RIP Biz Markie

Biz Markie passed away at 57 over the weekend.

When the news broke I was pretty bummed out. Being a hip hop fan, of course I know who Biz Markie was. He was known as the "Clown Prince of Rap". It was a fitting name. His music was good, but also very goofy. One of my first music video memories is the "Just a Friend" video. It was so perfect for the song and the person that Biz Markie was. When he wore that wild hair piece and "played" the piano, it still makes me laugh to this day. I am also a big fan of the stuff he did with the Beastie Boys. When he arrives on "Paul's Boutique" it is pure gold. He was so good at what he did in rap music. His niche was perfect for the time. He carved out a great role for himself and rode the wave. He was perfect.

I kind of forgot about Biz for a while in my early adult life. I still listened to hip hop but I was also in my jam band phase. Hip hop has never taken a back seat, but at this time there were only a select few hip hop artists I would listen to. And a lot of the early to mid 90's hip hop got pushed off to the side.

Then my son was born in 2012. Then we started to watch kids shows with him in the morning. Then we found "Yo Gabba Gabba". This is probably my favorite kids show of all time. It was so wild, but also very cool. They had great guests. They ran the gamut. I think it had something to do with DJ Lance because he was pretty deep in the club world and he knew famous people. The fact that he hosted a kids show was icing on the cake for these guests. Jack Black was on it a ton, I saw other people from TV shows I watched at the time, the musical guests were pretty dope and the people they had on for breakaway segments were the best. This was when Biz Markie re-entered my life. One of the segments on the show, probably my favorite, was "Biz's Beat of the Day". It was simple and pure but oh so fantastic. Biz Markie would come on, do a little segment where he explained beat making, do the beat and that was it. It was so incredible. We got to see a glimpse of his process. We got an idea of what it was like for him to make music. My son loved it. He would walk around the house doing Biz's beats all the time.

After seeing this I went back and dug back into his music catalog. It was awesome. It was like listening to hip hop for the first time again. I remembered why I was such a Biz Markie fan. I remembered what made him so likeable and so good at his craft. Seeing the beat of the day stuff, then going back to listen to him when he first made it big, it was a nice trip on one man's incredible career.

I knew that his diabetes was bad around two years ago when he had a stroke. I did not know it was this bad though. I guess he died from diabetes complications. That is a drag. Two of my favorite rappers have had debilitating problems with diabetes, Biz and Phife Dawg. It is such a bummer that a man as young as Biz Markie, again 57, is gone forever. He was a one of a kind artist that I will never forget, and I am glad that my now 9 year old son still remembers him from a show he watched when he was still a baby.

RIP Biz Markie. You will be very missed.

Ty

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

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Greatest American Music: The Scissor Sisters and "Take Your Momma"

At the beginning of the month my family was driving back from our road trip for the summer. It was long, but fun. The length gave us time to catch up on some old podcasts, my kids got to play games, we all played car games and my wife and I, when the kids were resting, listened to older pop music.

Now what I mean by older music I mean from our generation. We grew up on late 90's, but even more so, early to mid 2000's pop. Admittedly, my wife listened to way more than I did. I know all the music but I was, and probably still am if I think about it, a music snob. I always thought that that era of pop music was trash. I listened to jam bands and hip hop. I was a cool dude. Writing that makes me feel pretentious by the way. But when we were making our way through Memphis the song "Take Your Mama" by the Scissor Sisters came on our Spotify station.

My wife and I got very excited. Our eyes blew up. We blasted the song in the car. We both sang along. I sang the chorus because that is the only part I know, but my wife, she was doing the chorus and every verse. Usually I am the one in our relationship that knows all the words to songs, but not this one. My wife was on point. For the next four minutes it was like being blasted back to the early 2010's. That song is so much fun. It is easy and breezy. It is a blast to sing along to and dance along with. Everything about that song just works. We were both so happy to have this song back in our lives. It didn't go anywhere, but we had both forgotten about it until it popped up on the radio. Then we got to talking about the song. We said everything I just wrote. It is a really, really fun song.

We then started to wonder aloud whatever happened to the band. I remember buying their CD when it came out, but I do not know any other song they have ever done besides "Take Your Mama". My wife had the single, she is a big fan of top 40 stuff so it is fitting, but she had no idea when the band became big, why this song was so big or where they were now. I thought about doing research while we were driving but I am sure I was distracted by something on the road or my kids needed me to help with their devices. My research got postponed and then I totally forgot about it. Scissor Sisters and "Take Your Mama" were gone from my memory for the second time.

Last night while doing dishes I put on that same pop station and the song played again. Just like on the road my wife and I were singing and dancing. My kids got to hear it this time and they were grooving with us. My kids are super cool by the way. We all had a blast. Again, those four plus minutes were joyous. Then it was gone again. No more talk of Scissor Sisters. I kept thinking today while out running errands why this band never stuck. I think I finally came across a proper answer. This is my first time with a true one hit wonder type song. Growing up the pop music that was played was crummy, but those bands stuck around. And when I looked at some other one hit wonders, most of them were from the 80's or very early 90's. I was too young to get why 4 Non Blondes were a one hit wonder. Natalie Imbruglia had "Torn", but that was never on my radar. I could've used Gotye here, but his hit was only five years ago, and he had some underground success prior to "Somebody that You Used to Know". Scissor Sisters and "Take Your Mama" is like my generation's Flock of Seagulls or that song "Cars" or "Three Princes". And that is fine. But this band could have been so much more. Just listening to "Take Your Mama" I get B-52's vibes. They do have a very vague Talking Heads sound to me. They are a much better version of Polyphonic Spree. I think they are a better band than The Strokes or Vampire Weekend. They, for some reason, just did not have the staying power. That bums me out.

I will say that listening to this song again yesterday has me wanting to go back and check out their other music, but I am worried it won't be as good. But I am going to listen to some more Scissor Sisters. I will find out if they are as good as I hope they could have been. Time will tell, but we will always have "Take Your Mama". That will never be stricken from their catalog.

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 "Call Me if You Get Lost"

Tyler, the Creator came out with a new record today, "Call Me if You Get Lost". Let’s discuss.

I am a fan of Tyler. I first heard of him with his supergroup Odd Future, and have followed him ever since. I like all of his stuff. When he branched out on his own he did some grimy and gritty and great rap music. It could be tough to listen to at times, but it was dynamite. Then about three or four years ago he put out "IGOR". This is one of the best concept albums I have ever heard. He really went out on a limb, tried something different and it was a home run. I love that record. The last live show I saw was him doing his "IGOR" tour, and if that is the last live show I ever see, I feel very fine about that.

So when he announced new music, I did not really know what to expect. I thought he was going to continue with the "IGOR" sound one day, but the next day I would think he was going to go back to more straight forward rap. Then he released the song "LUMBERJACK" early, and that was like hearing old school Tyler, but also grown up. It is a straight up rap song, but Tyler has gotten even better at rapping. The way he flows, the intricate style he uses, the way he rhymes words, it shows growth as an artist. I really like "LUMBERJACK". I listened to it on repeat for about a week.

Then today he released the new record. There are sixteen songs on it, and most are less than three minutes long. But what he gets done in those three minutes is pretty amazing. The record is all pretty much straight up rap, but he accomplishes so much in that time. Take a song like "LEMONHEAD". It has a great beat, the verses are dope as hell and Tyler is in a groove throughout. It is bliss. There are some songs that deviate from the less than three minutes, but after a minute long buildup, it is two straight minutes of him rapping, and rapping perfectly. The album flows very nicely too. There seems to be a running theme, almost like he is telling a story with this album. It has the feel of "IGOR" in the way it moves from song to song. I really appreciate that. Some albums nowadays are front loaded with hits and the rest of the record is kind of blah. This album is one good song after the next, just like "IGOR". There isn't a skippable song on the record. Even when he has a little deviation, there is a song where he just lets his mom talk over a beat, it works. It feels like it belongs. There is one song that is almost ten minutes, but it is like three songs in one. The whole song doesn't feel long. It isn't like listening to a jam band go on an endless jam. This song has a structure and key changes and is amazing.

Tyler is at the top of his game right now. He is really good at what he does, and he knows it. I do recommend watching the little videos he has been posting on his Instagram for this album. They add a great layer to the album. Go listen to this record. It is good. It is better than most popular rap and pop music right now. Go give artists like Tyler, the Creator their flowers because they damn well deserve it. This record rules.

Ty

Ty Listens to Lorde's "Solar Power"

For the first time in, I think four years, Lorde released a new song. I saw her on her last tour and it was amazing. Her last album, "Melodrama", is phenomenal. She is a very unique and gifted singer and songwriter. She also takes a very long time in between albums. As I said, this is her first new song in four years, and it is just one song. I have to imagine an album is coming out, hopefully sometime soon. But this song, "Solar Power", is pretty damn great.

I saw on Spotify last week that the title section, "New Music" had her new song. I listened immediately. Then I listened again. Then again. I have been listening to the song non stop, which has led me to listening to all her older stuff more and more. But this new song is different but still great. Lorde keeps evolving as an artist the older she gets. Her music is becoming more adult because she is becoming an adult. Her first album is rad, but you can tell she is a teenager. The song "Royals", which I love, speaks volumes to how young she was when she wrote and recorded it. The whole "Melodrama" album shows someone entering adulthood. And now with "Solar Power", she is kind of melding the two, and the outcome is pure magic. The song has this neat little acoustic guitar riff for the first two minutes that is permanently stuck in my head. You add on her vocals throughout, where she is kind of softly singing, almost like a whisper, and man does it work. The song sounds moody but upbeat at the same time. She has one lyric that I think is perfection. At one point she calls herself a "prettier Jesus". That is it. She sings, "I'm like a prettier Jesus", and it is so awesome, so profound, so Lorde. The first time I heard her sing it in the song I was hooked. When we get to the two minute point in the song it gets louder and heavier. It builds to this great crescendo of drums, electric guitar and Lorde singing the chorus louder than the rest of the song. I love it so much.

I have been playing the new song in my car on repeat, but especially when my five year old is with me. I want her to hear kickass music coming from a woman. I want her to know that she can do this too if she wants, and if she puts in the time. We listen to other stuff like, Karen O, Sleater-Kinney, Lizzo and Erykah Badu, but my daughter, at least lately, has been picking Lorde, and more specifically, her new song. She loves it. She hums and sings along to it. We sing and dance together when we listen to it on our stereo at home. It is such a good song, and the fact that my daughter is so into it lets me know she has good taste and understands what good music is. She is a smart little whip.

"Solar Power" has me so excited for the new, I assume, album that Lorde has coming down the pipe. She is one of the best people making music right now, and I still feel like she gets overlooked because she isn't some pop darling. She writes profound, deep music. That is what should be celebrated about her. Lorde rules. I'm ready for the full album. In the meantime, I think I'll go play "Solar Power" again. I recommend you do too.

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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Kendrick Lamar is Awesome

This morning after I dropped my kids off at school I was able to put on my music. I don't care if my kids hear curse words as long as they do not use them in the wrong context. But sometimes it is more comforting for me to listen to my music when I am alone. And when I am alone I enjoy listening to hip hop. Again, my kids like it, but I have more fun listening alone. It is a much better time for me.

Today after heading back to my folks house I put on some Kendrick Lamar. I haven't listened to him in awhile and I was in the mood. I do not know why, or understand how it came upon, but when the wave hit, it was time to listen to Kendrick. I put on "DAMN" because that is my personal favorite, and from there I listened to a ton of his stuff. I went from the beginning to current times, hitting all the classics along the way. This blog post today is a simple ode, a discussion of how great Kendrick Lamar is as, not only a rapper, but a person too.

Kendrick is awesome. Let's just put that out there right away. He is one of, if not the greatest emcee of all time. I know, I am a humongous RTJ fan. They are my all time favorite group. I also love A Tribe Called Quest. I'm a NAS fan. I like Public Enemy and The Beastie Boys. And Pusha T is wonderful. But there is something about Kendrick. He is a cut above the best of the best in my opinion. The way he does his thing, how he writes, composes and performs his music is on a whole other level. There is a reason he won a Pulitizer. You don't just win those because you are famous or popular. You have to be an otherworldly genius to even be considered for a Pilitizer. And Kendrick has one. His lyrics are some of the best ever. He talks about important things. He raps about interesting and important things. He talks about his real life experiences and how he has come out of it on the other side. He is as real as they get in the music industry. He also isn't flashy or glamorous or anything like that. There is an interview my brother showed me between Kendrick and Rick Rubin. Those two men are worth more money than I will ever even see in my lifetime, but during this interview they both have jeans or shorts, t shirts, hoodies and a hat on. And it is one of the best things that I have ever seen on the internet. Neither of them needs to show out and show how rich they are. They just talked about music, and it was amazing. I appreciate that. There is no flash, no show needed, no over the top clothes. Just two people that are hyper intelligent sharing their thoughts on music. And that was the feeling I got today, especially when listening to "DAMN". That album is as about straight forward hip hop as you can get, and Kendrick absolutely nails it. He crushes every song. From top to bottom, it is perfect. And there are hits on the album. "DNA" and "HUMBLE" are big time hits. They were played on the radio a ton. But man the rest of that record is simply amazing. Listening to Kendrick's flow, how fast yet understandable he is, it is a work of art. I was amazed the first time I listened to the album and I was still amazed today. But that is how it is with every Kendrick album. They all rule. He is a master. And then you have his personal life, which is pretty buttoned up. That is a good thing. He doesn't need to air his business in public. He doesn't have any kind of weird stuff hanging over him. He is loved and respected by pretty much everyone. I have not met a single person that knows him who doesn't like him. He is world renowned. He is a rare star that is just a seemingly normal person who happens to have an amazing gift that he shares with the world. There are no beefs with other rappers. He gets along with people. Uber famous people adore him. But you'd never know the way he carries himself. That is why I adore him so much. Not only is he one of the greatest people to ever be involved in the music business, he is a great person as well.

I love Kendrick Lamar. I love his music, his lack of style, his public persona, the things he does for everyone, simply everything he does is just great. Kendrick Lamar is amazing and, even though he is a super duper star, he needs even more respect thrown his way. This man is a genius and we need to appreciate everything he does while he is still doing it. Kendrick Lamar is the man.

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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RIP DMX

DMX has passed away at 50.

This has been confirmed by multiple outlets this afternoon. I have been following his situation all week. I saw early on that he was rushed to the hospital, that he was in a coma, that he was in a vegetative state and that they were going to test his brain to see what could have gone wrong. I also later found out during the week that he was rushed to the hospital for a drug overdose. So when the news flashed today I was stunned, but not surprised. I was hoping he would pull through. I thought maybe it was one of the quick internet assumptions that another celebrity was sick and being rushed to the hospital. 2020, and so far 2021 have been pretty rough for people who have achieved some level of fame, but I was still hoping he'd pull through. He didn't, and now he is gone.

This is sad. People will have their opinions on DMX the person and the rapper. He spent a lot of time in jail. He bred dogs to have them fight. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He has a ton of kids, a lot of which he did not pay child support until he was forced to. He had many extramarital affairs. He made some bad choices, that is for sure. But he was also a good rapper. He was a famous rapper. He has one of the biggest hits to ever come out. "Ruff Ryder's Anthem" is a song I still sing walking around my house. "X Gon' Give it to Ya" was played in arenas when they had full crowds. "What's My Name" is still played on the radio today. He has one of the most unique voices in rap music. And, for all his faults, it has never been reported that he hit women and children. He was abused as a child, and I think he remembered that, so he did not, to the public's knowledge, lay hands on women or children. That is something he can take to his grave.

It just feels weird that he is just gone. This is kind of like Dustin Diamond passing. One day they are fine, the next they are rushed to the hospital and then they pass away. It is sad. DMX will leave behind his legacy of music, but he was also an ordained priest and tried to spread the gospel. I don't believe in that stuff, but DMX did, and he put his money where his mouth was. He preached when he was incarcerated. He preached when he got out. He preached when he stopped making music. He spread the word. He also was a solid actor. He did movies that fit his style of music, and he shined in some of his roles. He's solid opposite Jet Li in "Cradle 2 the Grave". "Belly" is a hip hop classic movie. He is funny in "How to be a Player". The stuff they used him for in Chris Rock's "Top Five" is awesome. "Romeo Must Die" has him paired up with Li again, and that is another solid karate movie. And you have all the documentaries that he was in, or was a subject of, that explain his style of rap and his life. I enjoyed some of the stuff he was in as an actor. He was able to carve out a spot for himself in both the music industry and in Hollywood. Late in his life he kind of disappeared from the spotlight until very recent, with the news of him being rushed to the hospital. Then we saw a plethora of musicians and actors, and family and friends all come out in support of DMX, and hoping he would come out on the other side of this. Unfortunately he did not. He has passed over to the next plane. He has moved on from Earth, and who knows where he is now.

This is a sad day for the rap community, and most importantly, the people who are in DMX's world. He had a tough life, that was always tough, even when he was uber famous. RIP DMX. You will be missed.

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 "Roseville"

I know that I said there wasn't a lot of music I knew about coming out this year, but for the second week in a row I am going to write about a new album that I have been enjoying quite a bit. This album lands in the whole, "I'm sure there is new music coming out this year that I will love, I just don't know about it yet" category.

The album is called "Roseville", and it is a new solo album from one of my favorites, Har Mar Superstar. I am a big fan, and I also always find myself not knowing he has a new record until a day or two before it comes out. That is the same with this album. I loved the Heartbones stuff he was doing, but I had no idea he was working on a new solo album. Then I saw stuff pop up on social media that he was working on it and finishing it up and that it would be out soon. It came out last Friday and I have been listening to it a ton. It has pretty much replaced all the other stuff I have been listening to. It has definitely taken over Weezer's spot as my most played music on Spotify. This album is absolutely wonderful. With each new record, I feel Har Mar just keeps getting better and better. He is also making really cool throwback R&B/soul music. This new album sounds like part of it could have been made for Stax. It is so soulful and so full of sound and Har Mar's voice is purely wonderful on it all. From start to finish this is an album where no song should be skipped.

The record starts with that 70's type R&B/ soul music. The first four or five songs are classic throwback songs. The accompanying music is perfect for the sound he is going for. The addition of horns was a great choice. It makes the music sound fuller. It is perfect. When you get to the later half of the record it is a blend of 70's soul with his alternative pop sound. Personally I adore the songs "Neon Aglow" and "Hearts Have Misspoken". They both have that full sound, but the groove and the lyrics are like early Har Mar. These songs could have easily been on his early stuff, but they almost feel saved for this newer sound he aimed for, and nailed, on this new record. I will find myself dancing and singing along to both of these songs already. That is quick for me too. My son likes to listen to this record with me too. The funny thing with that is, he is 9 years old, only seems to like the music played on Fortnite, but he is so amped whenever I play "Roseville" now. I love it. He also thinks it's awesome that you can hear a dog bark at the end of one of the songs. He told me that he likes the music, but his favorite part is when the dog barks. That rules. My daughter likes pretty much anything I play in the car, but I have seen her get a little more dancy when I play this new record. I love it when musicians I like do stuff that I can enjoy with my kids too. "Roseville" definitely fits in that category. Har Mar is at a point for me that when he puts something out, I know it is going to be good. He is such a good songwriter and singer, and he seems to surround himself with really good musicians.

This record is great, and so is everything else he does. Of course I recommend this album. It is quick, sweet, well made, well produced and fun as hell. I appreciate new music too, especially during the pandemic. This record has put a smile on my face, and it feels much needed right now. Thank you Har Mar for the new music. It is awesome.

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 "OK Human"

On a podcast earlier this year RD and I talked about what we were looking forward to in 2021 as far as pop culture and sports. One area that I had a bit of a harder time finding stuff was music. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new stuff that I listen to that is coming out this year. Or, if some bands or musicians I like have decided to make some music for 2021, they haven't announced it yet. It will be a nice surprise.

One band I do like, I have liked them since I was in middle school, and I mentioned on that very podcast was Weezer, and they had announced a new record for this year. I think I got my signals crossed because, for some reason, I thought they were doing a Van Halen covers album. They had such success with the "Teal" album, which was all covers, so this seemed cool, even though I am not a Van Halen fan. It also seemed timely since, unfortunately, Eddie Van Halen passed pretty recently.

Well, Weezer did put out a new record, and it was not a Van Halen covers album. About a week or so ago, Weezer put out the record "Ok Human". I did not know anything about the album and I did not recognize any of the songs. But when I turned on Spotify on my way to take my kids to school, they sent me a notification that Weezer had a new album. So I listened right away with my kids in the car. And, like they always seem to do, Weezer made a really solid, very decent album. The record is short and sweet, clocking in at just over thirty minutes with twelve brand new songs. I like every song on the album. There have been some records of theirs recently where I feel it is fine to skip a track here and there. With the covers record, I only listen to the songs I liked. On some of the albums prior to that, I would only listen to the "hit" songs. Weezer, for me, really peaked with "The Blue Album", and got some underground notoriety with "Pinkerton". I still listen to those albums endlessly. I love them. I saw them tour with "The Green Album", but even that did not hit like "Pinkerton" or "The Blue Album". But "Ok Human" has something special that keeps me coming back for more.

The album flows very nicely. They have very short songs, almost like segues into the next three minute song, that blend perfectly. They slow some songs down, and others sound like they were recorded during the band's heyday. The opener, "All My Favorite Songs" reminds me of a grown up "My Name is Jonas" or "Surf Wax America", two of my personal favorites. "Bird with a Broken Wing" sounds like it could easily have been lifted from "Pinkerton". And I think that is why I keep coming back to this album. It is nostalgia food for me. The band still sounds great, like they did when I first heard them in seventh grade. But, just like myself, they have grown up. They are all adults now who have lived life. This record feels like they are having a good time making pop rock music, and I am totally here for that. With a band like Weezer, I do not listen to them to have my mind blown, and that is not a critique. I listen to Weezer because they are fun, my kids can listen with me, we can dance together, it is one of the very few bands my wife and I both like. They are just a fun band that makes fun music, and that is what "Ok Human" is all about. I

really dig this record the more I hear it too. I was listening to it earlier this morning and I said out loud to no one, "man, Weezer is a really great band". So while it wasn't what I expected when they announced a new record, I love it all the same. I recommend this album, obviously. It is another in a long line of very good Weezer records.

Ty

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

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A Thank You Note to Daft Punk

Every morning after I take my kids to school, I sit down, have some coffee, eat some breakfast and read the news from the night before. To be clear, since the inauguration, by "news", I mean sports, pop culture, entertainment and music news. This is the stuff I am keeping an eye on for the most part. I do still read up on the vaccines, and when they may become available in Saint Louis by where I live. But outside that, it is all pop culture and sports.

This morning I read some pop culture news, specifically music news, that made me upset. But, after sitting on it all day, it actually makes sense, although I will miss any new music they could have, and possibly might still make. The news you ask? Daft Punk is splitting after 28 years together.

A few things to unpack here. I did not realize they have been together that long. I am, admittedly, a late comer fan of their music. But to think that they have been at this since I was my son's age is wild to me. They are also extremely prolific. They have recorded tons of songs, both for themselves and others. They may have only put out, officially, five total albums, but they are all classics. They toured sporadically, but their live shows were things of legend. The stories being told about them are tall tales that get bigger, and more crazy every single year. I remember seeing a DVD of a show they did at, I believe it was Coachella, in the early 2000's, that absolutely blew my mind. That was on DVD, imagine the people who saw it live. They have influenced countless musicians. Almost too many to name. They were one of the first bands to really take the whole imagery, literally and figuratively, and make it mainstream. No one was wearing helmets and dressing super nice until Daft Punk did it. Their imprint on electronic music may be second only to their idol, Giorgio Moroder. Hell, they may have even passed him. But for me, what was most important, they showed that electronic music wasn't just raves and pacifiers with drugs laced into them and glow sticks.

Electronic music became good, at least to me, when I first heard Daft Punk. My intro was the soundtrack to "Tron: Legacy". I did not like the movie at all, but the music was so awesome. I went out and bought the soundtrack immediately after watching the movie. I devoured it. Then I saw a documentary about them. Sure they are pretentious and kind of arrogant. But to see them make the music, it was amazing. They worked hard at their craft and were perfectionists as a duo. Then, like millions of other people, I went out and bought "Random Access Memories". That album is a triumph. It is a classic for a reason. Every song is great, and everything about every song is perfect. It is not only one of the best electronic albums of all time, quite possibly the best, but one of the greatest overall albums of all time, no matter the genre. They followed that up with one of the best Grammy performances I have ever seen. That was to be their last record, and why not go out on top. I know it came out eight years ago, but it is still played in heavy rotation everywhere. I hear "Get Lucky" about five to ten times a month to this day.

Let’s get back to the sadness, then realizing that it was the right move. I was bummed when I read the news. I figured they were working on something else. That they were going to make a really good record. They were just being overly critical because "Random Access Memories" is so beloved and great. But, pulling back on it, and really thinking about it, they do not have to do anything else. They already achieved greatness. They have already cemented themselves as an all time great duo. They will be Rock and Rock Hall of Fame members. They will influence even more people. Their music will live on forever. What else do they really owe their fans? Honestly? In this day and age, where everyone's a critic, you know some asshole would have panned a new record just to be a jerk. Daft Punk is above criticism at this point, as far as their music goes. So I get it. Walk away on top. Go out knowing you were one of the best ever. Don't make anymore. Leave behind that wanting. And the video announcement they made, it was pure Daft Punk, and simply perfect in every way.

So instead of being grumpy about it, I just want to thank Daft Punk for the music they gave all of us. They rule, and they are one of the best bands ever. Enough said.

Ty

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

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Ty Revisits the Iconic Music of Jimmy Cliff

As I stated last week, I have been in a reggae music listening mood. I have had it on pretty consistently for the past couple weeks. It was mostly Marley, with some other off shoots here and there. It’s been great.

The most played artist on my mixes, after Marley, was Jimmy Cliff. Now I know for some, myself included, the first song I ever heard from Jimmy Cliff was "I Can See Clearly Now". I loved the movie "Cool Runnings" as a child, and this song was prominently featured in the trailer and on the soundtrack. As I got a little older, and branched out to Marley and Lee Perry and Desond Dekker and The Melodians, Cliff was kind of Velveeta to me. He was cheesy and corny. He wasn't like these other guys. These bands had stuff to say, they had a message. It also helped that they were incredible musicians and performers. I kind of put Jimmy Cliff in the same category as I did with Phish when I listened to jam music. I just never gave him a fair shake.

Well, a few years into my 20's, my oldest brother heard me giving Jimmy Cliff a hard time. He was the one who really introduced me to a lot of the reggae I was listening to then, and still listen to now. He told me that I was wrong. He said there was only one thing I needed to see, and then hear, and my opinion would immediately shift. One evening when I was visiting him in Columbia, he showed me the movie "The Harder They Come", and then had me listen to the soundtrack right afterward. He was one hundred percent correct. Any kind of irrational thoughts and feelings I had about Cliff instantly disappeared. He became this whole new person to me. He wasn't the cheesy "I Can See Clearly Now" Cliff anymore. He was different. "The Harder They Come" is one of the better movies I have ever seen, and Cliff is electric in it. He is menacing and charming at the same time. He does some great work. I bought every single ounce of his character. I rooted for him even though he did some shady stuff. But the soundtrack, and especially his songs, moved me. "You Can Get It If You Really Want" is quintessential reggae music. It is also a great way to kick off the record. The title track is hard and, for a reggae song, kind of like rock and roll. It is just so good and so awesome. "Sitting In Limbo" is devastating and rough and perfectly tells a story of a person who truly does not know what their next move should, or will, be. But "Many Rivers to Cross" is one of the most heart breaking, yet beautiful songs ever written. This song still moves me to this day., It has some kind of excellent power grip on me. I can never skip it. I have to always sing along to it. It is the song that I want played at my funeral. It is so goddamn perfect.

So, obviously, this all changed my perception of Cliff. I gave him another shot. I slowly started to discover his older music, and realized he was not only prolific, but a great, great writer who wrote very important songs. He is on that Lee Perry and Desmond Dekker level. To me, he is second only to Bob Marely. I love Peter Tosh, but I think Cliff is a better overall musician, and made more music, only because he wasn't killed. But Cliff has been doing this since 1967. He put out his first record then, at the age of 19. He actually put out six records prior to "The Harder They Come" is the classic, and probably has his best songs on it. He also starred in the movie. Since 1972, Cliff has put out a record almost every year all the way up to 2012. He also has a myriad of live albums that further show his greatness. I mean, this guy has been at it for a very long time, and most of his stuff is great. Hell, as an adult, I adore "I Can See Clearly Now". It is a lovely, and vibrant song. I couldn't have been more wrong on my initial impression of him. But this is why it is good to have people in your life who are willing to call you out, and then show proof of how awesome someone may be that you have discounted.

I am forever grateful to my brother, and love that I was proven wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go listen to some Jimmy Cliff. 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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Ty Revisits "Talkin Blues"

Recently I have been back on a reggae music kick. I have been listening to older Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals and, of course, Bob Marley. There is also some solo Peter Tosh thrown in there, but it is mostly Marley and Cliff. The other day I was looking for some older Marley stuff to listen to, his more ska/early reggae music stuff, but I came across the record "Talkin Blues". I remember liking this album when I first heard it some 15 or so years ago. But at that time, all of The Wailers stuff was great. I decided I was going to check out "Talkin Blues" again to see if it holds up.

Well, not only does it hold up, this is officially my favorite Wailers album. It has that VH1 Storytellers or Unplugged or NPR's small desk concerts vibe to it. Almost every song is interspersed with Bob Marley talking about the band, the songs or just life in general. It is neat to hear what he has to say about these topics. I also like hearing his talking voice. He is very Jamaican, and I love that accent. When you get to the songs, it is almost like a greatest hits record, and every song is recorded live. When doing some research on everyone's favorite website, Wikipedia, I found out the album wasn't released until 1991, but it was recorded between 1973-75. I wonder why there was such a delay, but it was worth it to get this wonderful, timeless album.

The tracks on the album include, "Talkin Blues", "Burnin and Lootin", "Kinky Reggae", "Get Up, Stand Up", "Slave Driver", "Walk the Proud Land", "Lively Up Yourself", "You Can't Blame the Youth", "Stop that Train", "Rastaman Chant", "Am-A-Do", "Bend Down Low" and "I Shot the Sheriff". That is a murderer's row of the band's songs. And to get to hear them all live, recorded live in a studio, it just adds to the allure of this album. It also starts off with a bang with "Talkin Blues". When you can kick off a record with a funky reggae song, it will hook the listener right away. Hearing "Talkin Blues" right at the top took me back to when I first heard this album and when I fell in love with it. Bob Marley's voice is so unique and vibrant and wonderful and perfect. No one can replicate him, and that is why he is one of the greatest musicians and writers of all time, and far and away the greatest reggae artist of all time. Then they come right at you with a classic. "Burnin and Lootin" is as relevant now and it is just as awesome. "Kinky Reggae" is one of my all time favorite songs, and to hear it live, in a studio setting, adds just a little extra pizzazz to it that I love. When Peter Tosh gets to take over the vocals, we get two of the best songs ever written and performed. His version of "Stop that Train" is soulful reggae at its best. It is so good. He tops that with his performance on "You Can't Blame the Youth". That song literally changed my life and how I viewed historical figures. I read up on the people he talked about in the song and realized how horrible they were. I also appreciate the message of the song. We truly cannot blame the youth if we do not give them honest answers and raise them to respect people. The lyric, "when every Christmas comes you give the youth a fancy toy gun/so you can't blame the youth when they turn bad", speaks volumes to me. I will not buy, and I ask family members as well, to not give my kids toy guns because I am so anti gun. I will even cite this lyric when telling them why I do not want them to buy my kids toy guns. Then they close it out with three stone cold classics. We get "Rastaman Chant", which is a truly perfect reggae song, "Am-A-Do", which may not be as well known, but it is so danceable and "Bend Down Low", which is some baby making reggae music.

This album is so perfect. I am so glad I revisited it. I am so happy that I can go to it anytime I want to hear some classic reggae music by the greatest reggae band of all time. I know that Bob Marley is loved by a ton of people, but it still isn't enough in my opinion. He should be listed on every list as one of the greatest musicians ever. And "Talkin Blues" definitely belongs in the greatest albums talk from now on. It is a classic.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The Greatest American Music: Talking Heads "(Nothing But) Flowers"

As you all know, last year I became enamored with Talking Heads. That has obviously shifted into the new year, and I am still playing plenty of their music at home, in the car and when I go running. By now I have heard every album at least twice. Some I listen to more, others less. The one I listen to the least is "Naked". It, for me, is a very discombobulated album. It is kind of all over the place. One minute it sounds like their classic stuff, then the next song is totally different, and seems like it shouldn't be on the record. It is a strange record

One song, the most famous one on the album by a mile, "(Nothing But) Flowers", that is an amazing song. It is pure Talking Heads, it has great vocals from Byrne, and the band is top notch. I wish the whole album was like this. What I love most about the song is the lyrics. In my many listens recently I have been paying more and more attention to the lyrics, and "(Nothing But) Flowers" has some of the best they've ever written. I also love the message of the song, and it kind of sounds like a place I would like to visit, if only it were real.

The song starts off very simple, ostensibly telling us about Adam and Eve, and how Byrne and the person he is talking about are them in this vision they wrote about. But it shifts pretty quick from so long ago to talking about how cars have no more gasoline. It puts the listener right back into the current world, or the world of the 80's when this song was written. The very next, very short verse is one of my all time favorites. After the Adam and Eve story, and cars being gone, Byrne sings, "there was a factory/now there are mountains and rivers/you got it you got it". I LOVE this ideal. There are far, far too many factories, especially now. Factories seem to go up yearly in the US, and they replace land that was covered with mountains, rivers, trees, grass, wildlife, all of these things and so much more. I kind of wish that there weren't so many factories. I want more mountains and rivers. The next part of the chorus is about them catching a rattlesnake and saying they have something for dinner. Again, the band is going back to ruffage and survival mode. I, again, like this idea. I am not big on hunting, I think it is quite barbaric in fact. But if you have to do it for sustenance, then it makes sense to me. That is what I envision this couple using hunting for. They may not want to, but to survive, they have to. Then we get the best part of the song to me, "there was a shopping mall/now it's all covered with flowers/you got it, you got it". I am seeing shopping malls go down left and right, and if they were covered in flowers, that would be beautiful. Unfortunately we do not get to see what it could grow into because when a mall goes down, they usually build some kind of factory in its place. I prefer the nature idea. Then the song takes a turn in the final part of the chorus. After saying all these things I think are wonderful and cool and would like to see, Byrne sings "if this is paradise/I wish I had a lawnmower/you got it, you got it". I mean, I get that grass needs to be mowed, but I feel like Talking Heads have made up this utopian type of forest life, then bam, they want it gone. I disagree with this, but it is another reason I like this song. The Talking Heads never ceases to amaze me with their writing, and this is a perfect example. They give us this wonderful, idealistic world, at least to me, and then smash it, saying they want it gone.

From here on out the song just gets better and better. In verse two Byrne talks about being an angry young man and pretending he was a billboard on the side of the road. He then tells us he fell in love with a road that used to be real estate which has now shifted to fields and trees. Again, my ideal version of a town. He goes on to say that the town used to be highways and cars, but it is now "sacrificed" for agriculture. He finishes up the second verse with, "I thought we'd start over/but I guess we were wrong". I love this. It is just like the chorus. I get this beautiful picture in my head of a former bustling city being turned into a tree and leaf covered forest. But then Bryne says he just figured they'd make more of the same, but he realizes he was wrong, but he still doesn't want the forest stuff that I do. The second chorus is to the same tune of the first, but it has different mentions. The Pizza Hut's have now all been covered with daisies and the honky tonks, Dairy Queens and 7-Eleven's are now all gone. I think that rules. We don't need all that convenience so easily available. I would like to see less stores and restaurants and more forest and greenery and wildlife. But Byrne almost opines for these things that are now gone. I don't. I think this world they have built up so far sounds awesome. It sounds like a place I want to see.

The band ends the song dreaming of cherry pies, chocolate chip cookies and candy bars. They used to microwave, but now they just eat nuts and berries. The discount store has turned into a cornfield. Again, I would miss these same things for a minute, but I feel like the alternate version they are posing, I could get used to rather quickly, especially the nuts and berries. I would love to do that. The final lyrics are the ultimate turn on this world they created that I love. Byrne sings, to end the song, "don't leave me stranded here/I can't get used to this lifestyle". I, again, disagree. Humans are so adaptable, and I love the world they created. I love the idea of a forest covered landscape, scourging for food, living like people used to in the old days. That sounds idyllic to me.

"(Nothing But) Flowers" is a classic Talking Heads song for a myriad of reasons. Number one for me, the place they have created, the one that Byrne doesn't want to be stranded in, sounds like Utopia to me. That is why I love this song so much. It talks about replacing all the stuff we don't need with stuff that would be so much better, and then the band gets all upset realizing they might have to live in a world like this. I would be stoked, and when I listen, I yearn for a world like the one they made up. It would be rad.

Ty

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

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RIP MF DOOM

A seemingly brutal 2020 got a little worse on New Years Eve.

I was preparing some food for our at home New Years celebration, because we are all in quarantine, as you should be, when I heard news that MF DOOM had passed away. Well, I should say that I didn't hear. I was looking at Instagram and noticed a ton of people posting pictures of him with no caption. The people posting were rappers, actors and friends of mine. I immediately thought two things, either he had new music coming out, or that he was dead. Unfortunately the second part was true.

I was floored. I googled his name right away to confirm the news. It was everywhere. Every music publication and major news network had confirmed that DOOM had died. I then saw his family post on Instagram that the news was true, and that he had actually passed away in October. He died on Halloween in fact. Again, I was stunned. I had heard nothing about him being sick, getting sick or anything. He hadn't put out new music in awhile, but he takes a ton of time in between records, so honestly, I hadn't thought about him for almost six months. But this news soured my mood. I texted a good amount of people I knew that listen to him, and they were just as stunned as I was.

This sucks. This was one final kick to the crotch from 2020. Lots of people die every year, but 2020 took it to a whole other level, and took some musical geniuses along the way. I mean, I don't know many casual fans that know DOOM, but people that do, they know hip hop. DOOM had been making some great music in the early 2000's. He would put out many different albums, all of which were unique and different and simple and cool in only a way DOOM could do. He also was making beats for many rappers and helping them achieve notoriety. DOOM not only did his own thing, but helped others along the way. But what I adored about him, his music, was how different and how cool it was. DOOM had a very excellent way of rhyming and writing and delivering his lyrics. His beats were straight ahead, yet different from everyone else out there. The lyrics were my favorite though. Instead of glamorizing things, he called out rappers for this. He made fun of how famous rappers talk about women and money and material things. He went the total opposite direction of all the other rappers out there.

The album of his I love the most is the one he did with Danger Mouse called "DangerDoom". This album is one of the best rap records period, and it is made so much cooler because they added Adult Swim people on the album. The characters from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" were on this album. Space Ghost makes an appearance. All the shows that I watch, they were on this record. It was cool to have Danger Mouse produce it, DOOM rap on it and have Adult Swim characters appear. After hearing news of his death, this was the first record I put on to honor his memory.

Just when 2020 was about to be over, we got this news, and it was a real bummer. At least his family got some time to grieve without having the media all over it. They had some time to mourn their loss. Now the rest of us are mourning this loss. DOOM was, and always will be, one of the greatest rappers that ever lived. He was too young. He was only 49. This stinks, and it was one final blow to a brutal year. RIP DOOM. You will be missed.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Best of 2020: Top Five Albums

This week kicks off my best of 2020. Again, I am not going cliché and claiming nothing good came out of 2020. A lot of good stuff has come out as far as entertainment, but I will say, this may have been the hardest for me because I didn't search out a lot of new stuff. I revisited, and was shown things that came out years ago that I now love.

For example, today I am going to do my top five albums of the year. If I just did what I listened to, this list would be pretty much all Talking Heads. I have fallen deeply, deeply in love with that band. I have also gone back and listened to more Bowie, I have revisited Bob Marley a lot more recently, The Beatles and Rolling Stones have been in heavy rotation as well. I could have done that, but I didn't. I was able to find five records that came out this year that I enjoyed for various reasons. So, while I may want to put "Stop Making Sense" as my personal top album of 2020, that isn't going to happen.

Coming in at number five I have Childish Gambino's new record, "3.15.20". Now, this record is not anywhere near as good as "Awaken. My Love". But not many records are. And when he dropped "This is America", he went to a whole other level. I have said it a lot, and I'll say it again, Donald Glover is immune to criticism. When he does something, it works, and "3.15.20" falls in line. This album is so good because it was unexpected. The rumors were that he was done with music after "Awaken, My Love". And even with "This is America", that could have just been a one off because of how amazing it was. But "3.15.20" came out when a lot of people were looking for something new and different. Here in Saint Louis we locked down on March 16th, and this album came out about a week later. And it is good. It reminds me of "Because the Internet". It is different and has some cool beats and lyrics and Glover does some interesting things on the record. It felt like an experience for him. It is a project, but a good project. It was needed and it helped me, and I assume many others, get through the early part of quarantine. I listened a ton to it when riding my bike early on, and revisited it the other day, and it holds up. It didn't get the press it deserved, but it is definitely worth a listen.

Number four I have Man Man's "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between". This record feels like it was made for dancing. I have to credit Har Mar, Sean Tillman, for bringing this album to my attention after seeing him tweet about it. I have always liked Man Man, but this album made me fall in love. It is fun, my kids love it, we have dance parties and it is great for a drive, which we do a lot now. The songs all flow really well, the band sounds amazing and this record has been on repeat for a good long time since I first listened in the late summer. I adore this album.

At number three I have Bright Eyes new album, "Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was". I did not know that Bright Eyes had been working on a new album until my buddy told me about it. When we were able to run together, wearing masks of course, he let me know all about it, he is a fan, and I was getting stoked. Then I kind of forgot about it until he texted me the day it came out. I listened immediately and loved it right away. It took me back 15 years ago when I first listened to Bright Eyes, but both myself and the band have grown up. The album is a bit more upbeat. It is still filled with sad lyrics, deals with heartbreak and addiction like their other stuff, but with an eye of optimism. Conor Oberst has grown up, been through some shit, dealt with it and has come to a place where he has accepted it all. That comes through full force on the album. The songs are good, the band is good and it is nice to have this band that I listened to at my personal lowest sound grown up and upbeat, just like I have since I got married and had kids. This record is a breath of fresh air.

At number two I have Heart Bones record "Hot Dish". Heart Bones is a two piece pop band made up of Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis. But, they are so much more than straight up pop music. They both sound excellent on the record. They sing great songs about interesting topics. They just both happen to have voices that sound poppy. But they are not your typical pop band. When my wife listens with me she deems them to be more alternative rock, and I can definitely hear that in them. I was supposed to see them on tour, but COVID happened. That was a bummer, but at least we all got this record. This is a good dancing record, a la the Man Man album, only better. I really dig this record, I listen to it a lot, and their version of "Hungry Eyes" is one of the raddest things I have ever heard.

Finally, at number one, I think it comes as no surprise that "RTJ4", by Run the Jewels, is the record of the year. This album is the best for so many different reasons. They released it early and for free. It is the soundtrack to the younger generation, and the people sick and tired of being pushed around. It is the soundtrack to the revolution I feel like is brewing. The songs are some of the hardest, yet moving tracks I have ever heard. Killer Mike and El-P are at the absolute top of their game, and the whole music game for that matter. This record is on constant repeat. I listen to it when I run almost all the time. I have let my kids listen because I feel they need to hear it. I have broken down lyrics from songs for my dad to think about because this record is this important. I have sung the praises on the podcast and the website. This album is a no brainer for album of the year. They capped it off by doing the "Holy Calamavote" concert on Adult Swim. That was one of the coolest, and much needed, things I have watched and listened to all year. Run the Jewels is the best. They have gotten better with each album and "RTJ4" is an absolute, 500 foot homerun. This album rules and it is, far and away, the best album of the year.

Okay, those are my personal top five albums of 2020. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies.

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 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.