Ty Listens to "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between"

I realized the other day that I have been writing about a lot of movies and TV shows I have been watching during quarantine, but I haven't talked much about music. I figure that is for many reasons. A lot of releases got pushed, concerts got moved to next year, and RTJ 4 doesn't come out until June 5th, and believe me, I am going to spend an entire week talking about that record.

During our quarantine, I have been re listening to some bands I haven't in awhile, and I have discovered some new stuff I really like. I started listening to more music on my runs too. It makes them so much more fun and easy. I have been listening to RTJ obviously, I check in on The Black Keys, I listen to Outkast, I have discovered people like Yola and Lil Dicky and some other underground hip hop artists. Recently I started to listening to a band called Man Man again that my brother Seth got me into about seven years ago. I enjoy their sound, my wife describes it as fun circus music, and they are a blast to run to. They make fun music, but are also proficient musicians. They also write some kick ass lyrics. And much to my surprise, they released a new record fairly recently. I was scrolling through Twitter one night and saw that Har Mar Superstar said something about it. I immediately checked it out to confirm that it was true, and when I saw it was, I turned on Spotify and listened right away. That was a week ago and I am still listening now. I am listening as I write this review.

The record is called "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between". First things first, I love that name and the picture on the record is perfect. It's very symbolic of how I have perceived and consumed their music the past seven years. As for the songs on the record, I mean come on, they rule. It has that "circus" sound that my wife mentioned. My kids love it because we can all listen together. The lead singer has such a cool and unique voice that works so well for their sound. The musicians in the band are technically sound. The instruments they use, outside guitar, drums and bass, make them sound fuller and so much cooler. They use xylophones, pianos, sousaphones, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, marimbas and a French horn, among other things. They are a very talented, yet fun band. And boy do love these songs. The first one I heard was "Cloud Nein", and it is fun, bouncy and sounds like it could be played on pop radio if they went that route. The intro is wild too. I also love the bridge, how it just drops out and then comes back with a vengeance. Some other highlights for me are "Lonely Beuys". This has them at their most circus, but it just works. It is a bizarre sounding song, but I can't get enough of it. "Future Peg" has a very cool rock sound. I love the guitar that opens the song, and it foes in and out of the "circus" sound. I adore the beginning, and the verse of "Goat". It is, how should I put this, very seductive in its sound. I really enjoy the music in this song. "Inner Iggy" sounds like a 50's surf rock song, and I have found that I really like that the older I get. "The Prettiest Song in the World" sounds very pretty, but the lyrics are about how it is not very pretty. It is a perfect encapsulation of their sound, talent and how ell they play off one another. "Sheela" has some very cool piano, with a rad guitar riff to start off the track. This song is GREAT running song as well. "Swan" may be their most stripped down on the record, and I like when bands do stuff like that. It is just a piano in the beginning, and then some singing. It is a very sweet sounding song. Then they follow it up with "Powder My Wig", which reverts back to the 50's surf rock. It is a perfect follow up to such a pretty song. The title track has that piano again, starting slow, and from there they add some horns and the song just builds and builds from there. It is a great closer.

I really like this band, and I love this record. I highly recommend people check it out. It is fun.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches Run the Jewels "Ooh LA LA"

Awhile back Run the Jewels released two new tracks from their upcoming album, "Ooh LA LA" and "Yankee and the Brave". I wrote about how much I loved the songs, and how they both got me very excited for the new record.

Well, two days ago they released a video for "Ooh LA LA", and that just amped up my want for the new record about a thousand times more. The video is dope as hell. It is so cool, so timely and has things in it that only a group like RTJ can pull off. The video opens with some writing, which they proclaim to be an ancient proverb, then the line "I need a bottle of Moet....Garcon", attributed to Killer Mike. We go from this to a big intersection in a big city, I want to say LA, but I am not 100 percent sure. From there on out it gets harder and harder and cooler and cooler. EL-P starts the song off with the chorus, then rips into his verse. It is amazing to see visuals added to his verse. The song is, for me, about how greed is crushing us all right now. EL-P explains as much right off the bat. Killer Mike then comes at us extra hard with his verse about expensive food, cameras, everything. By the way, his jackets are rad in this video. I want his colorful Polo jacket. Maybe that is my way of being greedy, and I need to follow the moral of this song instead. Anyway, both have another verse that is dynamite, as I mentioned when I first wrote about the song. But, all the while they are spitting, there are a ton of people just dumping money into a big pile. Just what looks like millions and millions of dollars, and they are setting it all on fire while dancing. It is jarring at first, but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it is perfect.

RTJ has always fought the establishment with their music. They have talked about corporate greed and destruction. My favorite track of theirs, "Kill You Masters/A Message to the Shareholders" is all about that. I look at "Ooh LA LA" as a kind of sequel to that song. And the video only makes my conviction that much firmer. Also, the amount of people they got to do this video is pretty cool. It actually makes me miss hanging out with people that aren't my immediate family. To get all these people together to dump money into piles, burn it and do choreographed dances is pretty rad. Also, Zack de la Rocha is in the video. He doesn't have a verse on the song or anything, he is just there to hang out I guess. I know that they cool with each other, and have worked together in the past, and they were supposed to be touring with Rage Against the Machine right now. But still, the fact that de la Rocha is just in the video to be in it, for me, it proves how much pull RTJ has in the music industry. I also love how goofy and funny both EL-P and Killer Mike are in the video. EL-P is there with his funny grin, holding bottles of champange, and Killer Mike is doing a goofy smile and jumping rope at one point. They clearly had a great time making this video, and it shows. My favorite moment is when they talk about how they don't care what you ordered, they are what you get, and they embrace and smile right into camera. It is awesome. And the ending, with DJ Premiere just spinning, it is awesome. It is a perfect button. He is scratching records, doing the beat of the song, and while he is intently focused, he is throwing money that is blowing on him into the fire as well.

I love this song, and I love the video just as much. I am a big fan of music videos, and I miss seeing them on TV. But, I like that certain groups go out and still do this, and make it viable for fans to watch. I already had made my own opinion about what the song was trying to tell me, and after seeing the video, I am convinced that I was right. If you haven't listened to the song yet, do that first, and then treat yourself to this video. 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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RIP Bill Withers

Well, 2020 is just going to continue to kick our ass it seems. I woke up this morning, started with my new routine, where I am a teacher and a father at the same time, and after getting my kids started on their school work for the day, I sat down to check out some stuff on my phone. I played a game like I do every morning, I checked Bleacher Report to see if there was any kind of sports news and then I checked Facebook. I check Facebook twice a day, to post my blog and to see my memories. Some mornings I like to meander around Facebook for a minute and today was one of those days. As I scrolled through my feed I kept seeing my friends posting videos and pictures of Bill Withers with the letters RIP next to it.

I did not want to believe it. I am a big time Bill Withers fan, have been since my oldest brother introduced me to him my senior year of high school, and like many others right now, I have found myself listening to his songs to help reduce stress during this pandemic. Like so many others, I of course had heard "Lean On Me" well before I even knew who Bill Withers was. And that song is a true classic. It never has gotten stale. It will always be one of those beacon of hopes in the darkest of times. It is not only a great song to lift you up, it is one of the songs that you hear at so many weddings. "Lean On Me" is one of those rare perfect songs. It has also been covered by countless musicians over many years. So, yeah I knew of "Lean On Me". But, I didn't know anything else. Then, when I went up to visit my brother and sister in law about 20 years ago one weekend, he asked me if I had heard anything else by Withers. I must have been singing "Lean On Me", and that must have caught his attention. That night he had me listen to a bunch of his other songs. He started with the hits. He played me "Lovely Day", "Use Me", "Just the 2 of Us", "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Let Me in Your Life". I loved them all so much. I loved his voice. I loved how simplistic yet profound the songs were. I loved his band. It was like love at first sight, except with sound. I wanted more and more. My brother let me borrow the CD's he had to burn, yes I am that old, and I devoured his music. "Menagerie" is a wonderful album. "Still Bill" is a classic that is filled with hits. Any live recordings were phenomenal listens. I was so happy that I now had Withers music in my life.

A few years after I first heard all of Withers stuff, I know this may seem like I am jumping around, but it will all lead back to Withers, my grandma passed away. We were all very close to her, and like any family, we were devastated that she was gone. She was old, but it was sudden and out of the blue. We made the trek up to the UP for the funeral, and while we were sitting around and talking about her, my brother played "Grandma's Hand's" by Withers. This hit all the feelings. This song said whatever we couldn't, or didn't, want to say at the time. This was when Withers jumped into the pantheon of legends for me. That song will forever be my favorite Bill Withers song, and one of my favorite songs of all time. I still tear up when I hear it to this day.

Even though Withers catalog is small in comparison to some other musicians, his legacy is going to live on forever. The fact that he decided to walk away, to live a quiet life, makes him even more of a legend than I may have expected. Bill Withers is also wildly renowned as one of the biggest influencers in the history of modern pop music. His songs are almost always covered by a large number of professional musicians. He is a legend.

Bill Withers was old, and had heart complications which caused his death, but it was still a punch to the gut when I found out for sure that he had passed. I still have his music, which I will be forever grateful for, and there have been countless stories online today talking about how great of a man he was. He was able to straddle the line of both a great musician and person. Bill Withers will be missed, but at least we have a catalog of wonderful music to listen to for the rest of our lives.

Rest In Peace Mr Withers.

Ty

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

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Thank God for New Music from Run the Jewels

The past two days have brought us two new Run the Jewels songs. They are both great. They both hit like I would expect them to hit. They both go hard as I expect them to go hard. El-P and Killer Mike crush each verse they have as I expect them to. They, as the younger generation likes to say, both "slap".

The first one released, on Tuesday, is called "Yankee and the Brave Ep.4". I mean, this song is killer. It has a fantastic, bass thumping beat. It comes at you like a ton of bricks. When Killer Mike starts the opening verse, it makes me so happy because he crushes it, and it is the first signal that they do have a new record coming out, hopefully soon. Then EL-P comes in and does his thing. He is such a great rapper, and as RTJ has grown, so has he. I am, and always will be a Killer Mike guy, but EL-P is starting to get to his level as an emcee. That is up front on "Yankee and the Brave Ep. 4". My only critique, the song is only two and a half minutes long. I could have done with another two and a half minutes easily. I know that I have said I enjoy shorter songs, but when it comes to RTJ, I don't care how long the songs are because they are always so god damn good.

Then last night they released another new track, "Ooh LA LA". Again, this song rules. The beginning is wonderful, with the featured guests singing the chorus, and then the beat hits. Again, it is great. If RTJ is going to be remembered for only one thing, which they will definitely not because they are so awesome, it will be their beats. Every song seems to have the perfect beat attached, and these two new tracks are no different. After the beginning if "Ooh LA LA", both guys once again destroy their verses, and it is amazing, like it always is.

I have listened to these two songs at least a half a dozen times each already, and I will listen more the rest of the day, week, month, year, however long until they put out the full new album. Which brings me to my teeny tiny little gripe today.

I love, love, love these two new songs. I cannot stop playing them. I had my wife listen to them with me, since we are all at home right now, and even she likes them, and she isn't a huge fan. I have seen on Spotify that the songs are being played at a very high clip. I have texted friends and family members to check them out. So, my gripe you ask? I want the full album now. I know that EL-P has been going on social media and imploring the fans that they aren't finished yet, but they will be soon. And I get that. But, since we all should be in our homes, or if we are outside exercising or simply just stretching our legs, but also practicing social distancing, I would love it if the whole record came out soon. I know this is a very small problem in the grand scheme of things, especially now, but I think now would be a near perfect time to try and help keep people's minds off the waking nightmare, and give them something to vibe out to, and just forget for awhile. Donald Glove did that with "3.15.20". Sports stations are playing classic games which helps. Musicians are doing live shows in their homes and putting them on the internet. So, I would be so very thrilled if RTJ released the  full album ASAP. I understand that lots and lots of things go into an album release, and a ton of work and hours are put into it. I get that, and I want them to make it the very best that they can. I get all that, I just want the full album. Until then though, we have these two fantastic new songs to listen to whenever we want, and three other transcendent albums.

I love you Killer Mike and EL-P, and I will be so very pleased when RTJ 4 comes out. For now though, thank you for these 2 new tracks. I can't wait to hear the rest.

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 Childish Gambino's "3.15.20"

Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, released a surprise new record last week. I, was dealing with some stress, as most of us are right now, so I forgot to stream it on his website. But, the other night I was blowing off some steam, riding the recumbent bike in my basement, and I remembered that he had put out a new record. And, much to my pleasure, he released it on all streaming platforms, so I hit up my Spotify and immediately downloaded it and listened while I exercised the stress and anxiety away.

On first listen, and believe me when I say that I will be listening a bunch more, I enjoyed, for the most part, what I heard. First off, I need to, as everyone else should, not compare it to "Awaken My Love". That record is a masterpiece, and it will go down as one of the best records of the 21st century, hands down. I don't think anyone can deny that. I haven't met a person that doesn't enjoy some part of that album. It's exquisite. But, I did expect something akin to "Awaken My Love". I assumed that he was going to stay in the R&B/soul/funk genre of music. I love his rapping. I think he is a very good emcee. I like the way he flows. But the stuff he showed on "Awaken My Love" blew me, and everyone else, away, so I just figured that he was that type of singer/musician now. And there are definitely elements of that on "3.15.20". The songs all have dates as their titles, and some of the songs have the same feel as stuff off of "AML".

The opener is very funky, with some electronic sounds mixed in. It is all instrumental as well. But as the album goes in, it is almost like Glover decided he was going to take pieces from "AML" and "Because the Internet", his second record. I like both of these, and to hear them blended together, it works. I have said multiple times that Glover is in a space right now where he can, pretty much, do no wrong. I am going to like whatever he puts out there, be it music, a new TV show or a role in a movie. Hell, he was, by a wide margin, the best part of "Solo". "Atlanta" is one of the best shows on TV right now. And now with "3.15.20". he has just furthered my belief in him. The album has some solid, funky tones to it. There are some songs that go as long as seven minutes, something I am not a huge fan of, but they work because they are so groovy, and Glover throws in some rapping, or singing, and it just works.

Glover is a very solid rapper, like I said before, and ever since "AML", he has shown how great of a singer he really is. Hell, he even showed that in the new "Lion King" movie. He sings as well as Beyoncé. Yeah, I said it. And his singing shows up tenfold in "3.15.20". He hits those crazy high notes, Teddy Pendergrass style is some of the songs. It takes me back to the older funk music that I listen to regularly. I know he gets compared to Parliament Funkadelic a lot now, and that is a very apt comparison. It is perfect actually. But what makes him stand out as Childish Gambino is his ability to shift from singing super high notes on one song, to becoming a full fledged rapper on the next. His rapping on this record is very good, and like I stated before, it reminds me of his stuff off "Because the Internet". That record is a bit more of a slow burn, but with each extra listen, the more I grew to love it. I feel like that will be the same with "3.15.20", except I may grow to love to sooner because of the mixing of genres.

"3.15.20" is a very good record. It is also nice that he put it out now because, we should all be self isolating, and anytime there is some new music, it is a nice way to break up the monotony of the day. I enjoyed hearing it while I worked out, but when my kids have a break in their home schooling, I will listen. When my wife is on teleconference meeting in her downstairs office, I will listen. And when my wife and I have free time together at night, when the kids are in bed, I will play it for her so she can hear.

I hope more artists follow Glover's lead and release their new material while we are all self isolating. But, as usual, Glover is the first to do it because he is a leader, and because he knows his stuff is for almost everyone. This record is good, and it will continue to be played in my home for the foreseeable future.

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 Har Mar Superstar's "Hot Dish"

I come to you today with another album review of another record I have been looking forward to for awhile now.

About a year ago I guy I am a big time fan of, Har Mar Superstar, announced that he was working with a singer named Sabrina Ellis, and they would be touring and releasing a record within a year. I was stoked. As I said, I love Har Mar, and anytime he works with someone else, it usually works out. He even made Macauly Caulkin sound decent when I saw him live, and Caulikn's Velvet Underground cover band opened for him. Needless to say, Har Mar is a pro, and he makes good choices. They call themselves Heartbones, and they released a few singles during summer. I loved those. I even thought of putting it on my best of music that year. I also heard that, on tour, Heartbones was doing the entirety of "Dirty Dancing" live on stage. I even had a shot to see them in Kansas City, but too much stuff came up and I had to miss the show. But still, I was following Heartbones on all social media. I listened to the released singles, I watched videos and I followed their announcements. So, when I saw Har Mar posting about the album coming out today, I was waiting with super anticipation. I took my daughter to the doctor this morning, and on the way we listened. I then went to my buddy's diner afterward and listened to it again. We then drove home and I listened for a third time. And as I type this, I am listening to it again.

Needless to say, I love this record. There is no bad song on the whole eleven song long record. Every song is an absolute homerun. The record opens with one of the singles I had already heard, "This Time It's Different", but they juiced it up a bit. They made it sound a little cleaner, and I am here for it. The rest of the record is so cool and poppy, in a great way, and a throwback to the "Dirty Dancing" era music and, I am now happy to admit this, I love a good, synthy piano, which is all over this album. The second track, "I Like Your Way" has that excellent 80's style sound that I have found myself digging a ton lately. "Open Relations" is groovy, funky tune that just makes me want to dance. Every song makes me want to dance on this album for that matter. "Control" has a great distorted sound to it, and I love the drums on the song. The vocals are pretty great as well. Both Har Mar and Sabrina Ellis can really, really sing, especially this genre of music. "Don't Read the Comments" is a perfect song for the current world we live in where anyone anywhere can tell people how they feel about their art. "Unforgivable" starts off with a really cool acoustic guitar and some soft piano and Ellis singing softly in, I believe, French. The song then builds and builds with some cool flange throughout the 3 minute run time. "Little Dancer" is the other single that made its way onto the record, and just like with "This Time It's Different", they added some studio magic, some more instruments, and it sounds wonderful. My daughter and I were both singing along this afternoon. The last four songs send this record out so perfectly. "Dashboard" sounds like it is straight out of an 80's movie montage, and I love every single second of it. This might be the most dance worthy track on the whole record. "Claws 87" is just a cool ass song. It has a cool feel to it, the lyrics are cool and the way they sing it is cool. This is the coolest track by far. They follow that up with their cover of "Hungry Eyes". Look, I enjoy the original, so to hear a couple singers I really like do an updated version of the song, it makes it that much better for me. I also love the distorted vocals that sound echo-ey throughout. And the closer, "Beg For It" rules. It is almost all synth piano and the singing is so cool. It sounds like the song that was at the end of the "Black Mirror" movie "Bandersnatch", except it is a tiny bit less robotic, and I am all in for it.

I love, love, love "Hot Dish". I cannot wait to listen to it a bunch of more times. I hope, they are touring again, that they come close to Saint Louis so I can go see them. This is the type of music I am really digging right now, and this record is simply wonderful. I cannot recommend it enough. Har Mar rules on this, and I am so glad that I now know who Sabrina Ellis is because she is a great, great singer. Go check out this record ASAP.

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 Nathaniel Rateliff's "And It's Still Alright"

On our pod about what we were most looking forward to in 2020, during the music section, I mentioned Nathaniel Rateliff's upcoming solo record, “And It’s Still Alright”. I am a big fan of his band, I like his voice, and I was curious as to what he would sound like solo. I know his early work is mostly solo, and acoustic, but truth be told, I don't listen to that very often, hardly ever in fact. I love the sound of The Nightsweats, with the horns and full backing band. He also lets his voice boom when performing with The Nightsweats, and it simply works. But as I have mentioned many times, I like when artists I enjoy take risks, and I was looking forward to this album. The record came out last week and I have listened to it four times all the way through now, and I think I can finally formulate an opinion on it.

Right off the bat I want to say that I like it. I think it is a solid album that has some really good songs on it. I feel like my kids and I will be singing along to some of the songs in the very near future. But, there are some tracks on it that feel out of place. They're a bit too "sleepy" if you ask me. It is almost like he wanted to really go hard on the acoustic stuff, feel around a bit, and sometimes that falls flat for me.

The record does start off really great for me. The opening track, "What A Drag" is a nice way to open an acoustic record. It is just him and his guitar, and I really enjoy the feel of the song. He follows that up with the song he released early, "And It's Still Alright", which has similar vibes to the opener, but a bit different. "All or Nothing" has a very slow feeling at the beginning, but the song picks up a good amount of steam, has a full band, and at this point, it is my favorite song on the album. I was nervous about the beginning, but the middle and end really bring it home. I also enjoy "Expecting to Lose". It has that Nightsweats sound, minus the horns, but with some kick ass slide guitar. Rateliff also sounds like himself the most on this track. It is also the most upbeat of all the songs on the record for me. "Tonight #2" is where I get a little lost. It has that constant strumming of guitar like a classical song. I also feel like Rateliff wanted to try something different with his voice, and it just feels off. I'm also not huge on bringing in a bunch of strings for no apparent reason. This song misses the mark for me. "Mavis" returns us to the acoustic guitar, and while I enjoy the guitar, the vocals are odd. They sound a bit hollow to me. But, the guitar, I really like the guitar and the quiet drums during the song. I also like how it gets a bit louder and faster midway through. It's a nice enough song. "You Need Me" is slower, but Rateliff sings it a bit faster than the music calls for. He seems sped up, and the music is always trying to catch up. Some of the lyrics are indecipherable for me. I do like "Time Stands". It has some electric guitar in it, and the lyrics are beautiful and devastating. This is the breakup song of the record. That is clear. It is really good too. I have always had an affinity for songs like this, so I was predisposed to liking it, and I like it quite a bit. He puts it all out there, and I enjoy this song very much. "Kissing Our Friends" returns us to the slower part of the album that I'm not super high on. It's an okay song, that has a nice acoustic intro. But I feel like, if I were to see him live, this is a song where I would kind of tune out of for the duration. Like I said, it is fine, just a bit too slow for me. The closer, "Rush On" has that slow beginning like so much of this album, but it never seems to build like the other songs with slower intros. It just kind of stays at the slow pace for the 4 minutes and 20 second so of the song. I feel like it is a fine closer for this record, but I would've personally liked something a bit more upbeat. Maybe switch this with "You Need Me". That's what I would've done.

In the end, I like the record mostly. They're definitely some songs I would've left off, but I am also not a professional musician. I also don't truly know what he is fully going through right now. I know this record is about his breakup, and that is clear enough. But I'm sure he had his idea of how he wanted to present it, and this was it. I'm still going to listen to the album a ton, I will just skip the songs I am not a big fan of. It's a good, not a great record. Maybe my expectations were too high, but his last two records, with The Nightsweats, have been total homeruns. This album is like a ground rule double. Still good, just not as good.

Ty

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

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Can a Millennial Enjoy a Rolling Stones Concert?

Earlier this morning I spoke to my mom on the phone and she asked me to see if I would be able to get two Rolling Stones tickets when they come to Saint Louis. I told her that would be no problem, and I would be in contact as to the details after, hopefully, purchasing them. I naturally assumed she wanted the two tickets for her and my dad. They grew up with their music, and even though my dad prefers The Beatles, as do I, I figured he’d want this chance to see them live. This is a once in a lifetime shot for both of them, so why not go together?

Well, I was able to secure some general admission tickets for what I deemed a fair price. I called my mom immediately afterward to inform her. While talking to her on the phone, breaking down the whole process, the price, what they owed me, I told her I was happy that she and my dad were going to see The Rolling Stones. This was when I was hit with some wonderful, yet at the time, confusing news. After saying how happy I was for them, my mom informed me the tickets were for her and I. She also told me she thought I knew they were for us.

I had no idea.

I asked why my dad didn’t want to go, and my mom told me he had zero interest in seeing them live. She said she talked to my dad last night about taking me with her to the show, and he thought it was a great idea. I am still a little stunned, and very, very, very excited that I get a chance to see the god damn Rolling Stones live. I never thought I’d get to see them. Like my dad, I prefer The Beatles, but I also love The Rolling Stones as well. I’m young enough where I don’t feel like I have to pick one. I mean, I don’t think anyone should pick just one of those 2 bands anyway. They’re both excellent bands, and they’re different bands. They each provide a little something for almost everyone. Back to my surprise when my mom told me she was taking me. I kept asking if she were serious. My mom doesn’t joke like that, so I figured she was telling the truth, but still, the shock overtook me. After speaking to her for awhile, and thanking her seemingly too much, I started to let it sink in that I am going to see them live.

This is, without a doubt, the biggest, most successful and most famous band I will have ever seen live. In fact, I don’t think there will ever be another band in my lifetime that I will see that is as humongous as The Rolling Stones. This is a big, big deal. The dome they’re playing at here is going to be filled as well. I’ve been in bigger stadiums, The Big House for one, with more people, but that was for sporting events. Sporting events always pull big numbers. The fact that 10,000 plus people will be in one place to see one band, and I’ll be one of those people, is mind boggling to me. This is how famous this band is. My brother is the only other person I know who’s seen them live, and he said the show was amazing. Also, the fact that they’re still touring, and are still a prolifically good band, that’s just another feather in their cap. Also, the songs I’m going to hear, I have to imagine they usually play the big time hits now, is going to blow my mind. I’m stoked to hear “Beast of Burden”, “Brown Sugar”, “Gimme Shelter” and the like. It’s going to be absolutely amazing. To be honest, as I sit here writing this, I still don’t know if it’s fully hit me yet. This is one of the most famous bands ever. They have billions of fans. They don’t tour as often anymore. Yet, I get to see them in a short four months. I think that is when it will truly hit me. When I see Keith Richards and Mick Jagger walk on they stage, I think then, and only then will the enormity of this will truly hit me. I cannot thank my mom enough for inviting me to this show. I can’t thank my dad enough for saying she should take me. I also can’t thank my mom for willing to pay for this. She wants to see them as much as I do. There are shows I’ve seen that I have never forgotten. I saw Eddie Vedder perform solo. I’ve seen Run the Jewels multiple times. I’ve seen big time modern pop stars like Sam Smith and Lorde live. I went to too many Widespread Panic and Ben Harper shows. I’ve seen A Tribe Called Quest when Phife was still alive. None of those bands compare to The Rolling Stones. Maybe I enjoy them more, but they’re not The Rolling Stones.

I cannot wait, and I cannot wait to share the experience with my mom. I also cannot wait to write about the show afterwards. Again, this is a tremendously big deal, and I need to say one more humongous thank you to my mom. This wouldn’t be happening without her. She’s the coolest mom in the world. This is going to be great. I’m very excited.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty likes the Rolling Stones for the music, but he loves them more for their dedication to the preservation of historic buildings.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 24 - Snoopy's Christmas

ed note: This article was first published on December 24th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 24: Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardsman

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

 Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen,Seventeen,Eighteen,

Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty One, Twenty Two, Twenty Three

The Christmas season can feel like a battle. There are large crowds and everyone seems to have their own agenda. People are constantly fighting each other for parking, space in line, and the hot holiday gift. We move through the malls and hardly acknowledge one another. On Christmas Eve, the holiday season reaches its peak while everyone rushes past one another to complete their individual goals. Christmas Eve is the final struggle we face on the battlefield of the holiday season.

"Snoopy's Christmas" is the 1967 follow up to The Royal Guardsman hit "Snoopy vs The Red Baron". The band made their name by incorporating in their songs the Peanuts character of Snoopy, and his exploits of aerial dog fighting against The Red Baron. "Snoopy's Christmas" reads like a classic tale from Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strips. The Red Baron is terrorizing the skies, and Snoopy with his trusty Sopwith Camel (his doghouse) must engage in  battle high in the sky. While Snoopy valiantly tries to defeat the German ace, disaster strikes. The Red Baron shoots down the pup in German territory. Snoopy lands and believes that the end is here, then suddenly the bells ring out over the countryside marking the beginning of Christmas. Being inspired by the spirit of the season, the Red Baron offers Snoopy a drink and wishes him a Merry Christmas. The brotherhood of Christmas Day causes the foes to befriend, and they then go on their separate ways. Christmas Eve saw bloodshed, Christmas Day is about peace.

The exciting tale being told in "Snoopy's Christmas" is based on a true event, the 1914 Christmas Truce of World War I. British and German troops were shelling each other on December 24th, suddenly the firing stopped when both sides heard the bells from the countryside ring out for the beginning of Christmas Day. The Germans invited the British troops to cross no man's land and have a peaceful celebration. The enemies shared food and drink, showed pictures of their families, and even played games together. The magic of Christmas stopped sworn enemies from killing each other. The feeling of brotherhood trumps the anger of war. It is a magnificent piece of human history.

Christmas Eve can be a tough day. Many people are frantically trying to get that last must have gift. We have no time to be kind and courteous to our fellow man. If you are not relentless, you will lose the battle of the Christmas Season. Once midnight hits and the bells of the village rings out for Christmas Day, a new feeling takes hold. Our disagreements on religion, geopolitics, and philosophy take a day off. Christmas makes us one family. Enjoy your holiday, and thank you for your eyes this Advent Season. As the Red Baron would say, "Merry Christmas my Friend".

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. No matter who you are, or what you believe, the bells at midnight will make you the editor's new friend. Join our circle of joy by liking SeedSing on Facebook.  

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 22 - Patton Oswalt talks about The Christmas Shoes

ed note: This article was originally published on December 22nd, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.Day 22: Patton Oswalt talks about The Christmas Shoes (language NSFW)

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

 Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen,Seventeen,Eighteen,

Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty One

I really love Christmas music. This entire Advent Calendar project is a way to show the people who hate Christmas music that there are great tunes available to the uninitiated. My love for holiday music is directly related to the fact that while I was growing up my parents would regularly take me and my brothers to church. I was never super psyched to go to our little suburban catholic cathedral, except for one time of the year. The Christmas season was the only times of the year I was happy to go to mass, and it was the songs that created my excitement. Many of the best holiday songs come from the religious tunes the congregation would sing. Hope, light, the betterment of mankind. That is the true religious meaning of Christmas, and it sounds beautiful.

A couple of years back I heard the song "The Christmas Shoes" and I was left dumbfounded. I first thought that this "christian" song was some kind of SNL parody. It was atrocious. The basic plot centered on the story of a poor kid who wants to buy shoes for his mom on Christmas. These shoes are very important because the kid's mom is dying, and he wants her to look pretty if she meets Jesus. That plot is dumb enough, but what puts "The Christmas Shoes" into the stratosphere of appalling is that the song is from the point of view of some grumpy dude in line behind the kid. The narrator thinks that "God" sent this kid, and his dying mom, to be in this man's life so he will feel the Christmas spirit. It is a truly disgusting message.

In 2009 comedian Patton Oswalt dedicated part of his stand up set discussing "The Christmas Shoes" Everything he says is spot on. Oswalt talks about how manipulative and downright sinister the message behind "The Christmas Shoes" is. He also imagines a world with a God being pissed about people being grumpy on Christmas and a Jesus who is bitchy about a person's fashion sense. What Patton Oswalt does in the YouTube video attached to this article is take one of the worst Christmas songs ever, and give it a new hilarious life. You can skip the song and get a dose of the Christmas spirit by hearing Patton Oswalt tear this piece of trash apart. His thoughts on "The Christmas Shoes" makes the song listenable, because I hear Patton Oswalt's words behind every horrid verse.

A few weeks back my son was being rude to the checkout person at a store. When we were heading home, my wife and I were scolding him about his behavior. At one point I told him that Christmas is about being nice to your fellow person. My son was not listening and being quite defiant. As I was getting more angry and frustrated I heard the opening notes of "The Christmas Shoes". My wife and I stared at each other and smiled. My son was forgiven. The rest of the car ride was filled with joy and laughter. Patton Oswalt has made "The Christmas Shoes" a holiday tradition. Not the song, it is awful, but his thoughts about the tune's idiotic message is what Christmas means to me. Mr. Oswalt, I owe you a pair of some great Christmas shoes.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of The X Millennial Man podcast. Every year he tries to buy his wife some ugly shoes for Christmas, but he never has quite enough pennies. Help him buy those shoes by supporting SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 20 - Alone on Christmas Day

ed note: This article was originally published on December 20th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.

Day 20: Alone on Christmas Day by Phoenix and Special Guest Bill Murray

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen,Seventeen,Eighteen, Nineteen

I have spent many Christmas nights all by my lonesome. I was not alone for the whole day. My Christmas mornings have always been about waking up way earlier than normal and opening tons of presents with my family around. Once the intense excitement of Christmas morning was finished, I would pack up my bounty and head back to my 15th floor studio apartment in downtown St. Louis. Most of these Christmas nights I would stare out at the Gateway Arch on the usually cold evening and decided I would get a drink, at the fancy hotel a few buildings down. I would put on my Christmas sweater, wrap a scarf around my neck, and head to the hotel bar. Once inside I would find a seat in a corner booth and observe all the travelers who were truly spending Christmas alone. I would sip my Manhattan, listen to the piano being played, and was thankful I was not alone on Christmas Day. 

Earlier this December, Netflix premiered the Sofia Coppola directed Bill Murray holiday special A Very Murray Christmas. During the course of the program a lonely Bill Murray asks the catering staff at the hotel to play him a song. The staff happens to be french indie rock band Phoenix. The band, with help from Paul Shaffer on piano, Jason Schwartzman on drums, David Johanson (as Buster Poindexter) on martini shaker, and Mr. Bill Murray himself on featured vocals, cover the Beach Boy's rarity "Alone On Christmas Day".

Phoenix and gang take an unknown and discarded Beach Boys tune with "Alone on Christmas Day" and create a new holiday standard. The Beach Boys tune was originally unreleased in 1979, and after Phoenix requested to cover the tune, Mike Love changed some of the lyrics and released his own version. The Phoenix cover is light years better. The tune alludes to the sadness of being by oneself on Christmas, but "Alone on Christmas Day" encourages us to think of the gladness, and to keep moving on. Plus if you listen to the tune, no one is truly alone on Christmas Day. You will still have the bar patrons and employees to sing you a joyful tune.

I was never truly alone on Christmas Day. In the morning I had my family and in the evening I had the travelers and  employees at the hotel bar. We all came to the bar as individuals, but on Christmas evening we were together. The piano played on in the background, our drinks warmed our spirits, and we all got ready to move on, together.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He has given up the Christmas Night bar scene and traded it for his family sitting around the fireplace. He did not give up on his yuletide Manhattan. Celebrate the togetherness of Christmas by liking SeedSing on Facebook.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 18 - Tree of Life

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 18: Tree of Life as performed by Princess Leia

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen, Seventeen

I am the father of a young son. One of my primary duties as a father is to teach my boy about being an intelligent, kind, and curious person. During the winter holiday season I have tried my best to introduce my son to the variety of holidays celebrated be different peoples. We put up lights for Diwali, we lit the Menorah for Hanukkah and will light the Kinara for Kwanzaa. I have also made a point of showing the boy all the great holiday entertainment of my youth. Because today is the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I have been trying get my son excited for some new December entertainment. Yet there is one piece of holiday nostalgia that my kid will not get to celebrate this year. This will be another year without the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special".

In 1978 Star Wars was a national obsession. People were enthralled by the film, kids were excited to be getting empty figurine boxes as Christmas presents, and CBS aired the only official showing of "The Star Wars Holiday Special". The public was not impressed. The comedy stylings of Bea Arthur, Art Carney, and Harvey Korman were made permanent members of the Star Wars mythos due to their involvement in the special. Disco legend Diahann Carrol gets to be Chewbacca's father's (Itchy) fantasy girl. A certain bounty hunter, who was fond of disintegration, was introduced through an animated short. In fact, the Boba Fett cartoon is the only part of "The Star Wars Holiday Special" that gives anyone fond memories. The only celebration was to be for a paid killer, not our heroes.

Then there was the music. The aforementioned Caroll sings, Jefferson Starship started their downward slide into 80s kitsch with a tune. Bea Arthur gets to sing with the Cantina Band (Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes). But the topping on this disaster cake was Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)singing the song "Tree of Life" to the original Star Wars theme. 

Life Day was a Wookie holiday similar to Thanksgiving or Christmas. Like any great holiday, Life Day had it's own kind of carol. "Tree of Life", or also known as "A Day to Celebrate", hits all the important notes of any species celebratory season. Peace, harmony, togetherness, and many more themes are sung off key by an extremely sincere Princess Leia. "Tree of Life" and it's seasonal message has become more famous for being a "what the hell" type of song than one that makes people, or wookies, celebrate. Princess Leia did not ruin "The Star Wars Holiday Special" with the awful song, but she made sure the crash was as explosive as possible.

Today is a great day. We get a new Star Wars movie as an early Christmas present. I am very excited to infect my son's mind with all things Skywalker, Jedi, Solo, and more. I will not infect his mind with Star Wars lore that should be crushed in a trash compactor. "The Star Wars Holiday Special" may be spectacularly bad, and "Tree of Life" may be the rotten cherry on the trash dump, but we still have new Star Wars for the holidays. Today is a day to celebrate, to laugh, to dream, to grow, to trust, to love, to be.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He wonders what happened to Chewie's wife Malla, and their kids, between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Did the Midichlorians get them? Make this a day for SeedSing to celebrate by liking us on Facebook.  

Best of 2019: Top Five Albums

It is getting to be the time of year where everyone is putting out their best of 2019 lists. Hell, some are even doing best of the decade, but RD and I will be doing that a bit later on. But, like everyone else, I to like to do best of lists. This year will be the same as the past few. I will be doing music, movies, tv shows, podcast episodes or shows and sports moments. So, sit back and enjoy a week of "Best of 2019" lists from me. First off, we will do my top 5 albums. Oh, and before I go any further, I will add a few disappointments, for me, for the year. Anyway, lets get to it.

Coming in at number 5 I have "On the Line" from Jenny Lewis. I have really found myself going back to this record a ton lately, and liking it even more with every listen. Jenny Lewis has already proved that she is a wonderful song writer and arranger, but this album puts her on a whole other level. From songs about being in love, to total heart break, she hooked me from the start. She also worked with some great people, including Beck, that take this album to the next level. She has only gotten stronger and the stronger with each new album. "On the Line", to date, is her best record, and has me excited for what she is going to do in the future. Lewis is a star. More people need to recognize that.

At number 4 I have "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience" from The Lonely Island. I feel like this record doesn't get the love it deserves because of the way it was released. There was not a ton of info, then all of the sudden they announced they were putting out a Netflix special and not many people knew if it was a comedy special, a musical or both. It is both, and it rules. The Lonely Island are already very, very funny. But, what people don't recognize is, they can really rap and make beats. This album hits hard. Some of the beats they produced, like the one with the pager sound on "Jose and Mark", or the whole "IHOP" song, those are amazing, super bobbing beats. They are as good as anyone making beats nowadays. Also, I know it may be cliché, but they are the modern day Beastie Boys. They sound like them, they rap like them, the only difference, they all have careers outside of music, in which they thrive in. This record plays so much in my car and my house that my kids know the words to the songs. My daughter calls "Oakland Nights" her jam. That song hits too. This record is so good and ranks right up there with their debut record. I was already a humongous fan, and now, especially with the Netflix special, they have won me over even more. Listen to the record first, then go watch the special. You will not be disappointed.

At number 3 I have "Hyperspace" by Beck. I have recently written about this album, and since that time, I think I have gone through the whole thing about 10 more times and I like it more and more. As I said in my review, the music sounds like it is from the 80's, but with Beck's influence all over it. The music is trippy and bouncy and fun. The lyrics are funky and groovy and quintessential Beck. I also love it when he does love songs, and "Die Waiting" is a great love song. Also, the slide guitar on "Saw Lightening" is rad. Everything Beck does, I am going to be a fan. But sometimes he does a record like "Hyperspace", and his genius blows me away more than it did before. I was talking to RD earlier today, and I told him that, at the current moment, this record is second only to "Midnite Vultures". It has the same feel, but more synth and more of an 80's lean. Even this morning, after speaking to RD, I put the record on because my son had a snow day, and he said he wanted to dance, and he told me "that new Beck record makes me want to dance". I love him so much, my son, and I really, really like "Hyperspace".

At number 2 I have "Cuz I Love You" by Lizzo. From the first moment I heard this record I knew it was going to be on my year end best of list. The title track is the opener, and it totally showcases Lizzo's beautiful voice. From there on out the record is all about empowerment, loving yourself, being good to those that are good to you and blocking out all the noise from the internet trolls. Every song on this album could, and should, be a top 100 hit. All of them are great. Also, the song with Missy Elliot brought me back to my teens, when I listened to a ton of Missy Elliot. She also does a great Erykah Badu esque song, "Jerome", that may be better than Badu. And while being a tremendous singer, Lizzo can rap. She spits man. She is so good on the song with Elliot, she crushes "Truth Hurts", she is phenomenal on "Better in Color", she is flat out amazing. Lizzo is finally getting the fame she deserves, and I love that she is out there being herself, loving herself and empowering young people to do the same. I hadn't listened to her before April of this year, but I haven't stopped since.

At number one I have "IGOR" from Tyler, the Creator. This album is a masterpiece. This is incredible. This shines a whole new light on Tyler, the Creator for me. Seeing him do this record live was such a treat. It is a true achievement. TTC did something totally different, totally out of his comfort zone and made one of the greatest concept records of all time. "IGOR" is also heartbreaking when you really listen to the lyrics. It is all about lost love and trying to deal with that. The way he sings and raps makes this album that much better. I didn't know he could sing like that, and he absolutely crushes it. As far as his rapping goes, he is one of the best in the game right now. Tyler, the Creator is a musical genius, and not of this world in my eyes. He is on a whole other level, or plain of existence. He was put here to make great music, and "IGOR" is his coup de gras. It is amazing. I highly recommend everyone, even people who don't listen to rap, listen to this album. It is that good. Okay, those are my top 5 albums for 2019.

As far as some things that disappointed me, or didn't work out like some may have thought, one, anything Kanye West does now is a joke. He is a farce of himself. He is a sellout. He is a phony. He is a hater. His beats are wack and his rapping has never been good. For anyone to think that this dude is a viable artist, especially the way he has presented himself this past year, is dead wrong. Kanye West needs to just go away quietly because he time was over 6 or 7 years ago. The dude is a poser. I am also appalled that the people behind the Kidz Bop records are still making albums, and trying to turn real songs into anthems for little kids. I let my kids listen to the original version of "Truth Hurts", so they don't have to listen to a crummy version on Kidz Bop. I would so much rather my son listen to Lil Nas X sing "Old Town Road" than some random pre teens. Bruno Mars is an excellent showman, so why let little kids try and sing his songs? The whole Kidz Bop thing needs to be stopped. They need to also stop taking explicit songs and trying to turn them kid friendly. I heard a little kid on one of the Kidz Bop albums doing "Truth Hurts" and saying, "turns out I'm one hundred percent that kid". That, to me, is worse than when basic cable shows movies and says things like "monster joker" or "bull shirt". It is offensive to the people who wrote the original song. Finally, I was so hoping that "RTJ 4" was going to come out in 2019. We still have a chance, albeit slight, that it comes out this year, but probably not. I know they are working on it. I have seen pictures and read lyrics they have posted online, and all of this has made me more and more excited for the record to come out. My fingers are crossed that they do the same thing they did for "RTJ 3", when they released it on Christmas night at midnight, but again, that doesn't seem likely.

There you have it, my best of, and disappointments in music in 2019. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies of 2019.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor fought to get Vampire Weekend’s “Father of the Bride” and Lana Del Rey’s “Norman Fucking Rockwell” on Ty’s list, but it is Ty’s list so those albums sit in the Head Editor’s head as the tops.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 14 - Fairytale of New York

ed note: This article was originally published on December 14th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 14: Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl)

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven Twelve, Thirteen

I once spent a magical December evening in New York City. My wife and I had an overnight layover in the city on our way for a tropical Christmas vacation. It was bitterly cold that evening. We bundled up and caught the subway to have a nice dinner in Manhattan. The few cold hours we spent in New York City that December were amazing. The city was decked all out for the upcoming holiday. It was magical. On our plane leaving the city I glanced down for one last look. The joys of New York City during Christmas was a memory I will never lose. I am glad I did not stick around to see the hopefulness of Christmas give way to the brutal realities New York City is home to the rest of the year.

"Fairytale of New York" was released by the Irish band The Pogues on their 1987 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God. It is rumored that the song was written based on a bet between Elvis Costello and The Pogues lead singer Shane MacGowan. Costello bet that MacGowan could not write a hit Christmas single. Once the music and lyrics were set, singer songwriter Kirsty MacColl joined MacGowan to sing the song as a duet. Elvis Costello must have lost the bet, because "Fairytale of New York" has spent the last few decades as one of the most popular Christmas songs in the United Kingdom.

"Fairytale of New York" starts off with the magic of New York City during the holidays. MacGowan and McColl are young, in love, and inspired.Being in the drunk tank on Christmas Eve cannot dampen their spirits. They have each other and the wonders of the city. The song treats their ideals as fake as the decorations around town. Love and admiration quickly turns to name calling and regret. Behind the holiday facade of the city lies a brutal, and ugly, reality. The two lovers were embracing the facade, but once the decorations are gone, their hate and despair shows through. They love the imagery and magic, they unfortunately do not really like each other.

The build up to Christmas can make us forget all the unfortunate things that confront us during the year. Our hopes, dreams, and love seem to get amplified in December. Once our holiday drunken stupor turns into a post December 25th hangover, our realities come into sharp focus. I enjoy the magic, and I am trying to prepare for the headaches. Thank goodness I will have the fine Irish ditty "Fairytale of New York" to be my musical companion through the transition.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. He is embaressed to say that his dinner in New York that night was at Trump Tower. Come and tell your tales of Christmas in the city by writing for SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 12 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

ed note: This article was originally published on December 12th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 12: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by Judy Garland

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

There are a few cultural icons produced by the 1944 film “Meet Me in St. Louis.”  For example, it’s where Judy Garland met Vincente Minelli, thus creating Liza.  I had a film TA in college who theorized that the film inspired “Night of the Living Dead.”  But the one I care about the most is that staple of treacly holiday radio, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

A great many BAD versions of this song have been produced.  James Taylor has brought his special brand of anodyne blandness to it.  I once heard a bowdlerized version of it that replaced the word “fates” with “Lord.”  I guess the original line is just too pagan.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until Taylor Swift yell-sings her way through with her trademark lack of vocal subtlety.  (To whomever decides these things, I would happily pay $1.29 to hear Josh Groban do it.)  But Judy Garland’s lovely, heartfelt original is one of the finest pieces of Christmas music ever produced.

A great many of our holiday standards are unabashedly joyful.  Those are fine, I’m happy to hear “Silver Bells” and “This Christmas.”  But my favorite pieces of holiday art are the ones with a touch of melancholy about them, like A Charlie Brown Christmas.  To me, as a non-religious person, the holiday season is about finding light during the darkest time of year.  Most religions have a similar holiday, usually around the winter solstice.  Christmas, Hanukah, and Diwali, for example, are all about miracles and triumphs that chase away the darkness (metaphorical and otherwise).  Whether it’s baby Jesus born to bring hope, or lighting the way for Rama after his defeat of evil, it’s basically the same idea.

In Meet Me in St. Louis, the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is sung by Esther to her youngest sister Tootie after they learn they are leaving their St. Louis home for New York.  The song is Esther ostensibly trying to comfort Tootie by assuring her they will always have Christmastime to come with their loved ones, in person or in spirit.  But Esther is really singing about her own sense of loss at moving, and trying to remind herself that there will be joyful times in the future, even if all is bleak right now.  We can all use that reminder some years.

A very merry whatever to all!

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest of the X Millennial Man podcast. One time we even let her host the show.

The Greatest American Music: Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide"

I go through phases of what style of music I want to listen to all the time. I’ll go with hip hop for a good long time, then switch to rock. I’ll listen to the blues, then transition to folk. I’ll do some prog rock and that will shift to classic rock. Lately I’ve been on a classic rock kick.

It all started about a week ago when I decided I wanted to revisit Jimi Hendrix. He’s one of my all time favorites, and I hadn’t listened to him for quite some time. So, I have been listening to him pretty much nonstop, with some ELO, Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Band, among others, peppered in. Spotify has recognized this, and they’ve made a mix for me that is focused on this genre, or generation, of music. It’s a bit scary, because AI is definitely taking over, but also cool because it reintroduces, and sometimes, introduces me to people and songs I haven’t heard of, or heard in awhile. That very thing happened this morning.

My wife is a big Fleetwood Mac fan, and she’s turned me into somewhat of a fan. I enjoy, and respect the hell out of Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar playing. I think Stevie Nicks is a wonderful singer and I appreciate the music they made going through all the stuff they went through. Look up Fleetwood Mac’s history, it’s intense. Anyway, while on my way to run this morning the song “Landslide” came on and I was moved.

Now, this song has a whole new meaning to me since my wedding. Most people, I assume, when they get married, one of the people that got married dances with their mother, with the mother picking the song. I did this, and my mom picked “Landslide”. At the time I didn’t listen to Fleetwood Mac. I knew of them, but never listened to their music. When we danced to this song, with our family and friends watching, we were both very emotional. It was happy emotions, but I was crying, as was my mom. The lyrics moved me. The way Nicks sings is amazing. The guitar was beautiful. I immediately loved the song. I listened to it a ton on my honeymoon, and when we got home, I listened even more. I really started to indulge in Fleetwood Mac after my mom picked that song. Then I just kind of stopped listening to them. Sure, “Rumours” would be played here and there, but I didn’t hear a ton of Fleetwood Mac or “Landslide”.

Then it came on today. I turned the song up right away and let myself get lost. I returned to my wedding. I let the song totally wash over me, and it was magical. I most definitely teared up. I found myself not even singing along, just simply listening. As I said, I returned to my wedding and dancing to this song with my mom. We didn’t know it at the time, but she was going through some medical stuff, and thinking about that made me tear up as well. When Nicks sings, and it’s so simple, but so true, “children get older, and I’m getting older too”, or, “cause I’ve built my life around you, but time makes you bolder”, I mean come on, that’s moving. My mom did build her life around me and my brothers after we were born. She did it all for us. My dad did too, but I didn’t dance to “Landslide” with him. This was for my mom. I think she was trying to tell me these things through the song. Well mom, I get it now and I adore that this was the song you picked. This song is so important in my life now that, my wife and I performed it for my mom for her birthday a few years back. And yes, tears were shed again.

“Landslide” was already a great song, and now, being older, being married and having kids of my own, it means so, so much more to me. I love you mom and I thank you Fleetwood Mac for making such a meaningful song. It’s truly wonderful.

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 7 - "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th, 2014 "

ed note: This article was originally published on December 7th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 7: "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th 2014"

Original air date - it is right there in the title.

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Every year around Christmas we listen to the same songs and watch the same television shows. We all have our traditions, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. These little bits of holiday pop culture sometimes get us into the right mood during a cold December night. These annual traditions help us look back to other pleasant times we experienced during the holiday season. There is a comfort in looking forward to that one thing that makes our holiday season extra special.

David Letterman once famously said that it is not the Christmas until he hears Darlene Love sing that song. The song in question is the new standard (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home. Vanity Fair has a great oral history of how Darlene Love ended up on Letterman for almost thirty years singing her iconic song. That first appearance in 1986 was simple, and without pomp, but a beloved holiday tradition was born.

The small band, and ugly holiday sweaters, had nothing on Phil Spector's iconic Wall of Sound, but Darlene Love still slayed with her vocals. Since that appearance, Darlene Love, Paul Shaffer, and David Letterman made (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home a fixture on Late Night, and then The Late Show. Only a writers strike would stop the trio from letting Letterman start Christmas. Many even believe that Love's Late Show appearances helped her finally, rightfully so, get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On December 19th, 2014, Darlene Love performed (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home for the last time on The Late Show. In May of 2015, David Letterman retired from the late night game. Everyone knew that the December 19th performance was going to be the last, and nothing was held back. The four-piece backing band of 1986 was replaced by a horn section, strings, backup singers, and Paul Shaffer on a grand piano. Love even decided to belt out the last few lines on top of the piano because she was afraid of breaking down when Letterman came to give her a hug. The 2014 performance of (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home was an epic curtain call for a singer, a talk show host who was a fan, and the viewers that counted on Darlene Love to usher in the holidays every year on late night television.

Our holiday traditions are something to be celebrated. Listening to the same songs, or watching the same tv specials, is what makes December a great time. We all have that one special pop culture thing that gets us in the right Christmas mood. David Letterman had Darlene Love sing that song. We were truly lucky to share this tradition with Mr. Letterman.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The holidays do not start for him until he hears Linus and Lucy.

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

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 5 - I Wish it was Christmas Today

ed note: This article was originally published on December 5th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 5: "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" by Julian Casablancas

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four

The conventional wisdom tells us that the winter holiday shopping season peaks on Black Friday. Once the day after Thanksgiving doorbusters are exhausted, the general public falls into a slower holiday shopping pattern. I disagree with this theory. Black Friday does have a large mob of people looking to score off brand electronics for ultra low prices, but the majority of sane people save their holiday shopping for after the mayhem. The first weekend of December is when the holiday shopping season really kicks into high gear. This is when the Christmas spirit starts its full invasion into our culture.

"I Wish it Was Christmas Today" started out as a simple SNL sketch featuring Horatio Sanz seemingly playing a novelty guitar and singing, Chris Kattan head turning and holding a very large keyboard, Jimmy Fallon providing backing vocals and very rarely playing the keyboard, and lastly Tracy Morgan awesomely dancing in place. Every few years the quartet would add a few lyrics, but the singing and dancing remained the same. Tracy Morgan is great in nearly everything he does, but I do think this is the funniest skit that Sanz, Fallon, and Kattan have ever done. Every year I would look forward to hearing "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" on SNL. The simple tune immediately put me into the holiday spirit.

In 2009 The Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas released a cover of "I Wish it Was Christmas Today". The simplicity of the SNL version was replaced by a hyper kinetic ultra joyful new song to celebrate the holiday season. Casablancas version of the song starts at the top and never relents. For just under 4 minutes, the holiday season gets the positive excitement it so truly deserves.

Both the SNL and Casablancas versions of "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" celebrate the happiness of Christmastime. There are endless stories on the news of people complaining about the length and commercialism Christmas. Fox News invented the moronic War On Christmas to continue their agenda of splitting the country and feeding the idea of white christian victim-hood. "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" leaves all the negativity behind and says that Christmas kicks ass.

Today I will be out starting my holiday shopping. My house is decorated. my spirit is getting into high gear, and "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" will be on my playlist. The crowds at the stores, the idiots at Fox News, and all the naysayers will not dampen my holiday spirit. I love the awesomeness of the holiday season.  I do't care what anybody says, I wish it was Christmas today.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. He is hungry right now and really wishes it was Thanksgiving today. Tell us about your favorite time of year by writing for SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 1 - Linus and Lucy

ed note: This article was originally published on December 1st, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 1: Linus and Lucy By The Vince Guaraldi Trio 

Every year my wife and I throw a big winter holiday party. One of my duties is to create the background music. In the first few years we held the party I purchased a few sets of generic Christmas music cd sets. Many of the pieces were from the public domain, and almost all of the songs were jazz. I really dislike jazz. 

A few years back I decided to create a custom playlist from the holiday songs I loved. I wanted the music to reflect the whole season, and I wanted to use songs not widely available. The one song I salvaged from those awful jazz standards was "Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. This was the one and only jazz song I needed for my holiday spirit. This was the song that kicked off my carefully curated holiday playlist. "Linus and Lucy" is the best way to start the season.

"Linus and Lucy" is not exactly a Christmas song. It was originally released by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on the 1964 album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown. The upbeat guitar and drums represent the excitement of the holiday season. There is pure joy and excitement throughout "Linus and Lucy". Once December 1st hits, the holiday season starts moving at a hectic pace. Crowded roads, overpopulated shopping centers, and disorganized homes filled with unwrapped gifts. "Linus and Lucy" embrace this chaos, and makes it joyful. 

The Christmas popularity for "Linus and Lucy" started when A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted in December of 1965. The upbeat tune was used as the music for the greatest dancing scene in television history. Many people will automatically think of the Charlie Brown Christmas pageant dancing when they hear "Linus and Lucy". This scene was shot in 1965 and we have voguing, the zombie, the twin girls doing the same dance, and a variety of incredible dance moves. When I hear "Linus and Lucy" I immediately break out into Linus's thrust movement, even if I am out in public (that does get awkward at times).

Since the debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas "Linus and Lucy" has become the unofficial Peanuts anthem. Most of the Peanuts cartoon specials have used the song, including the 2015 film The Peanuts Movie. The song receives the large majority of its airplay during the holiday season. The popularity of A Charlie Brown Christmas has programmed our culture to associate "Linus and Lucy" with the holidays. The song kicks off It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, yet "Linus and Lucy" makes our mind think of the December holiday extravaganza.

"Linus and Lucy" is the perfect first door to open on our Awesome Holiday Music Advent Calendar. This is the tune that will get your holiday spirit ready. It is chaotic, joyful, and demands to be danced to. If you start your day with "Linus and Lucy" your holiday spirit will never dim.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. His wife has asked him to stop the Linus out in public, the Shermie is ok though. Tell us all about your favorite holiday tune - write for SeedSing.

Ty Listens to Beck's "Hyperspace"

Much to my surprise when RD and I recorded our last podcast, he pointed out that Beck had put out a new record. I didn't even know that he was in the studio, let alone putting out a full LP.

So, after he told me this, and I found some free time, I sat down and listened to the new record, "Hyperspace". And, I adore it. I like the sound and feel and music and pretty much everything involved with this new record. Beck has always been the type of musician that does something different on each new record, and that rings completely true with "Hyperspace". Beck's last record was a bit more rock heavy, with some hip hop lean. I really enjoyed that album, and I saw him tour on that record. So, I was curious as to what direction Beck would go in with "Hyperspace". Well, he does a synth heavy, almost new electronic, with vocals, style record. He sounds like so many bands that were one hit wonders in the 80's, think the song "Here in my Car", or anything from Blue Oyster Cult, and that is what "Hyperspace" sounds like, except it is Beck, so it is a thousand times better. Each song on the album is good, fun and sounds like Beck, but this time he uses a ton of synth. The single, "Saw Lightening", is the only song that deviates from the new age rock sound, but not that much. Beck plays slide guitar, and the song is a bit more rock forward, but that is the only real difference. Also, the song rules. But the rest of the record goes everywhere, and only a guy like Beck can pull this off. There are some slower songs, but they never drag because that is not what Beck does. His songs are never more than 4 minutes long, and that is how this album is. The faster songs are super fun on the new album too. They are groovy and synthy and dancy and they sound cool as hell. I never thought of myself as a fan of synth heavy dance rock, but after listening to this record, and then listening to some of the music I compared it to earlier, I think I do like this type of music. I love the song "Here in my Car". I legit enjoy Blue Oyster Cult. I like a good portion of the 80's rock. I enjoy a one hit wonder as much as the next guy. But, when you take someone as talented as Beck, and he decides to go this route, it makes me respect this style of music even more. He takes that popular sound and makes it better because he knows exactly what to do with it. He can transcend the one hit wonder sound. He can make this type of music palatable for everyone. He makes it fun. He makes it cool. He makes it enjoyable. I used to say that synth was a guilty pleasure for me, but after "Hyperspace", it is just a pleasure. I am a fan of this style of music from now on, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I like that Beck does stuff like this. I like that he wants to try every style of music, and he is usually very successful when trying it out. "Hyperspace" is no different. Of course I recommend the record, as I would with anything Beck releases.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Minor correction. The song “Here in My Car” by Gary Numan is just called “Cars”. A little knowledge for Ty.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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