Best of 2023 - Music

Today I have my top 5 music/rediscovering albums and moments of 2023. Music has always been a big deal in my life. Unfortunately I have not heard much new music the past couple years. I find myself going back to stuff I used to listen to, or finding older music that was popular a few years ago. I am not hip anymore. I'm 41 now. I don't know all the cool new artists out there at the moment. Maybe things will change as my kids get older. But right now, my music taste is not current. Keep that in mind as you read my list.

At number 5 I have Lil Dicky announcing his new record. I am a fan of his music. But even more so, I am a fan of his wonderful show "Dave" on FX. And this most recent season focused on him touring his new music. He also did a bunch of stuff in season two that referenced this upcoming record. The album is entitled "Penith". I can remember howling when he was doing publication for this record in season two. But he played some of the music in the show, and I found myself vibing out. He also did an entire episode this past season where he did a song with Rachel McAdams. It was a great episode, it centered around a fashion ball, and the song is dope. He also had some autotune stuff he did with Brad Pitt that I am curious to see if that made the record. He also had a great video for a song about his childhood crush. I am stoked. I feel like he hasn't put out new music in quite some time and I am more than ready to listen when the record comes out in January.

At number 4 I have my personal reintroduction to the band MGMT. I listened to them when they first came out, but after a bit I found them to be a bit pretentious and kind of forgot about them. Then I started to play a game on my phone called Beatstar and they had a song of theirs featured on the game, "Electric Feel". I would play the song on the game and find myself bobbing my head while playing. I was playing it one day and I looked at my wife and said, "this song slaps". Then I went to Spotify and started to listen to the record with "Electric Feel". I then went back to the beginning and found myself enjoying pretty much all of their work. They make pretty darn good music. They have a pretty cool sound. They make music to dance to. It is all pretty great and I'm glad that I stopped being a music snob with MGMT's discography. It has been nice to reacquaint myself with some pretty sweet, poppy and dancy music.

At number 3 I have my discovery of the band LSD. LSD is a three piece super group consisting of Sia, Diplo and Labrinth. The music is rad too. This is another band that Beatstar introduced me to. And I'm here for it. The music blends a bunch of genres. They have pop, electronic, hip hop and dance music vibes. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along to. They only put out one record, that I know of, and that record is one of my new favorites to listen to a lot in my car and home. I like the version of Sia this record has brought out. I enjoy Diplo's production here. And I love that I get to hear an artist new to me, Labrinth, who is great at his craft. LSD is one of my better personal discoveries lately and I'm glad they are in my music life now.

At number 2 I have Killer Mike's solo record, "Michael". This record is everything I hoped it would be. Killer Mike crushes verse after verse on this album. His guest list is second to none. He brought back a whole bunch of Atlanta rappers and let them shine here. But above all, Killer Mike further cemented his place as one of the best rappers in the game, now and possibly of all time. I knew going into listening that I was going to like this album, I just didn't know how much. Well, I love it and have been listening to it a bunch since this summer. Killer Mike is amazing and continues to do amazing work.

At number 1 I have Lil Yachty's "Let's Start Here". This album came out of nowhere for me. I have never listened to Lil Yachty priors to this record. He was never on my radar. And when people who's musical taste I trust would talk up this record, I laughed it off. Lil Yachty is a party rapper in my eyes. But "Let's Start Here" is an achievement. Lil Yachty did something completely out of his comfort zone, making a psychedelic record, and this is one of the best records I have heard in quite some time. It is wild and insane and wonderful. The songs range anywhere from eight to three minutes. Lil Yachty does hip hop verses, rock verses, R&B choruses and psychedelic stuff all over this album. The instrumentation is incredible. Whoever he got to play the instruments, he knocked it out of the whole entire park. This record is endlessly listenable and awesome. I have been blown away with every listen. Lil Yachty took a chance and hammered it. This album is amazing and you should listen to it immediately if you have not yet. It is worth your time.

That is it for my top 5 albums/musical moments of 2023. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 tv shows of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Dave": Season Three Premier

Season three of "Dave" premiered last week. I have not watched the newest episode yet, but I am here to say that this show is still at the top of its game. I was trying to figure out what FX was going to do with "Atlanta" going off the air. That was their hit show that was weird but still wonderful. It was able to toe the line. "Legion" took it too far. "DEVS" didn't get more than one season. "Boy Meets Girl" was canceled too soon. I watched parts of all of these shows, but "Atlanta" was the only one that really nailed it. They crushed it from start to finish. But after watching the season 3 premiere of "Dave", I am confident that FX has found their next show to really give their all too.

They are letting Dave Burd and all of his creative people around him do what they want how they want and it is really working out in their favor. The first season was surprisingly good and, at times, dramatic. I didn't see that coming, but it hooked me right away. I was here for it, and then some. The second season was filmed at the height of COVID, and it showed, but they pulled it off. The second season was odd. They had wild storylines. They had crazy and cool guest stars. And in the end, it all worked out really well. I still think about the Benny Blanco episode. I go back and rewatch the Rick Rubin episode, it wasn't really Rick Rubin, a bunch. And the episode with Dave's manager where he argues about trash can placement in the street, that was golden. But I was curious about this new season. I really wanted to know which direction they were going to go in.

When the premiere showed them on tour, I was stoked. The second season ended with Dave and GaTa going on tour together. The third season picks up on that tour, with Lil Dicky being the headliner. The first episode of season three was great. It was all about Dave trying to find real, true love. He is with a fan at the start and it goes well until it doesn't. GaTa tries to tell him to enjoy it. His manager is focused on the tour. His friend is filming a documentary about the tour. Dave explains to all of them that he wants true love, and we are off. They go to a party in small town Texas where Dave meets fans and, eventually, a possible partner. He likes this girl. She claims to not know who he is, that she just went to the show with a friend. Dave is interested and spends the rest of the night with her and her friends. It all turns out very weird and ends up with Dave telling all of the people about life on tour. He gets real with them. He tells him about it all, mainly all the warts. They don't care. They want to party. He eventually bounces when he realizes the girl is a true fan and that her friends are taking advantage of him. The ending of the premiere is great because of how odd it is. I loved it.

There was a second episode. This one was even better. Dave is filming a music video, and as always, he is wound extra tight. The whole episode is kind of chaotic and nuts. There is constant movement and tons of stuff happening. It is anxiety ridden in the best possible way. The episode unfolds and we find out that Dave is making a video about his first true love, who shows up and plays herself in the video. But it gets much deeper than that. Dave and the crush get into it. We find out things about each of their pasts. And the way they figure out the video, and how it all comes together is what I love about this show. Like I said, the whole episode is fast paced and moving, but it ends with grace. It is fitting. I was moved by what I saw.

"Dave" is a very good, very well made show. I love that FX has, seemingly, given the creators full reign to do what they want how they want. I highly recommend watching. They are doing something special here. Now I'm going to watch the third episode because I am so stoked to see where it goes from here. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

2021 Top Five - Television

Today I am coming to you with my top five TV shows of 2021. This one was harder than movies for me. I watch a ton of TV. I watched a bunch prior to COVID, and since quarantine, I watch even more. There were so many shows at the start of the pandemic that I rushed through. Then I watched a bunch of crappy reality TV. I watched the end of one of my favorite series, "Brooklyn 99". All of that stuff could have made it, but I was able to finally pair it down to five shows that I felt really surpassed the rest. These shows have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

At number five I have the newest season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". The newest season has been a total gem. Every episode to this point has been better than the last. I also really like how they have dealt with the pandemic. They acknowledged it and moved on. Now it is as if the characters live in a post pandemic world. The guest stars have been top notch, especially Tracy Ullman. She has been a great addition. But I think what has been the best thing about this season, it is comforting. It is like it never left. Larry David and crew are simply the best at what they do, and when the newer seasons come out it is like they never left. I truly believe that "Curb" is the best written show of all time, and season 11 further proves that point.

At number four I have season two of "Dave". What Dave Burd has done with this show is nothing short of impressive. I assumed it would be joke after joke after joke. I assumed it would be filled with dick and fart jokes. I assumed it would be silly. While it has its silly moments, it is a damn impressive show with real life elements. "Dave" touches on real world issues. It shows us what the music industry is like. It shows the viewers different features of different people from different walks of life. Everything with Dave and his manager is wonderful and sad. The stuff with his parents and Dave's incessant need for love from his mom was great. The stuff with Dave's ex was amazing. The episode that may have had Rick Rubin was the high point of the season. But the stuff with GaTa took this show to a whole other level. GaTa is the star of this show now in my opinion. The way they have showcased him is simply perfect. I cannot wait to see where the show goes from here. And the way they ended season two was perfection.

At number three I have "WandaVision". This was the most innovative show of the year by a very wide margin. The way they chopped and screwed different eras of TV was great. I was super invested. I was also very intrigued at the end of every episode because they always gave it a very enticing button. There was always something odd lingering behind the scenes. As the show progressed it only got better and better. Elizabeth Olsen was already great as Wanda, and this show put her in the upper tier of superheroes. Paul Bettany was fantastic as Vision. I felt his pain and anger during the season. But Kathyrn Hahn stole the show. Hahn as Agatha was one of the best twists I have seen since "The Good Place" season one finale. I am super interested to see where they go with Wanda in the MCU now. They can really do a lot of things now because of how incredible "Wandavision" was. We do not get many new or cool ideas nowadays, so "Wandavision" was a very nice surprise.

At number two I have season two of "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson". There is no better sketch comedy show on any platform right now. Every single sketch has something memorable in it. Be it Dan Flashes, changing lunch times, not knowing how to drive a car, going on a date and getting roasted by a sculpture on the wall, having your old professor eat your dinner, eating sloppy steaks and so many more, it is all quotable and funny as hell. I am stoked that Netflix is giving Tim Robinson an alley to do comedy his way. He never got that chance on "SNL". Comedy Central canceled "Detroiters" way too soon. But Netflix is really letting him stretch his comedy legs with "ITYSL". This show is so funny too. Everyone I talk to that watches this show agrees. There is something special brewing here, and this could become a classic that is talked about for years to come. It is weird, but it is also so well done and so well written. I love what Robinson, Zack Kanin and Sam Richardson are doing with "ITYSL". If you haven't been watching this show, go do it now. It is so worth your time.

At number one I have "Squid Game". Who thought I was going to try and put "Inside" here? Nope, it is a movie and soundtrack. "Squid Game" is easily the best show that came out this year. I remember my dad telling me about this wild show he was watching on Netflix before anyone else was raving about "Squid Game". He was raving about it. He mentioned it a few times while we were having coffee. And when I left his house he reminded me to watch it when I got home. I did, and boy was he correct. I was hooked immediately. This show is so interesting and brutal and innovative and cool and crazy and so well done. Everything about it is perfect. I would watch multiple episodes a night. I would constantly think about it when I wasn't watching. I would tell my friends about it. I gave my dad all the props in the world the next time I saw him. He was totally on the spot. He was there before it became this tremendous hit. I watched the show all the way through twice. Once by myself and once with my wife. She loved it too. So has everyone else that I know that has seen it. This is a once in a generation type show. I am so extremely excited for season two. I cannot wait to see what they do. I love everything about "Squid Game". It is the best show of 2021.

That is it for today. Come back for my top podcast/podcast episodes of 2021 tomorrow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Dave" Season Two Finale

Earlier this week I wrote about the episode of "Dave" entitled "Enlightened Dave" that was a masterpiece. Last night I watched the season two finale, and while not on the level of "Enlightened Dave", this was such a perfect way to wrap up this bizarre season of TV. This finale also puts "Dave" in the upper echelon of great television during what seems to be a golden era of television.

This show is simply perfect. The way it has matured in twenty short episodes is absolutely fascinating and wonderful. I had a totally different idea of how this show was going to be, and I'm glad it has gone in this other direction. I, like most Lil Dicky fans, thought the show was going to be a full blasted comedy. There is comedy in it, but this is much more emotional and dramatic and a show about being an adult in the music business nowadays. The theme song from season one asks questions like, "don't you want to know who I am/don't you want to meet the guy behind the guy/do you want to know what the industry is like/what a strange life I have", that is what this show has become. "Dave" is a behind the scenes look at a egotistical, fanatical, workaholic, self destruction rapper. But the two seasons have shown him grow and accept things and come to terms with people in his life and be happy with where he is and it has been amazing to watch.

All of the plotlines came to a head in the season two finale. I'm not going to spoil too much because everyone, and I mean EVERYONE should be watching this show. We see this growth though. He is being a selfish asshole for much of the finale. He is only looking out for himself and blaming everyone around him. It is never his fault. He is not to blame. But then he and GaTa have this humongous verbal argument where GaTa shares all of this with Dave. He puts it all on the line. He lets him know what an asshole he is being to everyone around him, but especially him, who always has his back no matter what. GaTa is always there for Dave, and for a long time, Dave has not returned the favor. This enlightens him. I think Dave starts to realize what a dick he is being to all his people. We then see him prepping for his appearance at the VMA's, the whole episode kind of revolves around this performance, and we see the change. His ex texts him good luck. He wants to respond, but he just gives her text a thumbs up. I saw that as a sign of him letting go. Then he meets his manager and producer backstage and all three of them have a real heart to heart. There are some jokes in there, but there is also love and acceptance and tears. Then we see GaTa, we haven't seen him since their fight, and he is tearing up. Then it is revealed that he is at the show with Dave to perform with him. Dave is finally giving GaTa the shine he so rightfully deserves. It then shows them on tour together, and they both seem to be genuinely enjoying their time on stage. It ends on a happy note. It ends with Dave and GaTa hugging and smiling and seemingly on the up and up.

I felt a sense of relief and joy watching the finale. I loved it. I hope it comes back for a third season. As I said up top, "Dave" is one of the best shows currently on TV, and I think it can only get better. I love, love, love this show. I cannot recommend it enough. "Dave" is a masterpiece.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

"Dave" Delivers an All Time Great Episode

This season of "Dave" has been weirdly awesome. I like how totally off track and different they have gone. The season was filmed during the start of the pandemic, and it shows. It also shows how prepared and safe they were while making this season. I loved the first season of the show too. I believe that I had it on my best of list. The second season wraps up this evening, but last week's episode is what I want to talk about today.

I think it might be the best 40 minutes of TV I have watched this year. This episode ranks up there with the "Teddy Perkins" episode of "Atlanta", or "Behind the Laughter" on "The Simpsons". Those are two of my favorite TV episodes of all time. I think I like this more than the first season of "Dave" episode where we found out that GaTa is bipolar. This was one of the most perfect written and acted episodes this show, and many others for that matter, could ever wish for.

For those that may not watch or know, this season has been pretty much all about how Dave is having severe writer's block. He got his record deal near the end of season one, and this season has focused primarily on his past and how hard it has been for him to come to grips with making a full length LP. It has been exquisite and the penultimate episode was a perfect encapsulation of all the troubles he has had all season. It starts out with him going to a very swank house in LA which we come to soon realize is Rick Rubin's place. Then from there it is a crazy sci fi/comedy/horror hybrid that was wonderfully bizarre. From the people who work for Rick Rubin, to the deprivation tank to the visions and to the finality of the episode, it was a mind f in all the best ways. When he deals with Rubin's people, I actually believed that these are the type of people Rubin would hire, and I absolutely adore Rick Rubin. I have written about my love for him and how I think he is the greatest producer of all time. He is also a super weirdo. Then the whole thing with the tank, and where the episode goes from there, it was awesome. We think he walks out because he is the type of person who cannot focus if he isn't the center of attention or if he isn't cracking jokes. But then we soon realize he is still in the tank and the stuff he is seeing are all visions while he is out. We see him take advantage of people like GaTa. He has a vision where he is working in a restaurant, and when he cannot come up with food to cook, GaTa literally lets him cook parts of his body. It shows their relationship to a T. He uses GaTa for support, and GaTa will do anything for his best friend. We see him talk to his girlfriend from season one and fully come out and take responsibility for their breakup. He talks to his mom and lets her know how he is sorry for using her. But near the end, that was when this episode got epic. We see a twin of Dave, but this twin is bald and wearing a diaper. And when I say bald, he doesn't even have eyebrows. But this twin is there to help him realize that he is trying too hard to maintain his online persona. He is trying too hard to be what others want him to be. He is being too tough on himself. He is using his friends but not in a way that is helpful for all of them. This twin starts to play him a beat and a song and you can see the real Dave getting hyped. He keeps asking him to send him the music and the bald twin keeps telling him that he doesn't need to send him anything because he is him. All this stuff is already inside of him. I loved it. I didn't fully understand the anteater, and maybe it was just there for the joke, but even that kept my attention. And when the bald twin goes down and starts to gurgle water, and then real Dave does, then we all know that this is a vision from inside the deprivation tank. When real Dave comes to, he runs to the studio and starts to record the song that he heard while he was tripping. The camera then pans back and we see the back of Rick Rubin just nodding his head.

I absolutely loved the way they showed Dave getting out of his own way and proceeding to record his album with which he has struggled with all season long. I'm pumped to see where they go with the finale tonight. But I think this episode from last week will stay with me for a long, long time. What a triumph.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Dave" Season Two Premier

Season two of "Dave" premiered this past Wednesday. I watched the first two episodes yesterday. I'm here to tell you how great they are today.

Full disclosure, I am a fan of this show. I knew of Lil Dicky due to listening to rap music. So when the real Lil Dicky, Dave, announced he had a TV show coming out, I was intrigued. I figured the show was going to be goofy and silly like his rapping. I was wrong. There is silly and goofy stuff, but there is also serious and deep stuff on this show. The episode where he and his girlfriend break up is heart wrenching. Seeing him deal with what he perceives to be shortcoming in bed where eye opening. The episode with his hype man GaTa talking about his bi polar was one of the most moving things I've ever witnessed. This show has levels. It was one of my top five shows after its first season of the year. Obviously I was stoked for season two, and the first two episodes did not disappoint.

To kick off the season we find Dave in Korea shooting a K Pop music video for the first single off his upcoming album. He got a record deal during season one, and now we find him working on it. What I loved about this first ep so much was how stressed and nervous Dave and his crew were. The episode made me nervous. It was like watching "Uncut Gems". There is so much that happens, and it all happens so fast. I also like the fact that they talk about getting likes and posts on social media. The music industry, hell probably every industry, is so reliant on social media now, so for "Dave" to talk about that, it was a home run. Hell, he got his notoriety mostly due to the internet. I loved it when he had to get a selfie with a K Pop star. I loved it when his intern told Dave he didn't follow him and you could see the hurt in Dave's eye. I loved watching GaTa acting like his stuff was all top of the line on the internet, and then when they got off the phone we realized it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. I was so impressed with how they skewered the fascination and need of the internet and social media. It was fantastic. We also come to realize that Dave has some serious writer's block right now, and his album isn't even close to being done. Hence the stress involved in the episode.

In the second episode we see Dave reconnecting with his buddy Els who left to go on a major tour in season one. He is back in LA and he is having a party. Dave is still struggling making music, but he will not let on with his record company. He is also doing some serious procrastination and he is getting high constantly. Dave gets an invite to Els' party, and he is pumped. Once he gets there though he realizes how things have changed. GaTa is having a blast because he likes the party lifestyle. Els' ex girlfriend is happy to be at a club. Els is big time now, and he shows it right in front of Dave. And all Dave can do is grovel and feel sorry for himself. He eventually leaves the party, realizing he isn't as important as he once was, and hits on a younger girl that he brings back to his fancy new house. I loved the way this episode ended because it gave us two scenarios. It let us decide what we wanted the ending to be. In both endings he plays the autotune music he did in season one with his ex-girlfriend, obviously trying to recreate that moment in time, and it doesn't work how he hoped. In the first ending we see him send the girl off and go to get high and pleasure himself, only to be attacked by the ants he has in his house. He crashes through a window and we do not know if he is okay or not. The other ending shows him giving in and hooking up with the girl. That is where the show leaves us, the two of them going to his room. It was such a cool, unique way to end an episode. I'm still trying to figure out which one was the real ending.

"Dave" is a very good, very original show. I'm very excited to see where they go with the rest of this season, but I know it will be good. This show has more than earned the benefit of the doubt. Go watch this show. It's very good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Best of 2020: Top Five Television Shows

TV was pretty solid this year.

It really was the highlight of 2020.

You do not believe me? Let’s discuss.

There was a lot of great television to choose from, and a good amount of it was okay. There was some early quarantine stuff that, when I look back on it now, was not as great as I thought it was at the time. Think "Tiger King" and "Love is Blind". Those shows were a nice distraction, but looking back, they were not great by any stretch of the imagination. They were more crummy reality TV shows that let me forget how crazy the world was, and still is. But, there was good stuff, just mostly already good shows that had really good seasons. That is how I viewed my choices this year. There is only one brand new show on my list, but that show is the best of the year. The rest are all shows that are already established. Let's get to the list.

At number five I have season two of "What We Do in the Shadows". The movie was amazing, and the show is pretty damn good. The first season was a nice homage to the movie. The second season really went out on its own. They explored each character. They gave us great one off episodes of two main characters. The episode that focused on Colin Robinson, the energy vampire, was one of the best episodes of TV in decades. They were able to follow that up with the "Jackie Daytona" episode, featuring an excellent cameo from Mark Hamill. "What We Do in the Shadows" got exponentially better in season two, and season one was great. The stuff with Guillermo, further looking into his vampire hunting past, ended with a tremendous conclusion. I loved this season, and I cannot wait to see where they go with the third.

At number four I have season two of "The Mandalorian". I am a newly minted "Star Wars" fan, but "Rogue One" and "The Mandalorian" are pretty exceptional. Season two of the show gave us Baby Yoda's real name. We got some kick ass fight scenes. Boba Fett reappeared. The episode with Ashoka Tano was epic. And anytime Giancarlo Esposito showed up on screen, I knew some wild stuff was about to happen. We got to see cool space monsters and other inhabitants of this world, and that is always fun for me. I read they had some on set drama, but none of that showed in the final product. And that surprise at the end of the season ranks right up there with some of the best TV season finales ever. "The Mandalorian" is a great show, with a solid cast and really cool story writing. It is an old west style show shot in outer space. I'm curious to see where they go with season three, but I bet it will be great.

At number three I have season 10 of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Sure, it gets kind of annoying waiting on a new season of "Curb", but when you come up with the comedy that Larry David does, all that goes away. This most recent season rules. All the stuff with Susie and Jeff is great, and it went to a new level of greatness this season. The episode with the painting was hilarious. The wedding episode with Timothy Olyphant was cringey in the best possible way. The stuff with Cheryl and Larry was tremendously funny. Ted Danson was sparsely on, but when he was he was great. But the spite coffee store was the creme de la creme. Larry deciding to do this, with Leon's help, is what makes this show so funny and so incredible. The writing, and improvising, is second to none. Larry David proved why he is one of the greatest people ever to do what he does. He has entered the pantheon of people that really can do no wrong. I know they are making an 11th season as we speak, and I am sure they will find a way to make COVID funny. David might be the only person capable of accomplishing that.

At number two I have season four of "Fargo". "Fargo" is a great show, with great connecting storylines. Season 4 kind of connected all the previous seasons. This was the first one that didn't take place in the North, instead heading to Kansas City. But, there was mention of Fargo, and the show was as captivating as previous seasons, if not more so. Chris Rock was the head of one crime family, the new one, going up against Jason Schwartzmann's already established crew. How they weaved both families stories together was perfect, and the addition of outside characters was done so well. Nurse Mayflower was frightening. The high school student that lived in a mortuary clearly was running things near the end. The sister and her girlfriend, the robbers, were so good. Timothy Olyphant, his second appearance on my list, was charming as hell. The way Noah Hawley does this show, the way it is written and the people he gets to act are so good and so game for anything that is thrown at them. And as I said before, the way they tied previous seasons to this one was done so well. The very last scene of this season was too perfect. "Fargo" is one of the best shows on TV right now, and I hope FX continues to do more.

Speaking of FX, and how I previously mentioned I only had one new show on my list, coming in at number one is the FX show "Dave". I am a Lil Dicky fan. I like his music. I do not think he is a joke or parody rapper, I just think he writes funny lyrics, but is a genuinely good rapper. I did not know what to expect from his show, and boy did it knock me on my ass in the best possible way. The show is a comedy, but like most things on FX, it deals with some heavy shit. Dave is trying to make it, but it is hard for him. He tells his story on this show, and he gets other people involved. Gata, his buddy and hype man, is all wild and fun, but he is bipolar. The episode that reveals this is a very well told, raw story of bipolar disorder. Dave's old camp buddies come to see him perform live, and while they have him doing jokey things, we find out that his old friends are assholes that took advantage of him. Dave soon realizes this too. His friend and engineer wants to make it in the music business, but his anxiety and self doubt gets in the way. Dave treats his girlfriend like shit, and when she finally calls him out on it, and breaks up with him, I was heartbroken for them both. This show was able to perfectly toe the line of drama and comedy. They did such a good job. And the way it catches you totally off guard is how any good show should hit you. I was on the fence about this show, but damn am I glad I watched it, and have watched it multiple times since. I highly, highly recommend people check it out. It will surprise you.

That does it for TV. Come back tomorrow for my top five sports moments of 2020.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Dave" Season One Finale

Last night my wife and I watched the season one finale of "Dave". This was a show that I was excited for when I first heard about it, and the full season did not disappoint at all. It was very different from what I was expecting, but in a very good and surprising way. Yes, the show had plenty of comedic moments, but there were also very moving, sad, thought provoking and boundary pushing stuff. This is why FX is so far ahead of the curve of other networks. They give people shows, and they let them go off in whatever direction they want.

In one particular episode of "Dave", they talk about weird sexual fetishes, but it was a solid portrayal of people doing for others in a relationship. Dave and his girlfriend Ally worked to find a medium ground together. There was another episode that focused primarily on Dave's hype man GaTa. GaTa was a total unsung hero this first season, probably my favorite character, and to see his back story, involving hospitalization due to bi polar disorder, was moving as hell. There was one episode that solely focused on Els, the producer friend of Dave's, that shows his relationship, his friendship with Dave and his trepidation to move up in the music industry. Basically, FX let Dave Burd and his people do what they wanted, and it worked so god damn well.

The finale was on a whole other level. It started with him rapping about his career, ending up in jail and being forced to do things he didn't want to do. The first five minutes or so were just that. It was essentially a music video. Then they smash cut to his record label people being totally appalled with the song. They didn't like what the song had to say, they didn't want to release it and they were all very offended by everything. Dave didn't care. He kept calling this song his "life's work", and his "triumph"., But everyone around him, except for Benny Blanco, which, bravo to his performance on this show, he was great, did not want him to release the song.They thought it would stop him in his music career before it even really started. There was great stuff with him and his buddy, who is his manager now. They fought and argued, and even though his buddy relented, you could tell he was upset. The scene with him and Els, where Els tells him he is going on tour with another rapper for six months, was telling for both. Els thought Dave would be happy for him, but like he has been all season, Dave was selfish and upset. Even GaTa, who stands by him no matter what, thought it was wack to release the song without telling his label. As I said before, the only person who told him to release it was Blanco, explaining that there would be two outcomes. He said that people would love the song, and the label would have to give him full control, or it would bust, and the label would drop him. He posed it as a win win for Dave. Dave was all set to do it on "The Breakfast Club", a very popular and influential morning hip hop show. He flew to New York with GaTa and his manager and was fully intent on releasing the track. Then the show did what it has done all season and totally stunned me in the best way possible. During the interview Charlamagne the God, one of the hosts of the show, kept pushing him. He kept asking him tough, racial questions. He kept asking him why he was copping other culture. He pushed and pushed. He asked questions Dave had never considered. Even with GaTa's help, Dave was stuck. He didn't know what to do. You can see the wheels turning in his head about whether or not to actually release the track. The head guy from the label showed up as well, thus making it that much more high stakes for him. When the time came to play the track, Dave decides he is simply going to free style. He made the right choice, but now he had to prove that he could actually rap. Charlamagne made sure to tell him, quite persistently, that eight million people were currently listening, and that he was going to mess up. Well, Dave turns the beat on, and just like in the premiere episode, he goes on to spit an incredibly long, intricate and dope song. The way he weaves in and out of words, the way he combines stuff, his voice, his lyrics, Dave Burd is a good rapper. The show makes a joke all season long that he thinks he is the greatest rapper of all time. And while I don't think that he is, he is a very good, very unsuspecting rapper. This last shot proves that tenfold. And when they finally get to the end of the song, he goes on to say something about his real name, kind of like, "and my name is.........", and he pauses. Charlamagne asks him, "what's your name", and the show cuts to end credits with just DAVE in all caps.

I was stunned. I had goosebumps. I was super duper impressed. I said out loud, "GOD DAMN I LOVE THIS SHOW!". I cannot wait for season two. "Dave" was great in every sense of the word. I highly recommend it. It is one of the better shows to come out in 2020. I truly do love this show. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Dave" Season Premier

Last night FX premiered the first season of "Dave", and I am going to talk about the new show.

For those that may not know, Dave is better known by his rap name Lil Dicky. Lil Dicky was brought to my attention by a friend of mine about a year ago. I knew nothing of him, I was sent a video, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was absurd and funny, the beat was good and Lil Dicky can rap. His raps are also ridiculous and hilarious. His beats are rad too. But, I am relatively new to Lil Dicky. I then saw some trailers for this new show, and they were pretty damn funny. I decided I was going to watch the show, and I was prepped to watch the premiere last night.

Now, I have only seen the first episode. There were, without my knowledge, two episodes last night. I wanted to watch both, but I have a new puppy and a daughter with a cold and a bad cough, so I was exhausted and ready for bed at 9:45 last night. But man was that first episode phenomenal. It hit everything I was hoping for.

First off, Dave, AKA Lil Dicky, is funny and goofy and nerdy and perfect. I know he is playing himself, or maybe a heightened version of himself, but still, he is so god damn funny. I related to him so much. The stuff with him trying to get real rappers to respect him, it was so funny and relatable. To see him put in these wild situations, and his reactions, they were funny, but also seemed very, very real, especially the scene with YG at the end. When he is pushed to rap, so he can be on YG's Instagram story, the fear, but then crushing his verses, I loved every second of it. Also, this dude can rap. Like, for real. The verses he spits during this scene are legit. He is good at grooving and rhyming with the beat, he can go on and on for seemingly endless amounts of time, his lyrics are ridiculous, but they also work. Lil Dicky is a legit rapper. That much is proven true in this premiere episode.

Outside Dave/Lil Dicky, the rest of the cast is really solid. Taylor Misiak plays his girlfriend, Ally. She is a kindergarten teacher, and she is the one person that can keep Dave grounded. She almost seems too good for him. Also, the whole tweet they talk about in the ep, it is played for great laughs between Dave and Ally. Also, his rap scene, when he mentions her, brilliant. Dave's best friend is played by Andrew Santino, and he is funny as the serious and un fun version of Dave. He has a miserable job, which he hates, and he lets everyone know about it. YG was really, really good in the premiere. He was funny, being himself and he crushed. Travis "Taco" Bennett as the studio sound engineer Elz, was so, so good. He is friends with Dave, but he also doesn't want Dave to make him seem like a square. Dave's parents, and their scene involving Dave taking out his Bar Mitzvah money, was priceless. It was like looking at my parents on screen if I were telling them what Dave told them. Also, in that scene, the little child who kept staring at him while he was on the phone, and that look that Dave gave him, hilarious. But the true star outside Dave/Lil Dicky was GaTa, as himself. He was so good, so funny, revealed a ton about his true character in the ep, and made me laugh the whole time. From when they meet at the beginning in the studio, to where they end up, I loved it. I cannot wait to see their friendship blossom throughout the series.

"Dave" is another top notch show from FX. I truly hope they give this show time to grow and find itself because I feel like this could be a humongous hit for them. I'm stoked to watch the second ep tonight, and the rest of the season for that matter. This is one of the better new shows on TV. Check it out for sure.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.