!!
And on the pop charts...
Okay, seriously. I've talked shit about some bad music here, but some of it you can chalk up to not being my taste. I don't like sparse beats, I don't like autotune, I don't like music to be a douchebag to. This is possibly the first song I've talked about that actually doesn't sound like a song. It sounds like an accident at the studio, like someone spilled their Orange Crush all over this thing and was like, "fuck it, we'll just put it out, no one will notice." It sounds like someone spun around really fast on a merry go round and recorded a song immediately after. Right before they puked. And also they're drunk.
"Rae Sremmurd" is pronounced "NO," btw.
The second best song in the top 10 is that "Cheerleader" song. Yup. I do like "Can't Feel My Face." I haven't liked anything else by the... Weeknd*, but Can't Feel My Face is funky, I dig it. Can "Wildest Dreams" make the top 10 already? It's the first Taylor Swift single I've really liked since "Sparks Fly."
*the Weeknd: "There are too many 'e's' in this word, I'm going out for a smoke!" Man, I can't stop the MST references today.
Soooo drunk merry go round music and caveman grunts. This is where we're at now, folks. Can we go any lower than this? ....don't answer that. Please.
Chase Rice
18 Gonna
Blake Shelton
19 Wanna
Bryant Luke
20 Tonight
Bryce Chase
Okay, it's pretty sad that I only made up half of those. To say that mainstream country is unoriginal and samey at this point is redundant. All you need to do is look at the charts. What will the next song in this progression be called, "'Na (The Monosyllabic Caveman Song)" by umm... *sorts through country star name fridge magnets* Duke Cole? There ya go. "'Na," our next big hit song. Make it happen, Nashville!!
And on the pop charts...
Okay, seriously. I've talked shit about some bad music here, but some of it you can chalk up to not being my taste. I don't like sparse beats, I don't like autotune, I don't like music to be a douchebag to. This is possibly the first song I've talked about that actually doesn't sound like a song. It sounds like an accident at the studio, like someone spilled their Orange Crush all over this thing and was like, "fuck it, we'll just put it out, no one will notice." It sounds like someone spun around really fast on a merry go round and recorded a song immediately after. Right before they puked. And also they're drunk.
"Rae Sremmurd" is pronounced "NO," btw.
The second best song in the top 10 is that "Cheerleader" song. Yup. I do like "Can't Feel My Face." I haven't liked anything else by the... Weeknd*, but Can't Feel My Face is funky, I dig it. Can "Wildest Dreams" make the top 10 already? It's the first Taylor Swift single I've really liked since "Sparks Fly."
*the Weeknd: "There are too many 'e's' in this word, I'm going out for a smoke!" Man, I can't stop the MST references today.
Soooo drunk merry go round music and caveman grunts. This is where we're at now, folks. Can we go any lower than this? ....don't answer that. Please.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
looooool... speaking of bad electronic music, while I was out I just heard a "song" that sounded exactly like farts set to music.
Producer: I hope you enjoy my latest composition, "Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit, the More You Eat, the More you Toot."
*dies*
I think it was dubstep?? All dubstep I've heard sounds like a mix of people farting and dropping their keys on the floor. Maybe occasionally putting something through a blender that shouldn't be put through a blender. Like keys.
What I think people think while listening to dubstep: "Wow we're so cool! We'll never turn into our parents!"
To be fair, that's probably what the first rock n roll generation thought, too. And they're still pretty cool, because rock music is awesome and keeps you young. Really, I think that's why people seem younger now, because they grew up listening to rock. #science
But yeah sorry, dubstep is terrible. I mean, it is all about image, right? No one could possibly... enjoy that? :/
*fart fart fart lower pitched fart fart fart*
Producer: I hope you enjoy my latest composition, "Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit, the More You Eat, the More you Toot."
*dies*
I think it was dubstep?? All dubstep I've heard sounds like a mix of people farting and dropping their keys on the floor. Maybe occasionally putting something through a blender that shouldn't be put through a blender. Like keys.
What I think people think while listening to dubstep: "Wow we're so cool! We'll never turn into our parents!"
To be fair, that's probably what the first rock n roll generation thought, too. And they're still pretty cool, because rock music is awesome and keeps you young. Really, I think that's why people seem younger now, because they grew up listening to rock. #science
But yeah sorry, dubstep is terrible. I mean, it is all about image, right? No one could possibly... enjoy that? :/
*fart fart fart lower pitched fart fart fart*
Friday, September 18, 2015
Feel Good Friday ~ Maddie & Tae
This may be an odd choice, since I usually pick an upbeat song. But the fact that this song was recorded (and co-written) by a current popular, mainstream country act and it's SO BEAUTIFUL and the harmonies are like chapstick for my soul just makes me feel SO GOOD that I couldn't pick anything else after this otherwise awful week.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Headline of the day
"Miley Cyrus, 22, Reportedly 'Hooking Up' With 43-Year-Old Comedian Dane Cook"
Douchebaggery knows no age limit. This is perfect on a cosmic level.
Douchebaggery knows no age limit. This is perfect on a cosmic level.
TBT
Oh hey, it's Throwback Thursday again. I've mostly been avoiding... everything in the world* and focusing on decorating for fall, baking, petting my cats, etc. And listening to a lot of Motown. Oh and the Jays are gonna make the playoffs for the first time in *insert absurdly large number here* years. So there's that.
*politics, increasingly awful music made by everyone, droopy drizzly weather, bleh!
Today's TBT is brought to you courtesy of my ipod, which decided to play these two songs from my random old pop playlist back to back while I was shopping for Halloween decorations. They really helped me get into the spirit, you might say. Mua. ha. ha.
*politics, increasingly awful music made by everyone, droopy drizzly weather, bleh!
Today's TBT is brought to you courtesy of my ipod, which decided to play these two songs from my random old pop playlist back to back while I was shopping for Halloween decorations. They really helped me get into the spirit, you might say. Mua. ha. ha.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
TBT
The 2010s will be remembered as the decade you could only hear good music on Throwback Thursday.*
Is 2008 too recent for a throwback? Well it seems like forever ago and I love this song, so here it goes.
*that's not completely true. Lee Ann Womack's current album is also very good. But you're not gonna hear it, you've gotta seek it out.
Is 2008 too recent for a throwback? Well it seems like forever ago and I love this song, so here it goes.
*that's not completely true. Lee Ann Womack's current album is also very good. But you're not gonna hear it, you've gotta seek it out.
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
My Awesome Mix Vol. 2!
Okay, here we go. Using the template of Vol. 1, 12 rock/pop/soul songs from the same general time period, in no particular order.
1. It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers
2. Takin' It To the Streets - The Doobie Brothers
3. Strange Magic - ELO (A lot of ELO songs fit, IMO. "Telephone Line" or "Do Ya" would be good too. Strange Magic is just my favorite)
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
5. Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers
6. Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells (oh please please please...)
7. September - Earth Wind and Fire (another band I really hope is included)
8. Shambala - Three Dog Night
9. I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt (how perfect is this song??)
10. A Lover's Concerto - The Toys (TOTALLY UNDERRATED 60S HIT)
11. Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher) - Jackie Wilson
12. Bad Time - Grand Funk Railroad
A few other possibilities:
Crazy Circles - Bad Company
Working My Way Back to You - The Spinners
Little Bit of Soul - Music Explosion
That was fun. I <3 music. Til next week, peace!
1. It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers
2. Takin' It To the Streets - The Doobie Brothers
3. Strange Magic - ELO (A lot of ELO songs fit, IMO. "Telephone Line" or "Do Ya" would be good too. Strange Magic is just my favorite)
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
5. Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers
6. Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells (oh please please please...)
7. September - Earth Wind and Fire (another band I really hope is included)
8. Shambala - Three Dog Night
9. I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt (how perfect is this song??)
10. A Lover's Concerto - The Toys (TOTALLY UNDERRATED 60S HIT)
11. Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher) - Jackie Wilson
12. Bad Time - Grand Funk Railroad
A few other possibilities:
Crazy Circles - Bad Company
Working My Way Back to You - The Spinners
Little Bit of Soul - Music Explosion
That was fun. I <3 music. Til next week, peace!
Speaking of new music...
a wild cool song appears out of nowhere! Driving beat, powerful vocals, catchy hook, where the hell did this come from??
So of course I looked up the singer, Elle King. I assumed she was British, idk why, maybe because her vocal style reminds me of Amy Winehouse. But nope, she's American. Where did she come from? LA. Oh and also?
THIS GUY.
That's right, something good actually came out of Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo! Life is hilarious. I'm gonna crank this song and laugh. Oh, and guess what? NO GUEST RAPPER. This song proudly stands on its own. I freaking love this. This is the antithesis of every tinny-ass beat and weak-ass vocal that has plagued pop music the last 10 years. Like... this.
GAWD that manages to be loathsome despite barely even existing. That's almost impressive. And it has a guest rapper, because of course it does. Not that it even remotely boosts the song, which is what I assume a guest rapper is supposed to do. It's become so formulaic it's pretty much just a throwaway at this point. Rapper shows up, mumbles something sexual/nonsensical, collects paycheck.* Today's music, ladies and gentlemen!
But not "Ex's and Ohs." Enough of the barely-there music! "Ex's and Ohs" has there-ness to spare. It's a blast of music directly to the face. THIS IS HOW YOU DO A BEAT, PEOPLE. Can I get an amen Rob Schneider??
*seriously, when did rapping turn into mumbling? Mushmouth, is that you??
So of course I looked up the singer, Elle King. I assumed she was British, idk why, maybe because her vocal style reminds me of Amy Winehouse. But nope, she's American. Where did she come from? LA. Oh and also?
THIS GUY.
That's right, something good actually came out of Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo! Life is hilarious. I'm gonna crank this song and laugh. Oh, and guess what? NO GUEST RAPPER. This song proudly stands on its own. I freaking love this. This is the antithesis of every tinny-ass beat and weak-ass vocal that has plagued pop music the last 10 years. Like... this.
GAWD that manages to be loathsome despite barely even existing. That's almost impressive. And it has a guest rapper, because of course it does. Not that it even remotely boosts the song, which is what I assume a guest rapper is supposed to do. It's become so formulaic it's pretty much just a throwaway at this point. Rapper shows up, mumbles something sexual/nonsensical, collects paycheck.* Today's music, ladies and gentlemen!
But not "Ex's and Ohs." Enough of the barely-there music! "Ex's and Ohs" has there-ness to spare. It's a blast of music directly to the face. THIS IS HOW YOU DO A BEAT, PEOPLE. Can I get an amen Rob Schneider??
*seriously, when did rapping turn into mumbling? Mushmouth, is that you??
Feel good... Wednesday?! It's chaos! Anarchy! Lack of alliteration! Dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria!!
I'll be in the mountains for throwback Thursday and feel good Friday, so here's some midweek feel good music (and an excuse for me to quote Ghostbusters). :)
I'm not a super fan of "oldies" before the Beatles/Stones/Supremes hit, which I believe were all in 1964. Oh I love Elvis and a lot of the girl groups and early rock and r&b, but there are too many sappy ballads, teen idols and samey sounding songs for my taste. (Elvis and The Beatles were teen idols, but they were also cool and made killer tunes. Pat Boone they were not.)
And why do so many of the band names from back then sound like Toyota models? The Duprees, the Chantels, the Capris, the Marcels, The Corollas, The Tercels... okay I might have made those last two up, but who would ever know??
Here are a few songs from the late 50s/early 60s that hit that sweet spot for me. We'll call it Early Weekend Wednesday, cause if it's not alliterative it's not a thing.
... Toyota Crystal? Yep, that works. ;) Or maybe Chevy Crystal.
I am going to make a concerted effort to get into more new music after my vacation! Along with keeping the good old stuff alive, of course. :) Cause nothing sounds like the Crystals anymore, except Megan Trainor and she's annoying.
I'm not a super fan of "oldies" before the Beatles/Stones/Supremes hit, which I believe were all in 1964. Oh I love Elvis and a lot of the girl groups and early rock and r&b, but there are too many sappy ballads, teen idols and samey sounding songs for my taste. (Elvis and The Beatles were teen idols, but they were also cool and made killer tunes. Pat Boone they were not.)
And why do so many of the band names from back then sound like Toyota models? The Duprees, the Chantels, the Capris, the Marcels, The Corollas, The Tercels... okay I might have made those last two up, but who would ever know??
Here are a few songs from the late 50s/early 60s that hit that sweet spot for me. We'll call it Early Weekend Wednesday, cause if it's not alliterative it's not a thing.
... Toyota Crystal? Yep, that works. ;) Or maybe Chevy Crystal.
I am going to make a concerted effort to get into more new music after my vacation! Along with keeping the good old stuff alive, of course. :) Cause nothing sounds like the Crystals anymore, except Megan Trainor and she's annoying.
Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Getting into new music
I don't listen to new music as much as I should. Oh, I have my list of artists I'll always listen to when they release a new album - Alan Jackson, George Strait, ZBB, Miranda, recently added Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe. The list of radio artists on that list has dwindled considerably - there was a time when new music by Chris Young, Randy Houser, Brett Eldredge, etc, would have excited me. (And they may well again when country music gets whatever nasty virus it has out of its system.)
For a new (to me) artist to grab me, they have to really grab me. Not because I'm uninterested, but because I've always been the opposite of a "casual" music listener. I listen to music somewhat aggressively, and it can be exhausting. Sure, I like some silly pop stuff and background beats to walk to, but ever since I first got into music as a kid it's something I've taken pretty seriously. Maybe it's because I'm a child of musicians, maybe it's because I'm a quiet introvert and music has always been my bestest friend, maybe it just is what it is. Music has pretty much been my life since the age of 10. I'm obsessed with it, good and bad.
As I've written before, it's both easier and more difficult to find new music these days. Easier because it's everywhere on the internet, harder because radio no longer exists as a handy delivery service to those who like good music. Or, the non-casual listener. Radio has probably always leaned toward the casual listener - play the hookiest records that will sell - but a lot of those hooky records have been amazing. Elvis. The Beatles. Motown. Classic rock. Michael Jackson. Early Madonna. We'll just skip over the late 80s. ;p Garth Brooks and all the great 90s country. New jack swing and early hip hop. Nirvana. Then everything started sucking in the late 90s, and despite some breaths of fresh air, mainstream pop and country haven't rebounded to their full glory, and mainstream rock has disappeared.
But the 60s to the mid 90s... oh man. What a great ride. Which is what puzzles me so much about today's music. While it seems to be geared more and more towards the casual listener - people who are pulled in not only by radio but viral internet crap - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOOKS??? Other than the retro sounds of Bruno Mars or Megan Trainor, I can't remember the melodies of most of today's hits. That includes the "country" stuff. The stuff radio won't play, that's hooky as hell! Try getting "Biscuits" out of your head! But no, radio says, give us your most indeterminate sludge with a half ass beat. That's what sells!
So what I'm saying is, I don't know wtf is going on anymore. "Popular music isn't catchy enough" might be a weird complaint, especially coming from someone who isn't drawn in by catchy hooks alone. But... I like good music. I like music that sounds good.
So back to new music. Because I'm not a casual listener, and I no longer have radio to serve as a guide, each new record is a labor of love. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes being in the right mood to hear something new instead of listening to, idk, All Along the Watchtower* all day. It takes longer now for new music to sink in, to feel like a part of me. Sometimes I put off listening to new albums because I want to be in just the right head space to appreciate them. I get around to most of them, eventually. My list is very short right now - just Maddie & Tae's album, which I think I'm gonna like. I want to give it its due. I want to delve into it. Music deserves that. Music deserves a lot of things it's not getting these days.
*I just played that 3 times in a row. :P
I've actually always been this way with new albums, even when I was a kid. Like 10 years old. I'd generally get one or two CDs (or cassettes way back in the day) and absorb them completely before getting anything else. Each new album was like a living thing I'd let into my house. Letting it out was a moment of great anticipation. Getting to know it took time. And this was top 40 stuff, cause that's what I used to listen to, but a lot of top 40 used to appeal to both casual and non-casual listeners. 80s/90s top 40 made me the music fan I am today. I miss those days more than I can ever say, but I still cherish new albums I listen to/buy, even if they're no longer physical things and it takes me half a year to get around to listening to them.
Hopefully, eventually, they'll become a part of me too. And 20 years from now something from today will be "comfort food" like classic rock and country are now. Cause you don't always realize, right away, what your classics will be. That's the hard part, I think, of getting into new music and getting out of the comfort zone of the old. But it is the only way to progress and make new memories.
For a new (to me) artist to grab me, they have to really grab me. Not because I'm uninterested, but because I've always been the opposite of a "casual" music listener. I listen to music somewhat aggressively, and it can be exhausting. Sure, I like some silly pop stuff and background beats to walk to, but ever since I first got into music as a kid it's something I've taken pretty seriously. Maybe it's because I'm a child of musicians, maybe it's because I'm a quiet introvert and music has always been my bestest friend, maybe it just is what it is. Music has pretty much been my life since the age of 10. I'm obsessed with it, good and bad.
As I've written before, it's both easier and more difficult to find new music these days. Easier because it's everywhere on the internet, harder because radio no longer exists as a handy delivery service to those who like good music. Or, the non-casual listener. Radio has probably always leaned toward the casual listener - play the hookiest records that will sell - but a lot of those hooky records have been amazing. Elvis. The Beatles. Motown. Classic rock. Michael Jackson. Early Madonna. We'll just skip over the late 80s. ;p Garth Brooks and all the great 90s country. New jack swing and early hip hop. Nirvana. Then everything started sucking in the late 90s, and despite some breaths of fresh air, mainstream pop and country haven't rebounded to their full glory, and mainstream rock has disappeared.
But the 60s to the mid 90s... oh man. What a great ride. Which is what puzzles me so much about today's music. While it seems to be geared more and more towards the casual listener - people who are pulled in not only by radio but viral internet crap - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOOKS??? Other than the retro sounds of Bruno Mars or Megan Trainor, I can't remember the melodies of most of today's hits. That includes the "country" stuff. The stuff radio won't play, that's hooky as hell! Try getting "Biscuits" out of your head! But no, radio says, give us your most indeterminate sludge with a half ass beat. That's what sells!
So what I'm saying is, I don't know wtf is going on anymore. "Popular music isn't catchy enough" might be a weird complaint, especially coming from someone who isn't drawn in by catchy hooks alone. But... I like good music. I like music that sounds good.
So back to new music. Because I'm not a casual listener, and I no longer have radio to serve as a guide, each new record is a labor of love. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes being in the right mood to hear something new instead of listening to, idk, All Along the Watchtower* all day. It takes longer now for new music to sink in, to feel like a part of me. Sometimes I put off listening to new albums because I want to be in just the right head space to appreciate them. I get around to most of them, eventually. My list is very short right now - just Maddie & Tae's album, which I think I'm gonna like. I want to give it its due. I want to delve into it. Music deserves that. Music deserves a lot of things it's not getting these days.
*I just played that 3 times in a row. :P
I've actually always been this way with new albums, even when I was a kid. Like 10 years old. I'd generally get one or two CDs (or cassettes way back in the day) and absorb them completely before getting anything else. Each new album was like a living thing I'd let into my house. Letting it out was a moment of great anticipation. Getting to know it took time. And this was top 40 stuff, cause that's what I used to listen to, but a lot of top 40 used to appeal to both casual and non-casual listeners. 80s/90s top 40 made me the music fan I am today. I miss those days more than I can ever say, but I still cherish new albums I listen to/buy, even if they're no longer physical things and it takes me half a year to get around to listening to them.
Hopefully, eventually, they'll become a part of me too. And 20 years from now something from today will be "comfort food" like classic rock and country are now. Cause you don't always realize, right away, what your classics will be. That's the hard part, I think, of getting into new music and getting out of the comfort zone of the old. But it is the only way to progress and make new memories.
Worthless headline of the day
"Kim Kardashian: Reality TV Personality Wears Body-Hugging Outfit at MTV Video Music Awards"
YOU DON'T SAY. I'd have thought she'd wear a muu muu or a hazmat suit! *eyeroll* Worthless, personified. News is supposed to be, y'know... new. That's why it's called "news" not "same old boring predictable crap."
Runner-up: "Luke Bryan: Musician Says He's Offended by the Term 'Bro-Country'"
What a coincidence, I'm offended by your dumb bro-ass music! He goes on to say something like "I feel it's used as a *gasp!* derogatory term." Gee Luke, ya THINK? A derogatory term about terrible, terrible music? Again, this is not news, and if it is news to Luke I'd like to find the rock he's been sleeping under and borrow it so I never have to hear his music again. Luke's been awfully butthurt lately about his terrible, terrible music. If all the criticism bothers him so much there's a pretty simple solution - stop making terrible, terrible music!!
Also, I feel like the rest of my life will be nothing but a series of finding out once-loved celebs are racists, rapists, or dead. Being an adult freaking sucks.
YOU DON'T SAY. I'd have thought she'd wear a muu muu or a hazmat suit! *eyeroll* Worthless, personified. News is supposed to be, y'know... new. That's why it's called "news" not "same old boring predictable crap."
Runner-up: "Luke Bryan: Musician Says He's Offended by the Term 'Bro-Country'"
What a coincidence, I'm offended by your dumb bro-ass music! He goes on to say something like "I feel it's used as a *gasp!* derogatory term." Gee Luke, ya THINK? A derogatory term about terrible, terrible music? Again, this is not news, and if it is news to Luke I'd like to find the rock he's been sleeping under and borrow it so I never have to hear his music again. Luke's been awfully butthurt lately about his terrible, terrible music. If all the criticism bothers him so much there's a pretty simple solution - stop making terrible, terrible music!!
Also, I feel like the rest of my life will be nothing but a series of finding out once-loved celebs are racists, rapists, or dead. Being an adult freaking sucks.
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