Ty Listens to "Ohio Players"

The Black Keys new album "Ohio Players" was released this morning. Let’s discuss.

I'm a big time fan of The Black Keys. I have been for over 20 years now. So, any time they put out a new record, I get pretty psyched. Today was no different. I've been pretty pumped about this album for a few months now. They released three songs prior to putting the record out, and I liked all three of them. I also read some early reviews, and they were very, very solid. I liked their past couple of albums, but it wasn't like the first time I listened to them. I used to block out hours to listen to their new albums. I would dedicate full days just to listen. But I got older and had kids and couldn't find the time to do that. It has kind of become a listen to the new music whenever I find some free time. Today, with my kids being in school and my wife working, I had ample time to listen to the record.

I have listened from start to finish twice now, and I have got to say, I am finding myself getting more and more into the album with each listen. This is good stuff. I was listening to it with my dad in the car on our way to coffee this morning and he asked why I seemed more into this new record as opposed to some of their other recent albums. I told him that this record is grimy like their earlier records. That is what I grew to love about this band from the start. The first time I heard them I was taken aback at how grimy and dingy they sounded, in the best possible way. The reverb and distortion is what instantly drew me to them. That is back on this record. But it isn't all grimy, they have their newfound refinement here as well. The Black Keys have grown and gotten better at what they do. So, when they meld their old style with the new style, I am going to be all in. I told my dad that the reason I am so into the record is the grimy refinement. That is my go to description of this new record.

The album starts off like an old school record, with a distorted, reverb heavy grungey blues song, but Auerbach has grown so much as a singer, and that makes it all the more better. The moment I put this song on this morning, I was instantly bobbing my head and vibing out in my car. The record only got better from there. There is so much on the album for me to like with my musical taste. They have grunge, blues, and rock. They also have hip hop, keyboards, and slower, love adjacent songs. It kind of runs the gamut for a band like The Black Keys and I'm here for it. Two separate songs feature hip hop artists, one of which is Juicy J. When I saw his name on the tracklist I was stoked. And boy did he deliver with his verse. The other rapper, Lil Noid, is new to me, but his track reminds me of a Blakroc song, a great Black Keys side project. I enjoy the love songs. It is nice to hear them slow it down a bit and sing some sweeter stuff. And their original sound, the thing that made me want to hear them, it is here tenfold and it is awesome.

There is something so perfect when it is Dan and Pat doing the heavy lifting. They are what makes this band work. I know they have added some band members when they tour, but when the push comes from those two it is near perfection. The guestlist is pretty solid outside of Juicy J and Lil Noid. Beck, Noel Gallagher and Dan the Automator are featured on the record as well. This is a nice return to form with their newfound refinement.

I really like this record. I recommend giving it a listen. It is fun and really, really good. 

Ty

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

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2022 Top Five - Music

We have 12 days until the new year. 2023 is upon us. Since we are close to the new year I'm going to spend this week doing my best of lists. I'll do music, movies, tv, podcasts and sports. I will do a top 5 like I do every year as well. Take it or leave it, but these are my top 5 in all the listed categories. Today we will start with music.

Music has been different this year for me. I am getting into a territory where I am stuck. I listen to the same stuff over and over. I like what I like. I need to branch out, and that is a goal for 2023 in music for me, but as of now, I am stuck in my ways. My top 5 this year will be different than in the past, but it is still music based.

At number 5 I have my refound love for bands I listened to 20 years ago and stopped for some unknown reason. I may have let my music snobbery get in the way or moved on to something else, who knows. But this year I have found that I like a good amount of the bands from my past. Franz Ferdinand is back in my life. They are rad. They play cool pop music. I saw them in the "Sparks Brothers" movie and that reinvigorated my want to listen to them. I am dabbling with the band Clutch again. They play older blues songs with a heavier sound. They use lots of reverb and distortion while playing classic tunes. They are great. I also got very much back into The Strokes. They are a good band. They are what The Ramones wished they could have been. The Strokes are a much more talented Ramones. I am happy that I let my snobbish ways go and rediscovered these bands. That makes me happy.

At number 4 I got to see Nas and Wu Tang Clan perform live this summer. Busta Rhymes was there as well. This is the perfect concert for me. I feel like they asked 15 year old Ty what he would want to see live. These 3 artists would have been very high on my list. Wu Tang Clan was great. This is one of the best collections of rappers to ever be assembled. Even without some original members, I still got to see Raekwon, RZA and Inspectah Deck. It rules. Nas was amazing. He crushed the venue. The whole crowd was vibing to him when he stepped on stage. He had this incredible presence. It's a show I won't soon forget. And to see Busta, he showed up at the end, that was the cherry on top. It was a dream. I loved this show. I'm glad I went. Now to the album portion of my list.

At number 3 I have "Dropout Boogie" by The Black Keys. The Black Keys are one of my all time favorite bands. I have been in love with their music since I first heard them in 2001. Their sound is unique to only them. People have tried to replicate it, but they cannot do it as well as The Black Keys. That is why I love "Dropout Boogie" so much. It is a return to form. They are going back to their roots on this album. They are more bluesy and rock forward. The reverb and distortion is back. The album is fast and it flows wonderfully. I really enjoy it. I was a little taken aback when I didn't see it on anyone else's best of lists, but that is neither here nor there. "Dropout Boogie" is like going back in time for me in the best possible way.

At number 2 I have "Cheat Codes" by Danger Mouse and Blackthought. This record rips. It is such a good hip hop album. Danger Mouse is continuing to show that he is the best and most versatile producer in the game. He is at the top of the mountain on this record. The production, the beats, the sound, the extra instruments, it all works and blends so perfectly. He is a master of his craft. Speaking of masters in their craft, Blackthought shreds on this album. His rapping is pitch perfect. Verse for verse he is the best one on the record, and this record has a ton of big time cameos. Artists like Raekwon. Michael Kiwaunka and the last known recording of MF Doom. These are heavy hitters, and they are all great. But Blackthought blows them all out of the water. I have these weird feelings where I don't think Blackthought is good anymore, and then I hear something like this. It makes me feel like a dummy. But then I sit back and enjoy it. Balckthought is an amazing artist and "Cheat Codes" further proves that point.

My number 1 album of the year is "Mr Morale and the Bigsteppers" by Kendrick Lamar. This is a masterpiece. Kendrick further proves why he is the best in the game on this album. This record is deep and introspective and overwhelmingly wonderful. This is like an hour long therapy session and Kendrick bares his soul on the album. I must have listened to this record dozens of times but I still find something new and different that I love with each new listen. This is a work of art. This is a masterclass in recording an album. There are no bad tracks. Everything works. The flow of the album, the tracklisting, it is all perfect. The accolades are very, very well deserved. I got to see him while he toured with this album and that was an amazing experience. Kendrick Lamar is the GOAT. "Mr Morale and the Bigsteppers" further hammers that home.

That is it for music. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 movies of 2022. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to The Black Keys "Dropout Boogie"

A few new albums I have been anticipating came out last Friday. I will be taking the next two days to write about each one. The first one I want to talk about is "Dropout Boogie" from The Black Keys. I waited an entire weekend before writing about the albums because I wanted multiple listens before writing down my thoughts. So, let's get to

"Dropout Boogie". This is a return to form. I adore this album. I have listened to it fully four times now. It is short and sweet and to the point. There are 10 songs, it is a stripped down band, the focus is solely on Carney and Auerbach's talent, it is 34 minutes long and it packs a punch. It reminds me a lot of their last record, "Delta Kream". That was a covers album, but it was just the guys with a few other, older blues musicians on the album. "Dropout Boogie" is like a rock version of that. I like The Black Keys' other stuff, their previous stuff. But I was the typical, "I like their older stuff better" fan. I enjoy "El Camino", "Brothers", "Let's Rock" and "Turn Blue". But I was way more in the bag for "Attack and Release", "Magic Potion", "The Big Come Up", and most of all, "Rubber Factory" and my all time favorite, "Thickfreakness". Those albums are raw and have the feel of a band finding a totally unique sound unto them. That is not to say those other albums don't have that feel. They do, but The Black Keys were clearly trying some other, newer stuff. And it worked. Those are good records. But they never lived up to a record like "Thickfreakness", at least not for me. Then "Delta Kream" came out a year ago. I devoured that album. I loved the direction. I loved the idea. I am drawn to old blues music with a new sound, and the boys nailed it. I wish I could have seen them perform that album live. I bet those shows ruled. And now we get another very good, older sounding record from them in "Dropout Boogie".

Everything seems right on this album. The guitar is crunchy and grimy and filled with reverb. It is like going back in time. The guitar on this album reminds me of a more refined "Rubber Factory". There is no denying Auerbach's greatness on a record like this. He is a one of a kind guitar player. He will go down as one of the greatest. Carney's drumming is just as ferocious and wild and awesome as it has ever been. I feel like he has never really strayed from the original sound they were going for back in the early 2000's. He has stayed true all the way to today. I adore that about him. I also like his manic drum playing, and that is on full display here. He gets to hammer away at his unusual kit and he does a bang up job. His fills and solos and everything work so well. I think when he and Auerbach decided to make a record like this he just smiled and was instantly on board. He feels like the type of guy that never wanted to stray from the main reason they got into this business. And add on the fact that this album comes at you fast, only slows down once and sounds like they are having a hell of a time making it, and it all works. They are cohesive. They have the same idea. They clearly wanted to make an album like this. I think they missed doing music mostly just the two of them. I am now contemplating seeing them this summer in STL. The show is outdoors and the lawn seats are cheap. And I want to see them perform these particular songs.

I like this record a lot. I highly recommend people give “Dropout Boogie” a listen.

Ty

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

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Ty Listen's to The Black Key's Latest Song "Wild Child"

One of my favorite bands, The Black Keys, have a new album coming out in May. I am very happy to hear this as I am anytime they release new music. I have been listening to them ever since I heard them on MTV2 back when they used to play music videos and have awards shows with live bands. I have seen them live multiple times, own every piece of music they have made, owned and watched many concert DVD's and will tell anyone that will listen to me how great they are. They announced the new album and the release of the new single last week, and I have since listened to "Wild Child" about a dozen times.

I really, really enjoy the song. I like the sound, Dan Auerbach's singing and Patrick Carney's drumming. It gives me vibes of some of their older music mixed with some of their newer music. I too like their last record, "Delta Kream", which I have noticed a lot of other people did not like, but this new song has a different feel to it. It is very distorted, which is great. The vocals are clear and easy to listen to. The drumming is as hard and fast, yet clean as it has ever been. The backing band is tight and loud, but not too loud that they drown out the main components. It is a very nice mixture of all the things Carney and Auerbach have learned and honed since they became a professional band. I will keep listening to this song until more are released because I enjoy it so very much. Then I will listen even more when the record comes out in May.

With all that being said, I do have a few little quibbles. I know it is stupid, especially when I love the song as much as I do, but hey, this is the society we live in. "Wild Child" is amazing, but it does feel a little too produced. The distortion is not like it was on albums like "Rubber Factory" or "Thickfreakness". It is a clean distortion. I understand they are a better band now, but I like the gruff sound on the older records. Auerbach's singing is so good and so clean. That is a good thing, but again, I miss the older sound. What I adored so much about them when I first heard was how scraggly and rough Auerbach's voice used to be. When I first heard him sing on "The Big Come Up", I hadn't heard anyone at the time that sounded like him. He sounded like he was, at the same time from the 40's and the 70's. He had that old bluesy sound, but could throw in some old Zeppelin style rock in his voice. Again, it is a great thing that he upped his game, I just prefer the old sound.

My final little critique is that Carney sounds over produced. What makes Carney so awesome is how wild and maniacal he can get when he drums. Seeing him live is amazing because it is such a joy to behold. And, again with the older stuff, he is just hammering away at his odd drum kit. You can hear the drum sticks practically breaking when he plays. He is still hammering away on this song, it is just tighter. And that is not bad at all. I just miss the old sound. And I fully get that they have moved on, and I need to move on. It is all on me. I understand that. Also, if I have not said it enough, I really love the new song. I played it for my dad today, who is also a fan, and he had no problems with it at all. These are just some weird, stupid little things that are all on me, but in the end, I am a fan of "Wild Child", and I cannot wait to hear the rest of the new record.

Finally, I want to say thank you to The Black Keys for continuing to make awesome music, and giving the fans something new every 3-5 years. That is what makes them so great.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Delta Kream"

The Black Keys put out a new album last week called “Delta Kream”. Well, it is new for their fans, but the songs are older blues songs.

The track list consists of twelve songs, one repeat at the end, of songs by artists like RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. These are the musicians that the members of The Black Keys grew up listening to. I had never heard of Kimbrough or Burnside until I listened to The Black Keys. Then I grew to adore their music. It is really grimy and gritty, dirty old blues music. It is fuzzy and distorted and the voices of Burnside and Kimbrough are second to none. So to hear Dan Auerbach sing and play guitar on these songs, and to hear Patrick Carney's drumming, it is sublime. They do have two other musicians on the record, and they are guys that played with Burnside and Kimbrough.

Look, I am obsessed with this record. I remember when the Keys early released the first track from the album, "Crawling Kingsnake", and I was blown away. I wrote about how excited I was when I heard this. It was like a throwback to my favorite Keys record, "Thickfreakness". It has all the fuzziness and distortion and grim that made me first love this band. It is a throwback in all the best ways. I devoured "Crawling Kingsnake" and "Goin Down South" when they released them. I played them for anyone that would ride in my car. I talked about them obsessively. I was already hooked. Then last Friday, the day the album came out, I listened to the record twice. Then I listened the next day and the next. In fact I have listened to it at least once a day since it came out. And the more I hear it, the more I like it. "Crawling Kingsnake" and "Goin Down South" were great early releases. "Crawling Kingsnake" gave me the "Thickfreakness" vibe I have been craving. "Goin Down South" has some awesome music, and Auerbach does a high falsetto type voice when singing, and it works.

Outside those two songs we get some excellent tunes. Songs like "Louise", which is a classic blues song, or "Stay All Night", in which the Keys sound like they did on their first record, "The Big Come Up", those are incredible. We get some remakes of songs they have already covered on other records. Their new versions of "Do the Romp", "Sad Days Lonely Nights" and "Poor Boy a Long Way from Home" are great. They show the growth this band has had in their very long, very illustrious career to this point. Then there are some songs I have never heard that I have grown to love. "Mellow Peaches" is my favorite cover on the album. It is so good. "Walk With Me" is totally rad. "Come on and Go With Me" is as old school electric blues as it gets. I love that song so very much.

This album is really, really good. I do not get the slander on some of The Black Keys fan pages calling this record "slow" and "boring". That is pure nonsense. I'm not always fan of cover records, but when they are done well, like "Delta Kream", they are so so so good. I cannot recommend this album enough. Any fan of blues music, exceptional guitar and wonderful drums will love this album. It is such an excellent homage to these past blues legends that may not get the credit they are very much due. Go listen to this album. It rules.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to The Black Keys Cover of "Crawling Kingsnake"

This morning while scrolling on the internet I came across some good news for once. Let’s discuss.

I’m a big Black Keys fan. They’re my second favorite band behind Run the Jewels. I’ve seen them live more than any other band. I found out about them when MTV2 used to play videos and they performed on an awards show I came across in 2002. And I’ve stayed with them ever since. They’ve achieved a decent amount of fame and now they’re in a situation where they can do the music they want when they want. So when I saw they have a new record of old blues covers coming out next month I was pumped.

As I said, this was good news. When I saw the musicians they would be covering on the record I got even more excited. They said on the press release that they were doing covers of people who inspired them to do the music they now make. Guys like John Lee Hooker, RL Burnside and Junior Kimborough, amongst others, are who The Black Keys will be covering on this record. That’s great. It was also great to read this press release because they announced that they had released the first single off the new record today. I immediately switched over to Spotify to listen.

The song is called “Crawling Kingsnake”, which I believe is a John Lee Hooker cover. I absolutely loved this song from the first note. I am not familiar with the original version but I will soon be after some more listens to the Keys version. This is The Black Keys that I love. I love everything they do, but this stripped down version, the original version of just Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, that’s what I adore. That’s the band I fell in love with. All the records they did as just the two of them, those are the best, especially “Thickfreakness”. And this version of “Crawling Kingsnake” has major “Thickfreakness” vibes. From the dirty guitar to the reverb to the chaotic yet somehow put together drum parts to Auerbach’s gravelly voice, it’s all there and it’s all amazing. I have listened to this song about six times already, both versions I might add. They have the unedited and edited version right now. There is no cursing, it’s just the length of each version of the song. I prefer the six minute version. The version where you can hear the two of them talk before they start the song. It is so damn good. To hear them sound like this again, to go back to the early days, it just made me so very happy. I was, and still am, ecstatic. Not that I ever fell out of favor with them, but the fuller band took just a teeny tiny bit out of their aura to me. So when they strip it down, when they go back to basics, it gives me the same vibes I had when I first heard them.

I highly recommend people go listen to this track and then the album when it comes out. Black Keys fans will dig it, blues fans will like it, garage rock fans will enjoy it and newer Keys fans will hear the original version of this band for the first time. I cannot say enough good things about this song. It gets all the thumbs up that it can have. I cannot wait for the record, but for the time being, I’m going to go listen to the new single about 5 dozen more times. I suggest you do the same.

Ty

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

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The 2020 Grammy Nominations Make Me Feel Old

Yesterday after the 2020 Grammy nominees were announced, and I checked the categories that interested me, I came to two pretty grim realizations about myself.

So, I like to think that I know a good amount about music. I have done a whole series of who I consider to be some of the greatest American bands, I go to tons of live shows, I listen to lots of different music, I play guitar and I feel like I know a good amount about music in general. So, when I first saw the nominees, my first realization was, I had no idea who about 60 to 70 percent of the people nominated were. I simply had not heard of a good amount of the people. I know who Lizzo is, I really like her music. I am aware of Billie Ellish because my nieces listen to her. I know who Vampire Wekend is, much to my chagrin thanks to RD. And I am aware of other, bigger names that got nominations. But, when I scrolled down to the categories that I actually kind of care about, I just found that I had no idea who some of these artists were. That was when it hit me. I am older now. I am closer to 40 than 30. I am going to be 37 on less than a month. It is bizarre that something as trivial as Grammy nominations hit me this hard. I have known that I am getting older. We all do everyday. But, when I checked out this list, I just had no idea. I had no connection with some of these artists that are deemed worthy of a Grammy nomination. I listen to tons and tons of hip hop music, and I only know of one of the people nominated for best rap album, Tyler, the Creator. I don't know anything about any of the other nominees. When looking at rock and alternative nominees, it was nearly the same thing. I know Brittany Howard and Gary Clark Jr, but who in the hell are these other people? I have never heard of them. I know nothing about them, and I have no interest in finding out about them.

That leads me into my second realization, which I feel like I have had a few times prior to this, but it finally sunk in, and I accept it now. That realization, I am a music snob. A lot of the people nominated that I don't know, it is simply because I feel that modern pop, rock and alternative music is not very good. There is no musician or solo artist right now that I feel like has any staying power, and the bands and solo artists I listen to, I feel like most of them do. I think a band like The Black Keys, or a solo artist like Frank Ocean is going to be remembered for a long, long time. I don't think a band like, say Vampire Weekend, again, sorry RD, or a solo artist like Ariana Grande is going to be talked about in less than a decade. I think they will just be talked about in passing, like someone may say, "remember that one Vampire Weekend record, it was good. What are they up to now". It is not like they have real staying power. The Black Keys are prolific. They kept putting out good, solid records and tour with regularity. People wait and wait and wait for new Frank Ocean records, and when he puts one out, it is worth the wait, but it leaves you wanting more. Can you say that about most of the current Grammy nominees? I don't know. I love Lizzo, and I listen to her record "Cuz I Love You" on repeat, but can she do it again? What about the country rap guy Lil Nas X? Is he ever going to reach the heights that "Old Town Road" has led him to. Or Billie Ellish. Is she going to be the newer, hipper Lorde, or is she more in the vain of a one record wonder like Natalie Imbruglia or Crash Test Dummies. I simply don't know, but if asked, I would say they are more in the one record/hit wonder category.

Look, the Grammy's are simply nominating who is popular at the moment, and I understand that, but that is the problem with modern music. No one really tries to make profound, everlasting music, they just make music to get clicks and to get people to buy singles online. That is a problem with the modern music industry too. No one buys records anymore, or almost no one. Most people just want earworms that sit with you for a couple months, then you move on to the next hit song.

So, yes I am old and I like what I like, but that is okay. I'm sure the people that are nominated are happy, and I even bet that a few will stick around for awhile. But, most want. And I think that says all you need to know about Grammy nominees.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. On Grammy night, you can find Ty outside yelling at a cloud.

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The Black Keys Deliver Another Great Live Show

Last night I went to see Modest Mouse and the Black Keys on the “Let’s Rock” tour. I want to say this was the second or third night of this tour, and I liked that because I like to see the very beginning. I like to be one of the first group of people to see these songs live first. It also shows me how much of a pro these musicians are, especially this early on. And, one of the bands seems like they need some work, and the other is set. They know what they are doing.

The band that seems like they need a bit more work is Modest Mouse. I had some problems with their set. It needs to be said that they are the “featured guest”, or even the opener. I don’t know if that hurts their ego, and they’re letting it out on stage, but still, they should have been better. Also, I do not know much about them, so maybe this is more on me, but still, they weren’t great. The sound mix was weird. The instruments drowned out the singers voice. I didn’t know any of the songs. They seemed almost disinterested on stage. Needless to say, I was unimpressed, and feared it might be a sign of a poor overall show.

Luckily, the Black Keys got on stage and reset the mojo. They were great. They were reliable. And they are god damn pros. What I loved, and appreciated most though, their set list covered almost all of their records. They didn’t just play their new stuff, they ran the gamut. They opened with “I Got Mine”, and that is a great song, and one I know how to play. Any hope I lost with Modest Mouse, the Keys picked it back up right off the bat. After that, the songs spammed their career spectacularly. They played a good amount of tunes off “Brothers”, and it was all the good stuff. They did the hits like “Next Girl” and “Tighten Up” and “Howlin For You”, but they also did “Everlasting Light” and “10 Cent Pistol”. And they were all great. “Next Girl” had super cool visuals attached as well. So did “Everlasting Light”. And the way they did “10 Cent Pistol”, kind of slowed down and more bluesy, was cool and unique. I was super stoked because I got to hear “Thickfreakness”, and that is my favorite song, and they nailed it. It was loud and filled with reverb and distortion and it was expertly played by both Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. They played “10am Automatic” off “Rubber Factory”, and that is such a fun song to hear live. I loved that they played “Strange Times” because we are truly living in some strange times right now. It was a great choice, and they crushed it. “Fever” off “Turn Blue” was a nice little, slower detour from all the rock. They slowed it down and both the Keys slayed their instruments. Even “Your Touch”, off “Magic Potion” was very well done. And, of course they played some new tunes. I loved that I got to hear “Walk Across the Water”. That is my favorite song off the new record, and it was sublime live. “Fire Walk With Me” was amazing. It was a song I kind of forgot about, but after hearing it last night, I’m fully on board with it now. Even when they played the singles, “Lo/Hi”, “Go” and “Eagle Birds”, they played them excellently.

This was a solid show despite Modest Mouse’s poor effort. The Black Keys are a great band, and always do solid live shows. All I know is, once the Keys took the stage, it was great. Another successful live Black Keys show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty is not familiar with any songs by Modest Mouse. He just seems to “Float On” by their pop hits.

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Let's Revisit the Underrated Black Keys Album "Attack and Release"

In preparations for The Black Keys show I’m going to in less than a month, I have been listening to their older records to reacquaint myself with some songs I used to love. “Thickfreakness” still rules, “The Big Come Up” is a great debut and “Rubber Factory” shows real growth.

Today I listened to “Attack and Release”, and I have to say, I think this is their most underrated record. I remember liking it a good deal when it came out. Listening to it this morning, I love it. This was when The Black Keys started to try something a little different. I love that they were just a guitar and drums duo at first, and when I heard that they were going to work with Danger Mouse, who I adore, and add bass and keys, I was skeptical. Well, I was dead wrong. That really rang true to me today. Their sound on “Attack and Release” is so full, yet still theirs and theirs alone. They still have that raw duo feeling, just spruced up a bit. I also should have never doubted Danger Mouse. He’s worked with tons of different artists, and pretty much everything he touches is great. The same can be said for “Attack and Release”. His influence is right there at the very beginning. The first track, “All You Ever Wanted” features him on the keys, and Dan Auerbach singing like he hadn’t to that point. It’s a beautiful song, and instantly took away any worry I may have had. They then follow it up with “I Got Mine” which is beautifully typical Black Keys. It was also one of the first songs I learned on guitar. It rocks and rolls and Auerbach growls the lyrics and Carney hammers away at his kit. From there on out, the rest of the record is filled with classic Black Keys and them trying out new stuff. They do the same song, “Remember When”, but it’s 2 different styles. The first is slow and filled with instruments they never used before. It’s great. They then play it as a straight up rock song, and it hits like a rock. It’s so cool. After “I Got Mine”, they follow that with the single, “Strange Times”, and that is a great, classic Black Keys song. The next song though, “Psychotic Girl”, has a banjo and Auerbach trying a new singing style and kick ass guitar solos. I love this song. “Lies” is a great peek into the future. It has that slower, soulful sound. It’s a quality song. “Same Old Thing” takes you back to grimy garage rock. “Oceans and Streams” is an interesting, in a good way, amalgamation of their old and new sound. And the final track, “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be”, is another slower, and sad song. It also introduced me to Jessica Lea Mayfield, and she is an amazing singer.

What makes this record so good is how transitional it is for The Black Keys. It marks their first step towards change and growth, yet gives you their usual sound. It’s great. It’s a sneak peek for what future records would sound like. Without “Attack and Release”, and working with Danger Mouse, I don’t know if they would’ve grown as much as they have as a band. This record is now in my top three of their records, and I’d put it in my top 25 all time. It’s that good. I’m glad I revisited it today. It made me so happy that I follow this band and consume all of their music.

Seriously, if you’re a Black Keys fan, give “Attack and Release” a listen today, and think of how it has influenced their current sound. This record was the jump off point, and I hope they play some tunes off it when I see them live. What a great, unheralded record.

Ty

Ty Listens More Closely To "Let's Rock"

So, last Friday I wrote an instant reaction to the new Black Keys album, "Lets Rock". On first listen, I enjoyed it, and said I needed more time before I could get a really solid feel for the album. Well, I have listened to the entire record over a dozen times now, and I have some thoughts.

First off, a lot of people, a lot of writers and music people love the record. Pitchfork gave it a phenomenal review. Rolling Stone loved it. Paste was on board. Someone said that the record is "garage rock at its finest". I agree with all of these people, except, I do not think it is as groundbreaking, or as exceptional as others. Again, I love love love the album. I cannot state enough. I wouldn't have listened to it as many times as I have, and continue to go back to it, if I didn't enjoy the record. But, I think an album like "Turn Blue" is a better overall record. "Lets Rock", for me, doesn't even sniff "Thickfreakness", which I think is the greatest garage rock record. I like "Rubber Soul" and "Attack and Release" more. For me "Lets Rock" is right up there with "El Camino" or "The Big Come Up". Again, love both of those records, but they wouldn't be the first ones I pick to listen to. I do think "Lets Rock" is better than "Brothers" and "Magic Potion" though.

"Lets Rock" is beautiful in its simplicity. That is what I like most about this album. The songs are no more than 3 to 3 and a half minutes, they are straight forward rock, Auerbach uses his signature distortion, Carney is hammering away at his awkward drum kit, and the record flows. It is an easy and fun listen. I have learned all the words to all the songs already. I love the opening track "Shine A Little Light". It has the classic Black Keys feel, but the instruments give it a newer, cleaner sound that I find nice. I usually prefer the dirty and distorted Black Keys, but "Shine A Little Light" grabs me. I absolutely love "Walk Across the Water". I love how it starts off like it is going to be a heavy rock song, and then totally changes into a love song when Auerbach starts the lyrics. I've grown to adore when the Black Keys do love, or ballad, type songs. They make it sound dingy, but then you listen to the words, and it totally blows me away. It is one of their prettiest songs ever. I can't wait to hear it live in September. "Get Yourself Together" is a classic Black Keys song. It's distorted, it is fast, it is grimy and it rules. "Eagle Birds" is like that too. I don't know much about cars, but when Auerbach starts to talk about twin engines and whatnot, I'm on board. I like the guitar riff in the song too. I like "Breaking Down" because it has that sitar sounding guitar flange to it. It is a nice flowing song too. "Under the Gun" is as true a rock and roll song as you can get in 2019. It is heavy and well played by the band. I like "Go" a bunch too. The video for that song rules. And the closer "Fire Walk With Me" is a perfect way to end this particular record. Its jumpy, quick and precise. See, I named the good majority of the record, and what I like about it.

My only problem is, there are a few songs that just seem like filler. I'm not nuts about "Lo/HI", but that could be because I have heard it a million times already. It was the song chosen for March Madness. "Sit Around and Miss You" is too country for me. "Tell Me Lies" is fine, but I don't like that it follows such a great song, and a sweet song, like "Walk Across the Water". And "Every Little Thing" is fine, but forgettable. I love this record. If I had to rate it out of ten, now that I have listened to it more than enough to give my full opinion on it, I'd give it a 7.5. It is good, I will love it when I hear the songs live and The Black Keys can really do no wrong in my opinion. I'm just a little more tepid than other music writers.

I need to say this one more time, "Lets Rock" is dynamite. Buy it, stream it, do whatever you have to do to hear it because The Black Keys are real writers and musicians, and that is rare nowadays. They rule.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was going to give “Let’s Rock” 43 thumbs up, but he did not want to insult his favorite band.

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Ty Listens to "Let's Rock"

An album I have been waiting for for about 5 years now finally came out today. The Black Keys new record "Let's Rock" was released worldwide today. The first thing I did after I woke up and fed my kids breakfast was download the record, and I have been listening ever since. I wanted to do a kind of instant reaction to this record. I wanted to try something a little different. I usually give an album 2 or 3 listens before writing about it. But, The Black Keys are one of my all time favorite bands, and I wanted to write about the record as I heard it in its entirety the first time.

So, first reactions right off the bat, I really like the record. I'm sure I will grow to love it with more listens, but right now, I just really, really like it. It has a bit of a different feel from their previous records. That is a good thing. I have said that I appreciate when bands deviate from what made them famous and try something new. That is why I loved "Turn Blue" by them so much. It was a big departure. "Let's Rock" doesn't have that psychedelic feel that "Turn Blue" had though. "Let's Rock" reminds me a ton of Creedance Clearwater Revival, who I also love. It is a rock record through and through. There are some songs that have that wonderful distorted guitar sound I instantly fell in love with, but then it shifts into a slower rock song. That surprised me in a good way. I listened to the three song EP they put out a few months ago, with the songs "Go", "Hi/Lo" and "Eagle Birds", and I loved all of those. But, they were straight up rock songs. There are some songs on this record that are way different, and I bet when I see them live in a few months my appreciation with grow tenfold.

The opening track "Shine a Little Light" starts off super hot, with a great guitar riff and drum groove, and then it slows down to an almost ballad. It is jarring at first, but as the song moves, it gets better and better. "Tell Me Lies" is one of their slower songs, but I like when they do stuff like that. I like when they slow it down and go a bit away from their comfort zone. "Fire Walk With Me" is a great closer to this record as well, I just finished my first go through. It wraps up the record perfectly. I'm going to keep listening because that is what I do, especially with Black Keys records. I want to get a real feel for it.

The second go round has just started for me, and I am already super in to it. Even more so than the first time, which is a good sign. I keep bobbing my head with all the new songs that I am hearing. Look, I was predestined to like this record. I love this band. I have been a fan since I first saw them on an MTV2 awards show back in 2002. I have followed them ever since. When I see them in a few months that will make, I believe, the tenth time I have seen them live. The Black Keys are a great band. I'm actually shocked they aren't more famous, because they are so god damn good at what they do.

First reactions? "Let's Rock" is a good mix of their old sound, and a new thing they are trying. I love that they keep adding something new to their sound with each new album. That shows growth. They have never gotten stale. Keep up the good work gentleman, and I cannot wait to hear these new songs live.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes to bob his head around to let his kids know how rock music should be. Up and down is a “yes, do not stop rocking”. Back and forth is “no, do not ever stop rocking”.

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Ty Listens to Some New Black Keys Music

This morning I awoke to some wonderful music news. I checked my email, as I do every morning over breakfast, and I was pleasantly surprised to have an email from one of my favorite bands, The Black Keys.

As I opened the email I got even more excited. Today they released their first single since 2014. In 2014 they put out the excellent, and I think underrated album, “Turn Blue”. Since then, Dan Auerbach has done some solo stuff. He opened a studio, with the help of Patrick Carney. He gave some new people a chance to shine. I just learned that Carney had a child with former pop star Michelle Branch. Needless to say, they have both kept busy since “Turn Blue”. But, I was commiserating with my dad the other day that I wanted some new Black Keys music. I even brought up the fact that they may be done. That would have been a bummer, but knowing what I know now, I would’ve understood.

Today The Black Keys shocked me in a good way. After opening the email, I immediately downloaded the song, entitled “Lo Hi”. I could not love this song more. It had every blend of The Black Keys in it. It’s quick and to the point, clocking in at almost exactly 3 minutes. The guitar is fuzzy and distorted perfectly and loud and filled with reverb. The drums are punishingly good and loud too. It’s a groove that only Carney, in my opinion, excels at doing. And the singing, my goodness does it rule. Auerbach has grown leaps and bounds as a singer. I personally prefer the early singing, I like the gruffness, but like any perfectionist, Auerbach has taught himself to do wonderful things with his voice.

I have been listening to this song on repeat since this morning. I went for a run with my buddy, and on our way to the spot, he had to hear it twice himself, and hear me talk about my love for the band. I have shared the URL on my Facebook page and have really pushed for other fans to listen. I immediately told my father, another big fan, to check it out. I cannot get enough of it at the moment. I have also already played it for my daughter a few times, she gives it a thumbs up, and my son has heard it once, and asked to hear it again after school.

“Lo Hi” is a great appetizer to what I hope will be a full new record coming soon. It is classic Black Keys, but with the modern good stuff they’ve gotten into since they worked with Danger Mouse. I’m so stoked. I’m so happy they’re back. I cannot wait to hear more, and when they tour, you better believe I will see them. Go listen to “Lo Hi”, especially if you’re a fan, and I guarantee you will be as happy as I am now. This is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still waiting for some new music from rap icon Snow. We need something to compliment the genius of “Informer”

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Do Yourself a Favor and Listen to Some RL Burnside

Earlier today, while driving in my car, I decided that I wanted to hear some grimy, gritty and dirty blues music. I had just recently listened to some old Black Keys, so they weren't an option. Same with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I thought about Led Zeppelin, but I wasn't in the mood for 14 minute long blues jams. I then dug deep into my iPod and I found some RL Burnside. It had been a long while since I listened to him, so I decided that was what I going to go with for the day.

Boy was that the perfect choice for the music I was craving. RL Burnside does the gritty stuff great. He does the grimy stuff even better. But when you want dirty, muddy and greasy blues music, there is no better option. RL was ahead of his time even though he was in his late 60's and early 70's before he even recorded an album. 

The record I chose was "A Ass Pocket of Whiskey", and it was better than anything that Jon Spencer, The White Stripes and, and dare I even say it, early Black Keys have ever done. His voice is so perfect for this style of music. He has that old man growl that I adore when it comes to the blues. It is stupendous. You can feel his pain when he sings, but you can also tell that he is having a blast recording. When he is singing, you can tell he feels that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. It is like he was put on Earth to sing grimy blues music. His version of the classic blues tune "Stop Breaking Down" is the best of any cover of that song. Bands like The White Stripes, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and The Black Keys have all covered this. They don't come close to Burnside's version. The growl and the groans are wonderful. The pain is awesome. The smoothness that his voice brings to this song is perfection. I love it so very much. This goes for all his songs, originals or covers. He knew exactly what he was doing when he was in the studio. One thing that will haunt me is the fact that I never got to see him live. I bet his shows were a blast. I bet he had so much fun on stage and I bet it showed. Man I wish I could have seen him live.

But, it isn't just himself that rules. His band, and his guitar was some of the best gritty and muddy blues ever recorded. The way he used reverb and distortion on every song, stupendous. When I play the blues I like to use the same stuff, but I am not 1/10 the player he was. And it wasn't like he was playing intricate or super hard music. He was playing standard 12 bar blues on his guitar, but the way he used the 2 main effects that he chose, it was masterful. I can see why he was such a big influence on Dan Auerbach. He uses reverb and distortion, especially in the early days, almost as good as Burnside used to. His backing band was great too. The drummer was awesome. I'm not a big fan of drums when it comes to the blues. When you use it like RL's backing band did, it works. To keep the beat for the band, but also use fills, make it sound just as dirty and to have fun with the drums, it was great. The bassist used reverb and distortion just like RL, and, again, it was perfectly simpatico. The way the bass bounced off the guitar was kismet. Again, I love it. Even the backing vocals were perfection. The guys that yell sing with RL, it just works so god damn well. On the song "Snake Drive", when the backup singer yells the words at the end, I don't want it to stop. They have another song where the backup singer is just straight up talking to RL and it is awesome. He is just asking RL random questions, RL answers him in his gruff voice, and it is oddly perfect.

RL lived a fast and hard life and it comes across in his music. He has a famous quote that sums up his music perfectly. When he was younger he spent some time in jail for shooting a guy. He was asked in court why he killed that man, and he said, "I didn't kill that man, the bullet from the gun I shot did". I know, that is crazy. But, when you listen to his music, it weirdly makes sense. Also, he shot and killed a guy, was released from jail and became a folk hero in the blues music scene. How crazy is that?!

RL Burnside died over a decade ago, but his music still lives on. If you like the grimy stuff, the gritty, the muddy and the dirty blues, filled with reverb and distortion, go listen to anything that RL Burnside recorded. He was an awesome blues musician, and I will forever listen to his music any time I want to get down and dirty with the blues. I suggest you do the same.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is only 1/10th the blues player that RL Burnside was, but Ty is 6/7 of acoustic guitar player of the random weirdo strumming at your local coffee shop.

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Ty Listens to "Waiting on a Song"

Dan Auerbach's second solo record, "Waiting on a Song" was released today. Of course I bought it first thing this morning, and I've already listened to it 3 full times. It's a short record. There are 10 songs and the record runs about 33 minutes long. As I've gotten older, I love when albums are put together like this. Short and to the point. There are no pointless jams and songs that go on just for the sake of going on.

"Waiting on a Song" is also a complete departure from what Auerbach has done on every other record. It's not heavy rock like he does with the Black Keys. It's not psychedelic like when he fronts The Arcs. It's not a blend of hip hop and rock like they did with Blakroc. It's not even like his first solo record, which was basically a Black Keys record, but with a full band. This album is completely stripped down. It is very acoustic driven and sounds almost like a Bluegrass record at times. Auerbach is trying something he's never tried before and I've got to say, I am really starting to dig it. At first listen I didn't really know how I felt, but the more I hear, the more I find myself enjoying the songs, and the record as a whole. It kind of sounds like a modern day version of CCR, a band I adore, but better. I personally think Auerbach is a better singer, and his band on this record sounds tighter.

I heard the single "Shine on Me" awhile ago, and I really liked it. Then, as I got deeper into this album, I think I enjoy 7 or 8 of the songs more than "Shine on Me". "King of a One Horse Town" is a very groove, slowed down folk song. I love the lyrics and I adore the music. "Malibu Man" is a very cool, fun song. "Undertow" is a darker song, yet I still really like it. "Cherry Bomb" is about as rock and roll as it gets, and it is a good, good song.

I am a Dan Auerbach apologist. I will say, I will give him more chances than anyone else I listen to. But, when he and his bands continue to make great music, I feel he's earned his chance to take his music in a bunch of different directions. I knew I'd love this album, I just didn't know how much. I was curious with the new direction, but I've always like folk music, and I went through a big Bluegrass phase, so what's not to like. "Waiting on a Song" is a must have for Auerbach and Black Keys fans, but I feel like fans of folk and Bluegrass would enjoy it too. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He one time confused CCR with CCW. Boy was he confused when he showed up to that class. 

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The Greatest American Band Debate: Iggy and the Stooges

For the greatest American band debate today, I'm going to nominate the one, and only, punk rock group that I have legitimately liked. The problem with punk rock music, at least in America, it becomes too watered down and begins to sound emo when a decent punk group gets some fame. There are too many to list, but I bet the readers know exactly what I'm talking about. In all fairness, the best punk groups come from the UK. There is no denying this, it is a statement of fact. But, Iggy and the Stooges made American punk music cool for their run as a band.

Iggy and the Stooges were the only punk group I heard and was immediately in to. I know some people will try to tell me that the Ramones were punk, they were not, they were rock and pop. The Stooges were punk. Even when they first formed and did some psychedelic stuff, it still sounded punk rockish, at least to me. And, it was mainly because of their phenomenal front man, Iggy Pop. I knew that I was going to be into Iggy and the Stooges before I listened to them, because they are from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Not only were they from the greatest state in the US, but they were from the greatest college town of all time. I was destined to like them.

I do have to say, the way I first heard of the Stooges was from a Black Keys EP where they covered their song, "No Fun". I loved the Black Keys version, so, combined with the fact that they were from Ann Arbor and my all time favorite band was covering their songs, I had to check them out. They did not disappoint. Their self titled debut record, while not commercially successful, is a very, very good album. they have some of the psychedelic stuff going on, but it is mostly straight up punk guitar and bass riffs, fast paced drums and Iggy Pop performing these songs with his signature gruff style. I think the record is very good. They may have come off as weird when they released it in the early 70's, but it still holds up today. I'd much rather listen to this album than anything the Ramones have ever released.

A couple of years later, they released their second record, "Fun House". After the release of "Fun House", that was when the Stooges got the critical acclaim. It was a straight forward punk record with classic song after classic song. During the tour after the release of "Fun House" was also when the band got into heroin and their live shows became a thing of legend. Heroin is so nasty, I assume, and it seems like every band from the 70's tried it at one time or another, but it wasn't the drugs that made them great. The live shows was were it was at, and yes, I'm sure heroin had something to do with what made these shows so epic. They used to tour with another great American band, that will surely get their due on the site soon, MC5, and the shows are still talked about today. This was when Iggy Pop would do crazy stuff like cut himself with broken glass, rub food stuffs and other things all over his shirtless body, the band was always playing incredible stuff and, during these live shows, that was when Iggy Pop supposedly created stage diving. I don't know if it is true or not, but the fact that a lot of people credit him with creating this, I mean, how cool is that. Stage diving has become commonplace now, but imagine being there when it first happened. You have to have a crowd that is really into your music, so much so that they are willing to hold you up when you dive into a sea of fans. I love that Iggy Pop is the supposed creator, because who else could it really be. Iggy Pop is so believable as the man that invented stage diving.

After many epic live shows and many problems with hard drugs, the band all got sober and released their third, and final record as the traditional Stooges, "Rough Power". They recorded this album with David Bowie, who had become good friends with Pop, as the producer. The album is hit or miss, with most of the criticism being thrown Bowie's way for over producing, but it is still an okay record. You can definitely hear Bowie's fingerprints all over this record.

The band broke up for the final time after "Rough Power". Pop has gone on to do wonderful things as a solo artist. He has worked with many great musicians and producers, guys like Brian Burton and Josh Homme, and has had a lot of success. Pop is the undeniable star of this great group, but I cannot end this blog without mentioning how great the Asheton Brothers, Ron and Scott were. They were both just as important to the Stooges sound and uprising as one of the greatest punk rock groups ever. They have since passed, as has everyone else that was first involved with the Stooges, but Iggy Pop is still plugging along.

I also cannot end until I name some of the great bands that the Stooges influenced. I already mentioned the Black Keys, but other bands like Sonic Youth, Rage Against the Machine, REM, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the late great Kurt Cobain have all said that the Stooges were big influences, and they have all covered them, one way or another. The Stooges were finally, after 7 tries, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. It was a longtime coming.

Look, I will be forever grateful to the Stooges for showing me that punk rock can be good. It doesn't have to be simplistic and the singer doesn't have to scream into a mic or be emo. You can be yourself and make great music, which the Stooges did. They are more than worthy to be called one of America's greatest bands.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Who do you think the Greatest American Band is? Come tell us all about it. Also, follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Arcs are Currently Touring, and You Need to See Them Live.

There was a lot more going on than a guitar and drums.

Last night my brother and I went to see the Arcs at the Pageant here in Saint Louis, and it was a very good show. The Arcs is Black Keys front man and lead guitarist Dan Auerbach's side project. I've written about them a couple of times on the site before, but last night was the first time I had seen them live. They were very good.

The band was very tight and you could tell that they enjoy playing music with one another. Auerbach seemed a bit more relaxed on stage as well. Not that he isn't relaxed with the Black Keys, he just exerts so much energy when performing live with the Black Keys because they are a two piece band. The Arcs, on the other hand, they had Auerbach on lead vocals and lead guitar, they had a bass player, a piano/saxophone player, a guy that doubled as a drummer and rhythm guitar player and Richard Swift playing drums as well as keyboards and a beat machine. They also had their openers, an all female mariachi band, come on and do background vocals and play some instruments on a few songs. This was a full band. I absolutely adore the sound and the show that is the Black Keys, I love two piece bands, but it's nice to see Auerbach venture out with a full band, and it sounds good. He also didn't look extremely exhausted at the end of the show last night, much like he does after a Black Keys show.

The Arcs are a very good band and they proved that last night with this show. They opened with "Velvet Ditch", which is a slower burning, almost psychedelic rock song and they crushed it. I knew I was in for a good 90 minutes after they opened the show so well. they went on to play 14 more songs, but not everything was off their album, which was nice. The majority of the show was from "Yours Dreamily", but they also did a new song, a few covers and they played the excellent "Lake Superior".

"Lake Superior" was written after they saw the Netflix show "Making A Murderer", and it's about the unjust way these people were treated and later convicted of a crime they may not have done. The song is eerie, but the melody and the music is upbeat in a weird way. I was very happy to hear them play this song live. I loved it when it came out, I listen to it on my iPod all the time, so it was great to get to hear it live.

The covers were old timey tunes. They played the Temptations "Smiling Faces Sometimes", The Blue Rondos "Little Baby" and they closed the night with Gary "U.S" Bonds "I Wanna Holler". Each song was great and they put their sound on each one. "Smiling Faces Sometimes" was slowed a bit and made a little more psychedelic, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Auerbach's solo's were clutch on this song. "Little Baby" was played just like the old time tune it is and I loved that. They played the sped up time signature, they sang it like the original band and the female mariachi backing band sounded really good on this song. Closing the show with a cover is always a little suspect to me, but they did and excellent job with "I Wanna Holler". It was a good choice by the band to play a song that is similar to their sound already and they did a great job covering it.

They played a newer song that they recently wrote called "Maybe I'm the Only One For Me". It was a very good, slow song. I liked the lyrics and the music. There was some great reverb from the guitar, the drums were slowed down to an excellent groove and Auerbach's vocals were awesome. They played a couple of other tunes that I'm not too familiar with. Right after "Velvet Ditch", they played "Bad Girl". This was a good, slower song, that had Auerbach using his newfound falsetto voice. It was trippy, but good. Right after that they played "Keep On Dreamin", which I think might be on the album, but I'm not 100 percent sure. It was good too though. Very good guitar and very good drums on the song. I liked it a lot. Their other encore song was a song called "Eyez". I think the Arcs were trying out a lot of newer material and that makes me happy. I like that they are giving the crowds at these shows a chance to hear stuff they've been working on. I liked this song too. It had a 50's sound to it, but spliced with their sound meaning, distorted guitars and loud drums. It was pretty good. 

The rest of the show featured songs off their record. They played, "Put a Flower In Your Pocket", "Pistol Made of Bones", "Stay In My Corner", "Chains of Love", "The Arc", "Cold Companion" and "Outta My Mind". I'm already a huge fan of "Put A Flower in Your Pocket", so to hear it live was a delight. They played it excellently and they even had the weird, choppy effect that starts on the song on the record while they played it live. Auerbach's vocals really shine on that song as well. "Pistol Made of Bones" is my sons favorite song and I got to say, they played it really well. Once again, great vocals and guitar from Auerbach, but the drums, with the loud splash when they sing, "I was shot!", was fantastic. "Stay in My Corner" was sweet and pretty and the solo was very well played. They even had a nice floral arrangement as their lights for this song. It was beautiful visually and sonically. "Chains of Love" was where the female mariachi band got their moment to shine. They got to sing the chorus and the added lines and they sounded great. Really excellent guitar on this one as well. "The Arc" and "Cold Companion" both sounded very similar, but very good. They sound alike on the record and the live show wasn't very different. Don't get me wrong, I loved hearing them both, they just sounded kind of the same. And "Outta My Mind" was great. It's a good song to begin with, but hearing it live and seeing the weird clips they added in the background made it that much better. It was done very well.

I knew going in that I was going to enjoy myself last night. I'm an unapologetic Black Keys fan, so anything that Dan Auerbach or Patrick Carney do outside of that, I'm probably going to enjoy and the Arcs, well I enjoy them quite a bit. It was a fun, fast in a good way and well done show. I liked it being in a smaller venue with a smaller crowd too, more intimate that way. The Arcs are a great band and they deliver when it comes to a live show. If they are coming close to your town, I highly recommend checking them out because you will have a good time. It was a very, very good show last night.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He would love to talk about your show in St. Louis. If you are a musician, comedian, or something in between, let us know and Ty will come to your show. Also make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Greatest American Band Debate: We Miss Deadboy and the Elephantmen and also Ben Kweller

Instead of singling out one band for the greatest American band debate today, I want to talk about one band and one musician, that I'm a huge fan of both, that just kind of disappeared in the last five or six years. I was very high on both when they released new records, but one day, they both just vanished. I still listen to them in my car, but there has been no new music, at least to the best of my knowledge, from these two in a long time. This won't be like one of my previous blogs when I talked about bands I used to like, like Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and the White Stripes, who I don't care for anymore. And it will not be like another blog when I wrote about bands on the cusp of greatness, like Alabama Shakes and Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. These two each had potential, but they just up and vanished and I have been craving new music from each of them, but I don't know that it will ever happen again.

First, I'm going to address the band. The band that I'm talking about is Deadboy and the Elephantmen. This band was, and is still, great. This was a two piece band, consisting of guitar and drums. They came out in the early to mid 2000's and really used the two piece phenomenon to their advantage. The White Stripes and the Black Keys both started to gain notoriety in the mid 2000's , and a lot of 2 piece bands starting showing up. I listened to most of them, but besides the Black Keys, Deadboy and the Elephantmen really stuck with me. I really enjoyed their sound. It was one guy and one girl. They did the White Stripes thing, the guy playing guitar and being the lead singer and the girl on drums. They did branch out a bit, letting the lady do lead vocals on some songs. They sounded awesome together.

You may be reading this and saying that you have never heard of this band, but I know that you know at least one of their songs. The song that introduced me to this bad was called "Stop, I'm Already Dead". This song was played a ton, and it is still being played. In fact, it's the opening theme song to the show "I Zombie". It was a great, hard rocking song. They sounded a bit like early Black Keys, so I was on board. I loved the single, and I bought the whole album almost immediately. The rest of the record is fantastic. They play mostly rock songs, but there is also some slower, ballady type stuff on the record. I was really intrigued by their sound and I thought that they could take it in all kinds of different directions. I listened to the record on repeat for a long time. I figured they'd be coming out with new stuff soon because their debut album was awesome.

Eight or nine years later, and there is nothing. I don't know if I missed new material or if they just stopped after one record. I really liked this band a lot and I was hoping for a lot of records from them over the next decade. That unfortunately hasn't happened and I don't know what happened to them. I love and miss Deadboy and the Elephantmen. I truly expected great things from them, but I guess I will have to settle for their one record. At least it is a very good, very solid album.

The next person was one of my favorites. He's a solo artist and he is extremely talented. There were rumors that he'd play every instrument on the recordings of his records. His concert is one that RD and I have mentioned on the podcast a couple of times. That artist is Ben Kweller.

Straight out of high school, I loved Ben Kweller. I saw the video for "Wasted and Ready", and I was enamored. Kweller perfectly blended the lines of rock, pop, and even threw some punk in there for good measure. He also knew how to write a beautiful, acoustic love song. This dude was awesome. His first album, "Sha Sha", is about 35 minutes of some of the best rock/pop music that has ever been released. Every song on the record is awesome. The aforementioned "Wasted and Ready", "How it Should Be", "Family Tree" and "Lizzy" are all great and they are all mixed genres. This album was crucial listening in my town house for me and my roommates, one of which was RD. I was hooked on Ben Kweller after this. Just two years later, he released "On My Way". It wasn't as good as "Sha Sha", but I still loved it. This record was more love songs and more ballads, but, as I just said, it was great. I listened to it, and learned a lot of it on guitar, in about 2 weeks. Kweller was still big in my life as an early 20 year old. I anxiously awaited his next album, and two more years later, he released his self titled album. This was good, but it was a bit of a letdown for me personally. There wasn't much growth. He was really honing in on the pop/rock, and I had heard the same thing for two straight records. I still listened to the album, but I wanted something different from Kweller.

With his next album, I got exactly what I wanted. A lot of people aren't huge fans of "Changing Horses", but I think it is wonderful. I wanted different and "Changing Horses" is just that. This record is pure folk. Kweller wrote and plays everything on this album. He can write one hell of a folk song and he is masterful on slide guitar. I loved this departure from the norm. It was a breath of fresh air. He showed me, and his fans, that he could do something different. He didn't just have to write pop songs, he could really branch out. I think this record is a classic, but a lot of his fans will disagree.

I was hoping Kweller would take more chances. But in 2012, he released "Go Fly A Kite", and it was back to his pop roots. It's still good, but after the masterful "Changing Horses", I couldn't help but feel let down. The best thing about "Go Fly A Kite" was the fact that he released the tablature for the whole album. This made it even easier to learn his songs from this album on guitar. But, since then, Kweller has not released any music. It's been four years now, and I don't know if he quit making music, if he got bored of making music, or if he just wanted to focus on being a dad and husband, but I miss his music. I still have all his albums, but "Changing Horses" and "Sha Sha" are the two I listen to the most. Hopefully, he will return to making music, but you never know, and four years is a long layoff for someone that is not that famous.

I loved, and still love both Ben Kweller and Deadboy and the Elephantmen, I just wish they kept making more music. They were both unique and interesting in their own ways and I could only imagine how much better and more experimental they could have gotten, had they continued to make music. I miss you guys and I hope you reunite, Deadboy and the Elephantmen, and I hope you get the urge to write and record more, Ben Kweller, because the music business and the fans miss you.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did you know Ty likes guitar music? He even has a favorite kind of guitar. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Greatest American Band Debate: What is Hip and Cool is Always Changing

So, I never really thought I was getting old until very recently. Now, I'm not old by any means. I'm 33 and I'll turn 34 near the end of 2016. But, working with younger kids has made me feel kind of old. I will reference players that I assume everyone knows, even if that everyone includes children that were born in 2010. I made a reference to Shaquille O'Neal and Shawn Kemp during basketball season, and the kids, especially the 5 and 6 year olds stared at me blankly. I didn't realize they have no idea who those guys are and Shaq is a sure fire hall of famer. But, the younger players only know of LeBron James and Steph Curry. At least most know who Michael Jordan is, even if it only means they know about his sneakers, they at least know the name.

But, sports aside, I am getting pretty old when it comes to pop music and music played on the radio. I recently sat down with my 12 and 9 year old nieces, you'll hear them on the podcast tomorrow, and the people they were telling me about, I maybe knew 1/3 or even a 1/4 of their names. I looked at them as blankly as my young athletes looked at me. I consider myself a pretty hip and knowledgeable person when it comes to music. But, with that being said, I do not care for pretty much all of modern pop music. There's a few people I enjoy. I like Hozier, I've written about Alabama Shakes and I'm a humongous Black Keys fan, but I was also told by my nieces that those aren't really pop bands and musicians. Their music is more rock they said.

This was the exact moment when I felt old.

This must have been what my parents felt like when I was listening to Puff Daddy and Mase and I told them that their music was old and stuffy and uncool. I finally understood what they said to me back then. I would get older one day, and what I like will not be popular anymore, if it ever was. I thought they were crazy, but they were right, as they always have been. My nieces threw some bands and singers at me and they may as well have been speaking a foreign language. As I said, they will name all these people on the podcast, but I still don't remember the names. I know of people like Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and One Direction, which the 9 year old rants about, but those people weren't even really on their radar anymore. They've already moved on from these bands and found new singers and bands to adore.

While this makes me feel old, I also feel like this is a big problem with modern pop music. No one sticks around that long anymore. Sure, some will have two or even three hits, but the majority are new versions of "one hit wonders". There's so many bands and singers that have one hit song, but they never do anything after that. At least nothing that's played on the radio. This doesn't make them bad singers or bad bands, it just means they capitalize on one song and on a very young fan base who's musical taste isn't fully developed yet. This is not meant to be a slight, I just said I listened to Puff Daddy and Mase, but then I grew up and, in my opinion, I got way better taste in music.

I also listened to what my dad said and listened to the music he lent me the older and more mature I became. My dad introduced me to Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Robert Johnson, among many, many others. This makes me hopeful that my nieces parents will do the same. Their dad is my oldest brother and he and I have similar taste in music. I hope he does what our dad did for me, but I also know that he plays good music, like Radiohead and TV on the Radio in their house, so the girls are being exposed to good music, they just don't recognize it yet, just like I didn't when my father was playing good music in the house.

I know they will come around at some point, with urging from their parents, but it was equally fascinating and upsetting at their knowledge of modern pop music. They both really do listen to everything they can, that's great and very fascinating. They devour as much pop music as they can. It's awesome that young kids still listen to so much music, even if it's stuff I don't care for. But, it's also upsetting because this is the first time that I have truly felt old. I just had no idea of what they were talking about at times and I was that old man berating young kids and their music these days. I feel like I will try and listen to some of the stuff they mentioned, but I know I won't like most of it, even before I listen to it. Modern pop is just not for me, but it has its many fans and its many fans are very young.

Both my nieces give some wonderful insight and they make me happy because they truly do love music. Music makes everyone happy and there is something for everyone. You will get old and young kids music will sound weird to you, but just think of how you felt when you were a kid and your folks wanted to listen to their music. It took me 33 years, but what I thought would never happen happened. I felt old, but it's not that bad. That's what's supposed to happen. As we get older things change and change can be odd and weird, but you will always have your thing and your music. That will never change.

I also would like to thank my nieces for talking to me and trying to open my mind to new music. It didn't work, but they put out an excellent effort. Listen to the podcast tomorrow because it's was a delight to record and I know everyone, be they 80 or 8, will really enjoy the two conversations I had with my two nieces. They were funny, insightful and a lot of fun to chat with, even though they made me feel old.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Like Grandpa Simpson, Ty was once cool, but what was cool to Ty just changed, and now it is scary. Listen to the X Millennial Man Podcast tomorrow to hear the tale, and make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Greatest American Band Debate: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

For the greatest American band debate I'm going to nominate Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.

I fell in love with this band right after I discovered the Black Keys. I read an article where Dan Auerbach called Captain Beefeheart one of his biggest influences in music and I had to hear this guy immediately. It was awesome. The first record I bought was "Safe As Milk", and let me tell you, this thing is the earliest form of garage rock that I ever heard and it was totally awesome. The sound that his band made with their instruments, the distortion and reverb from guitars, the fuzzy bass, the weird drum lines and fills, and Beefheart's voice, it was incredible. I had heard stuff like this before, but not this good. I like garage music. Bands like the Black Keys, the White Stripes, the Hives, Bloc Party and the Heavy are all in my normal rotation, except for the White Stripes now, and it is all great, but it is not Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.

Look at some of the songs on "Safe As Milk". You have stuff like "I'm Glad", "Abba Zabba", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Grown So Ugly" and "Sure 'Nuff n Yes I Do". All classic and all very different from each other. That's the sign of a great songwriter and a great band. When you can change genres in the course of one album, that takes a boat load of talent and ingenuity. "I'm Glad" is a slower, almost love song, but with the funky instruments playing very fuzzy riffs makes it awesome. "I'm Glad" also has some beautifully written lyrics that come off as legit poetry. Beefheart opining for the good days, saying stuff like, "when we met I was sad, at times I felt really bad, but now I'm glad, I'm glad about the good times, oh, that we had". Wonderful. His backing band, almost sounding like doo wop, is such a great added bonus. "Abba Zabba" is a classic throwback rock song with Beefheart gruffly singing the words to perfection. When he needs to hit higher notes on "Abba Zabba", he knocks that out of the park as well.

Beefheart, his real name is Van Vilet, is one of the greatest writers and musicians of all time. "Zig Zag Wanderer" is your typical 60's rock and roll song made that much cooler by the Magic Band. The guitar and bass are distorted perfection and I could listen to this song over and over again. "Grown So Ugly" has some of the most unique and interesting time changes I've ever heard in one 2 and a half minute song. They start out fast with a heavy guitar riff and Beefheart screaming the lyrics, then just stop completely, come back slow for the verse, then do that over and over again for the glorious duration of the song. I love the Black Keys version of this song,  but the original is so much better and so phenomenal considering when it was recorded.

The opening track to "Safe As Milk", "Sure 'Nuff n Yes I Do" was the perfect gateway to their music for me. It starts out with a fuzzy slide guitar riff, so I'm immediately on board, and it just gets better from there, growing louder and faster and ending with a boom. This song opened my mind to true, original garage rock. Captain Beefeheart and his Magic Band have put out a ton of albums, 9 to be exact, but "Safe As Milk" is the cream of the crop for me. Don't get wrong, their other stuff is very, very good, I just really love "Safe As Milk".

What I really want to touch on for the rest of the blog is the many, many bands that they have influenced and Captain Beefheart's relationship with Frank Zappa. Let's look at the people they have influenced first, There's the afformentioned Black Keys and White Stripes, but they also made a mark with bands and musicians like PJ Harvey, Beck, Franz Ferdinand, LCD Soundsystem, Kurt Cobain, Black Francis of the Pixies, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and my brother Seth's favorite, Tom Waits. That is a murderer's row of very famous singers, bands, songwriters and musicians. I mean, a guy like Beck, who bends all genres of music, calling Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band is a huge feather in their cap and shows how great of a band they truly were. Even a band like LCD Soundsysytem, that mainly dabbles in the electronica notes how influential they were and covers some of their songs on their records. They may be one of the underrated American bands as well as one of the greatest American bands. That list of people they influenced could go on and on.

Beefheart's friendship and relationship with Frank Zappa helped explain a lot of things abut his musical stylings and just the flat out bizarre stuff he did as a musician. They met each other when they were teenagers and bonded over their love for blues and R&B, according to Wikipedia. They also recorded very early, like when they both broke into the industry, and Zappa helped cultivate the Captain Beefheart persona. Before Beefeheart, Van Vilet was just your everyday studio musician and he performed live with Zappa's band, the Mothers of Invention, who I will definitely write about at another date. As they got older and grew in the industry, sometimes their friendship would turn into a rivalry, like when two brothers fight. They fought because they couldn't tour independently due to contract obligations, thanks again Wikipedia. They fought so much at this time, they wouldn't speak to each other, much like when two brothers fight. They went their separate ways for awhile, but when Zappa was diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually take his life, they reconnected. They went back to recording together in the studio and put out some great songs. Stuff like "Muffin Man" and "Willie the Pimp". They remained friends through Zappa's untimely death and I'm positive they were happy they buried the hatchet and became friends again. Anyone that can work with and be almost as musically accomplished as Frank Zappa is a genius in my book and Van Vilet AKA Captain Beefheart is just that.

I suggest, for the young kids out there, if you like the Black Keys and other similar bands, go back and check out Captain Beefeheart and his Magic Band. That was where they all got their influence.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. His early musical influences included Rockapella, The Zack Attack, and The B Sharps. Be influenced by Ty and follow him on twitter @tykulik.

The Greatest American Band Debate: Rick Rubin and Brian Burton

SeedSing is filled with music lovers. We can not agree on who is the best band from the States. The Greatest American Band Debate will be a regular feature where we discuss and compare bands who started in the good old USA. If you have any suggestions of bands we should debate Contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

In lieu of talking about another band today for the greatest American band debate, I'm going to talk about two producers. These guys are legends in the music business and without them, we would never have gotten some of the greatest bands of all time. They're both mainly producers, but one also doubles as a pretty good musician. The two people I'm going to talk about today are Rick Rubin and Brian Burton, AKA Danger Mouse.

Let's first start with Brian Burton. Danger Mouse bust onto the music scene with the legendary "Grey Album". This was a "mashup" of the Beatles "White Album" and Jay Z's "Black Album". This record was incredible. He perfectly blended Beatles with Jay Z. We had never heard anything like this before. Now, it's commonplace for DJ's and producers to do "mashups", but Danger Mouse was one of the first. This record was also impossible to come by. He didn't get permission from the powers that be to make it, so the few that got released were hard to get your hands on. You had to know someone who knew someone that had a copy just so you could get one. It's a masterpiece.

With the acclaim that followed "The Grey Album", Danger Mouse was in high demand. He began to work with a lot of artists. He, along with Cee Lo Green started the band Gnarls Barkley. An awesome concept for this band. Green did the vocals and Danger Mouse did everything else. They put out two awesome albums. The way he met Green was working with him on the "Danger Doom" album. This was Danger Mouse and MF Doom. MF Doom is an awesome, but under appreciated rapper. Their "Danger Doom" record is an excellent concept album. They used Adult Swim cartoons as their base and wrote rap songs to go along with it. Some Adult Swim people that appear are Master Shake, Harvey Birdman and Meatwad, to name a few.

Later on, Danger Mouse was called upon by the Black Keys, one of my all time favorite bands, to be the first outsider to produce one of their albums. He came to work with them on "Attack and Release", their first real ambitious album. He's since worked almost exclusively with them, making their sound more complete. He's added bass where needed and piano as a cherry on top of their unique sound. He was one of the driving forces behind their most recent and most ambitious record, "Turn Blue", and I will be forever grateful to him for making the Black Keys take some much needed steps to further their sound and push the limits.

Danger Mouse also has the band Broken Bells. This is him and Shins frontman James Mercer's side project. This is a great platform for Mercer to step away from the indie rock sound and really take some big vocal chances. He has to hit so many high notes with Broken Bells and he does great. That's something he would have never done in the Shins. Broken Bells is great.

Danger Mouse has also done work with a lot of other famous artists, Jack White, Norah Jones and Sparklehorse among many, many others. Danger Mouse is probably the second most in demand producer right now, and everything he's done so far has been pretty great. He's a top of the line producer.

The only guy that may be more in demand than Danger Mouse has got to be Rick Rubin. I mean, the dude co created Def Jam Records first of all. Just google Def Jam and look at all the ultra famous people that have been on that label, it's astonishing. He and Russell Simmons created an empire. They both created probably the best rap label of all time. Bands like Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys and Run DMC owe their fame to Simmons and Rubin. Even a guy like LL Cool J they made famous. Rubin is a total recluse, but when he emerges from his cocoon to work, this guy never disappoints. He was the producer on the "Black Album", Jay Z's best in my opinion.

Rubin has worked outside of rap music as well. His clientele includes  the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, the Avett Brothers, the Dixie Chicks, Adele, Rage Against the Machine, Slayer, Mars Volta, Mick Jagger, the list could go on for days and days. He's even done stuff with Lady Gaga, Shakira and Ed Sheerhan. He has definitely expanded his grasp on all music.

The one thing you hear when people talk about working with Rubin is what a great professional he truly is. He has a knack for hearing and knowing great music. Before him, the Avett Brothers were just another run of the mill folk group. Rubin made them great. Same thing can be said about the Dixie Chicks. He produced their only listenable record. Rage Against the Machine knew they were working with a legend and let him do his thing, ending with great results. Lady Ga Ga, Shakira and Ed Sheerhan should thank their lucky stars that Rubin agreed to work with them. That's a huge compliment. Slayer and Mars Volta made their best stuff with Rubin on board. He's a genius, there's no other word that better describes him. Rubin's talent was on full display when he  got the absolute best out of an almost dead Johnny Cash. Those last two albums of his are masterpieces and a lot of that has to do with Rick Rubin being the producer.

They may not be a band, but we cannot talk great American music without mentioning these two guys that have helped produce so much of it. I can't wait to see what Danger Mouse and Rick Rubin do next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. As a kid he thought Puff Daddy was the only producer in music. He has since become aware of others. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.