R.I.P. Sly Stone

After what appeared to be a long battle with COPD, Sly Stone passed away yesterday.

This is not a shock, but a bummer to me. I recently wrote about the fantastic documentary "Sly Lives", and it seemed like his music was getting a big bump on streaming after the release. But, I do want to point out that in the coda of that movie, they got some recent interviews with Stone and he looked not so great. But, whenever a legend like this leaves this plane, it bums me out.

Sly Stone's music has been a big part of my life. Ever since I started to kind of form my own musical tastes, Sly and the Family Stone was a big jumping off point for me. I was instantly into the music. It was groovy and funky, then it could switch to dancy and then close out with some very introspective and important lyrical stuff. Sly and the Family Stone never really allowed themselves to ever be put into one genre of music, and this made their reach go to many, many different people. For me, a white kid from the suburbs, I instantly connected with the more funky stuff.

When I first learned of the band I was pretty heavily into Parliament Funkadelic and solo George Clinto stuff. A friend of mine mentioned Sly and the Family Stone, and I remembered my dad used to listen to them. I was familiar with the name, but not the music. Again, from the jump the music was perfect for me. I decided to listen at the perfect time in my life, and they have stuck with me all the way through to now. In fact, when I said something to my wife about Stone's passing, my son, who's 13, said that he knew who he was too. I asked him how, and he said that he has heard me listen to his stuff over and over in my car. I guess I'm doing what my dad did for me without even realizing it. And I'm very much okay with this. I like that my son knows of his music because he is a hip hop fan, and a bunch of hip hop artists either sight Sly Stone or have sampled a bunch of his stuff in their music. It is great for the both of us because we can relate to each other while listening to the music we like.

Outside of his band, and his many issues with drugs and alcohol, Stone was a wonderful radio DJ and producer. He was one of the best songwriters in the world in his heyday. Even after the band broke up, and he struggled with his solo stuff, I still find things I like about that era. Sly Stone could have, and would have made it in any era. With his talent and work ethic, he was destined to do something memorable and boy was his career and music memorable. I also appreciate that he was able to reunite with his family and kids later in his life. I have to imagine that helped him last longer than maybe he would have if he didn't reconcile with everyone.

This one stings. While it isn't on the level with Prince passing and RD's fandom, Sly Stone was my version of Prince. I listened to him before diving into Prince's catalog. Rest in Peace Sly Stone. I hope that wherever you are right now you are laying down some funky riffs and writing some extraterrestrial lyrics. 

Ty

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

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Olivia Rodrigo and David Byrne Team Up to Bring Some Light Into the World

With all the craziness that is happening in our world, and it seems to get worse every single day, I have been trying to find stuff, when I go online, that makes me smile. Last night, after reading about the terror happening in LA, I found myself watching concert videos on Instagram. Music makes me happy, especially live music. Throughout my thirty or so minutes of viewing, I happened upon the Governors Ball shows going on right now.

This is a big time festival type thing, with all of the most popular artists in music, past to present. I watched a good chunk of Tyler, the Creator's performance and loved it. And then I happened to stumble upon Olivia Rodrigo. I am a fan of hers. It is a joke in our house that I tell my wife I'm on Team Olivia because she enjoys Sabrina Carpenter more. She likes both artists, she just tends to listen to Carpenter more. I do genuinely prefer Rodrigo. I like her writing more and her music is a bit heavier and more guitar driven, which hits my ears best.

While watching her perform, and she was doing a great show it seemed, I happened to notice her band playing a tune very familiar to me. It sounded like "Burning Down the House". A few more seconds in, that was the song she was about to perform for sure. Then this older gentleman walked on stage with red overalls on. I thought that person looked a whole lot like David Bryne. I let my mind wander even more, thinking that it would be rad if she invited him to do this classic song with her and her band.  Sure enough, it was David Bryne and he was about to sing and dance on the same stage as Olivia Rodrigo. And it was awesome.

I must have rewatched that performance three or four times last night. It was so good. I loved hearing these two sing, with wildly different voices, singing one of the better songs that have ever been released. And, to give Bryne credit, he kind of held his own dancing alongside Rodrigo. It made my heart sing watching these two titans of their industry having a good time sharing the stage and giving one hell of a live performance.

After I watched it for the last time last night, I went to bed. Then I found myself thinking about it this morning, finally deciding that I wanted to write about it. I've already told you all why I liked the performance, but there is another thing I want to point out. I absolutely adore it when young pop/rock stars pay homage to the greats that came before them. What Rodrigo did last night, or whenever this show was, introduced a whole new generation to Talking Heads. There had to be young kids who had zero idea who David Bryne is, and now they have searched his music and are probably listening to his stuff right now. I love it that Talking Heads and Bryne's solo stuff is going to see a big, big bump in streaming and record sales simply because Rodrigo is a, most likely, big fan and had an opportunity to perform with Bryne. I think it is so cool that there are some younger kids who are professional musicians that understand the importance of a person like David Bryne. She is given him another moment to shine and show younger generations that their folks listen to some cool music. My kids are not the biggest fans of Talking Heads, but I bet if an artist they like used one of their songs or performed live with them they'd be more willing to take a second look.

I didn't really need a reason to like Olivia Rodrigo any more than I currently do, and then she invited a living legend to perform live on stage with her. This is so cool and I wish more and more current music stars would do more of 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 Listens to Ben Kweller's "Cover the Mirrors"

Ben Kweller released his latest album last Friday. I have been a fan of his since back when RD and I lived in a townhouse together. This was the early 2000's. He showed up on MTV2 one day, when they showed videos, and it blew me away. He played this power pop mixed with rock and even some folk that sang to me from the first moment I heard his voice. His band is great too, but there's something about Kweller's music that I really, really enjoy.

I have been listening and following his music ever since, even getting to see him live a few times, and he puts on a great live show. But, during the pandemic, he stopped making music for a bit. I had no idea what was going on. He went totally silent on social media and, in around 2023, the music just stopped. When I went and researched it a little more, I read some tragic news about him and his family. Their child was killed in an automobile accident. I cannot even fathom how upsetting and brutal that is for the surviving parents. It all made sense why he had stopped doing pretty much anything. I wouldn't have been shocked if he stopped right then and there. But he didn't. His new record, "Cover the Mirrors" is as tragic as it is awesome.

The record, from my three full listens to this point, is about dealing with the grief and anxiety and depression and everything that comes with losing a very close loved one. The record is heartbreaking. With each song it just seems to get sadder and sadder. But, in only a way that Ben Kweller can do, he finds ways to make some of the songs sound chipper and poppy. For example, "Optymistic" has a hard rocking vibe to the music. It's only when you listen to the lyrics you realize how sad the song truly is. "Oh Dorian" is about as heartbreaking as it gets, that was his kids' name, but it has this old school country/bluegrass vibe. It sounds like something he could have recorded on his wildly underrated "Changing Horses" album. But damn if that song doesn't choke me up every single time I hear it. Even a song like "Depression", which should tell you what exactly the song is about, has this groovy vibe throughout the whole song. And then we have the songs that are straight up sad through and through. "Going Insane" is a piano ballad that lets you know the vibe right off the bat, as it leads off the record. "Dollar Store" is tragic when you find out what he is saying in the song.

Look, this record is good because Ben Kweller is one of the best songwriters in the game right now. He knows how to write, how to put it to music and how to make it all sound so good in the final cut. He has always been one of the best writers out there. He also has a voice that works so well with how he writes and plays. But this record is truly, truly tragic. It is rough when you really break it down and read what each song is about. But I don't know what else you'd expect when you know how horrific his family's situation is at the moment. To Kweller's credit, he has gone on tour and been very open about everything. If anything, this record just solidifies how great of a musician Kweller is through and through. Yes, the record is sad, but I highly recommend it to everyone. Ben Kweller is one of the best. 

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 Lola Young

Since my kids are on summer break now it is a little harder for me to listen to podcasts. I like to have the podcasts I listen to for myself. I usually listen while I am road running or driving in my car. But, with my kids in the car with me now, I just don't play them. They're exclusively being listened to on my runs now, and that's fine with me.

With the kids in the car, we are back to music, and that has its very own very special place in my heart. I love music. I always have and always will. Lately, Spotify is our streaming music platform of choice, I have been using the DJ function. I like this on Spotify because it takes me back to the days of listening to radio on a long car drive. The DJ also plays good stuff and gives me facts about my listening habits, which I find very interesting. Another feature on the DJ function that I enjoy, they will play stuff that it thinks I might like based on what I usually listen to. I'm sure other streaming platforms do the same, but I only know of Spotify because that's what I listen to. The hit rate with the DJ, for me, is probably about 70 percent. I usually like the stuff they recommend, but I also have kids who tend to skew some of my normal music. That's all well and good, but I'm not going to pick much John Williams music, he's a wonderful composer, when I'm driving around the neighborhood. Instrumental string music can get long and tired, for me, pretty quickly. But, one artist has been popping up on my DJ so much lately that I just decided I was going to check out their page.

The artist is Lola Young, and I'm kind of obsessed with what I have heard to this point. Young's voice is powerful. She can sing a bunch of different music it seems too. I have heard, to this point, a pop song, her voice in a rap song, some punk riffs and some straight forward rock. Her voice works with every single genre that I just listed. She gets in whatever the groove of the song is and totally nails the vocals. I like when she goes a little gruffer and raspy with her voice. That is when her music moves me the most when I listen. I also really enjoy the music in the background as she sings. There was one song earlier today that I heard that had a very cool piano riff that played throughout and it perfectly blended hip hop and rock, in a good way. This song was in no way akin to Limp Bizkit or Korn, any of that crummy 90's rap/rock. This was an actual good song that was rad to listen to as I was driving in my car. I also heard the punk stuff during what appeared to be a pop song, and then it took this turn that was unexpected, but pretty damn good. I looked her up just a bit and read that she does have some mental health stuff that has forced her to cancel shows. That bums me out, and I hope she is getting the help she needs because I want to hear more and more from her. I have been totally blown away by what I have heard to this point.

I am usually pretty tough on artists that I don't know anything about, but Lola Young has caught my attention and I will be listening to her a lot more in the near future. She rules, I love her voice and I cannot wait to dig deeper and deeper into her catalog. This was a great recommendation and you should check her out too. 

Ty

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

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X Millennial Man Classic: The Greatest American Band Debate: Outkast

In honor of Outkast rightfully being selected for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame we present this article originally posted on September 30th, 2015.

For the Greatest American Band debate today, I'm nominating Outkast.

Outkast is probably my second favorite rap group, behind A Tribe Called Quest. For those of you out there complaining that two people don't make a group, two or more is the definition of a group. You need at least two people to form a group, and Outkast found two of the coolest, most innovative rappers and musicians. Outkast started in 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. Andre 3000 and Big Boi met each other at a mall, and their connection was immediate. They both like the same kind of music, and had grown up in the same type of households. Little did they, or any of us for that matter, know that their music would cross generations, have tons of hits, win a shitload of awards and become classic. They were just two young dudes that liked to rap.

As I said before, they formed Outkast in 1992, but they didn't put out their first album until 1994. In 1994 they put out "Southernplayalisticaddilacmuzik". Say that three times fast. This is a phenomenal debut. The songs on this record allowed both Andre 3000 and Big Boi to shine. You could hear, early on, that they both had very unique, almost unheard of styles of rapping. Take a song like "Players Ball" off this album. In this song, you can hear Andre 3000's love for funk come through not only in his rapping, but also in the music put to the verses. "Players Ball" also gave us the hard, almost gangster style of rap from Big Boi. He had a much gruffer flow, but paired together with Andre 3000's smooth delivery, it was perfect. Another great song on this album is the self titled "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik". This song is an homage to funky, dirty rap music. The chorus is awesome and both members are outstanding rapping on this song. "Southernplayalisticadilacmuzik" is the gateway to how groovy, funky and nasty, in a good way, that Outkast would eventually become. The song "Hootie Hoo" off this record is Big Boi at his absolute best. This is a straight forward rap song, none of the funkiness is needed from Andre 3000, and Big Boi demolishes this song. I feel that Big Boi was at his absolute best on this album. That's not to take anything away from him on subsequent records, he's great all the way through, but he's best on "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik".

In 1996 Outkast released their second album, "ATLiens" to critical acclaim. The fans love this album too. One of their biggest hits is on this album, "Elevators (Me and You)". This song is absolutely incredible. Big Boi and Andre 3000 each do their own thing to perfection, and the chorus "me and you, your momma and your cousin too, rolling down the strip on fours, coming back with the Cadillac doors" is so cool and so memorable. This song was my jam in middle school. You also get "Jazzy Belles" and "Wheelz of Steel" on this record. "Jazzy Belles" is when Andre 3000 kind of took a step forward and became the "leader" of Outkast. This song is all him, written and mostly performed by only him and it's fantastic. "Wheelz of Steel" is more in Big Boi's wheelhouse. It's another straight ahead rap song that Big Boi crushed. You could see early on that each had their own style, but they knew how to blend together really well.

In 1998 we got, what I consider, to be the first truly great Outkast album, "Aquemini". The songs are great on this record, but I want to take a second to talk about the album artwork. This is one of the coolest covers to an album that I've ever seen. It's like they painted a picture of the two of them in the gaudiest, most ridiculous outfits, but only a band like Outkast could've pulled it off. Andre 3000 is shirtless, wearing a turban on his head, and Big Boi is literally dressed like a pimp, in a green three piece suit, top offed with a feather in his hat. Now the songs. On "Aquemini", we got the classic, "Rosa Parks". This song is so awesome. The video was cuckoo bananas, but the song is great and the chorus is wonderful. Say what you will about Outkast, those guys can write a catchy hook. You all know it, "ah nah, hush that fuss, everybody move to the back of the bus". It's so, so cool on so many levels. Rosa Parks was so offended by the language in this song that she sued Outkast, but they settled out of court because they explained to her that the song was an homage to her courage. We also got a song more in Big Boi's tone with "Skew It on the Bar B". It's another run of the mill rap song made ten thousand times better by Outkast. This song also has another great chorus. The song "Spottieopiedopealicious" off this record is where my love for Outkast became real to me. This is the funkiest rap song I've ever heard. It's got great, funky backing music and it's a story, not a song. This song showed me a completely new style of rap that I didn't think existed. I love this song and any time it comes on my iPod, I turn the radio up.

Outkast next album is the greatest album of their illustrious career. In 2000 they put out "Stankonia". This was my jam in high school. When this record came out, it was all I listened to on my way to and from school for almost a year straight. Every song on this record is a classic. We all know the hits, "So Fresh, So Clean", "B.O.B" and "Ms. Jackson". These songs are great. "So Fresh, So Clean" became the anthem for me and the entire football team. Another great chorus, that I still sing to this day, and both Big Boi and Andre 3000 do their thing on this track. The guy that sings the chorus sounds like a 21st century Barry White. This song is incredible. "B.O.B" is like a great rock song. There's heavy guitar and both members are rapping so fast, I had to look up what they were saying. This is a great song to listen to while working out, or if you need to be pumped up for something. "Ms. Jackson" may be Outkast's most recognizable single. Everybody knows the chorus and when Andre says, "wooooooo, I AM FOR REAL", everyone sings along with him. This song has their best chorus of any song they've ever written. While all three of these are classics, I really enjoy the first track on the album, "Gasoline". This is another rap song that has the heavy guitar and faster rapping on it. It's like a rock and roll song, but better because of the way Outkast performs it. "Stankonia" is on the Mount Rushmore of albums for me.

With rumors swirling after the release of "Stankonia" that the band was breaking up, they put out a double album in 2003 that allowed the two of them to put out solo records, but release it under the name Outkast. "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" was an excellent experiment by Outkast. I will admit, I've only listened to "Speakerboxxx", Big Boi's "solo" album, maybe three times all the way through. It isn't that good in my opinion, and I feel like Big Boi only did it as a favor to Andre 3000. But, "The Love Below" is an absolute masterpiece. Songs like "Prototype", "Vibrate", "Roses" and the mega hit, "Hey Ya" are classics. "Prototype" has Andre 3000 playing an electric guitar and singing a love song. "Vibrate" is an experimental hip hop song that I guarantee inspired Flying Lotus to do music. "Roses" is a collaboration with Andre and Big Boi. Very good chorus and very good vocals. The video for this song is cool too. And of course we got "Hey Ya" off this record. If you don't know this song, you've been living under a rock for the past decade. "The Love Below" proved to me and the rest of the world that Andre 3000 was the genius that Big Boi needed when Outkast started and that Andre 3000 is extremely talented.

After this record, each member went their own way. Big Boi acted a bit, but he has kept to himself for the most part. Andre 3000 is a bona fide star now. They did make another album, the soundtrack to their movie "Idlewild". This soundtrack is fine, but it's nothing compared to their previous work. The movie is okay as well, but not great. Outkast has won several grammys and many, many other awards. They each are able to do their own things now and do them successfully. They had a great run as a band and released some of the best rap music to date. For these and many other reasons, Outkast belongs in this conversation. I will be forever indebted to them for introducing me to funky rap music and "dirty south" rap music. I love Outkast and I hope the rumors of a reunion tour are true. They got back together in 2014 and performed some shows, but I want then to do a new album and tour the country. One can only hope.

Thanks Outkast, thank you for all the great music.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the othert host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He has many other rap artists to nominate, but is curious about your Greatest American Band. Join the debate, then follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty Listens to "Thee Black Boltz"

I'm a TV on the Radio fan. I remember the first time I heard "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes", and it totally blew me away. I followed every aspect of their career after that. One of the best live shows I've ever seen was watching them in Kansas City in a smaller venue. They brought the house down. I was floored. I was so grateful to my brothers for inviting me to this show. I still think about it regularly.

But, they haven't made any music as of late. I know that life gets in the way, but I miss TV on the Radio. I have read rumors that they are going to do some shows with LCD Soundsystem this summer, one of which is in the STL, and I have tickets to that show. I hope this is true because that would be epic.

I was scrolling the internet the other day and I saw that Tunde Adebimpe had put out a solo record. I guess it slipped my mind or my feed until then because this was news to me. I listened to the record almost instantly after reading about its release.

This record is rad. I have been really enjoying it. I have listened all the way through at least half a dozen times now and it still feels fresh and new to me. That's a big deal when I first listen to new music. I find myself still bopping along to the songs, I find stuff I have missed on previous listens and I am quickly learning the words. This sounds like classic TVOTR to me. The band is made up of different musicians, and I do miss Kyp Malone's distinct guitar sound. But, with Tunde lending lead vocals, I get "Dear Science" and "Nine Types of Light" vibes from this album. While not as good as "Dear Science", that record is a stone cold classic", this new Tunde record, "Thee Black Boltz" is really, really good.

The record kind of goes in many different directions, but it all melds together very nicely. I like how the record starts with Tunde making a simple statement and then goes into some good dance/pop/electro/rock music. I love the keyboards and synthesizers sprinkled throughout the record. The drums are groovy and fun. The guitar is quite serviceable. But this record is all about Tunde lending his beautiful voice. I forgot how much I missed his singing. He can go into different tones and different genres better than most. He seems to have fun singing and it comes off on this record. He seems very much into the material he is performing and has written. I have since gone back and listened to TVOTR and compared the two. There isn't much of a difference, and for me, that's a very good thing. I liken it to when Dan Auerbach would make a solo record or record with a different band. When he would break away from Pat Carney for a bit, it was good, but it still sounded like Black Keys. That is what Tunde has done here. While he has a new lineup, "Thee Black Boltz" still sounds very much like a classic TVOTR record, and again, that's a good thing.

I recommend this record to any TVOTR fans or fans of music that is genre-less. I have been really liking this record and I will be listening to it many 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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R.I.P. David Johansen

I don't know how it passed me up on my social media timeline stuff, but I just saw that David Johansen passed away a few days ago. Let’s discuss.

Some people may not know who Johansen was, but I sure do. The people that do remember him probably know him from his band The New York Dolls. I never listened to his band. I think they were punk or maybe glam rock or something like that based on what they wore on stage. I will probably go check out some of the music now that Johansen is gone though. Other people may know him as an actor. Johansen was in a ton of stuff during his acting career. I saw him in a documentary about his solo music career very recently. I only saw the very end, but it was fascinating from what I saw. I will say though, he did look pretty sickly in the doc, and the movie finished filming right before COVID. But he was in plenty of things. He had a three episode arc on "Oz". He filmed a lot of stuff as his alter ego, Buster Poindexter. He appeared in a good amount of corny 90's comedies. And he played the bartender in "A Very Murray Christmas" on Netflix. But what I know him from best is as the Ghost of Christmas Past in my favorite holiday movie "Scrooged".

Johansen was so memorable in his small role to me. I have his face burned into my memory. He was the cab driver that was always smoking a big fat cigar. But he also made the most of his lines in the movie. The way he spoke was so memorable for me too. He was gruff and grimy. He had a brash New York accent. He had a raspy voice that always stuck with me. Of all the ghosts that Murray was visited by in the movie, Johnasen's was my favorite part. He made the gloomy parts gloomier in a good way. He showed Murray's character how bad his life was in the past, and that was essential to the plot of this movie. He took the limited screen time he had and ran with it. From that point on, anytime I saw David Johnasen in anything else I pigeonholed him as his character from "Scrooged". That's on me doing that, but I don't necessarily think that is such a bad thing. Johnasen left such an indelible impression on me with that one role that it has stuck with me even to this day. I adore his performance in that movie and will always adore that performance.

It was kind of nice to see a bunch of people, when I caught up on social media, paying tribute to Johnasen. He clearly left a mark on a ton of people in both the musical and acting world. He also seemed to have a ton of friends all over the world. A musician I really like, Black Joe Lewis, even paid a very nice tribute to him on his Instagram page. David Johansen seemed like a guy who lived his life to the fullest. It seemed like he tried to do as much as he could while he was on Earth. I appreciate that.

Rest in Peace David Johansen/Buster Poindexter/The Ghost of Christmas Past. I hope you're having fun wherever you may be right now. 

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 Villager's Companion"

Califone, a band I very recently was introduced to, released a new record about a week ago. My buddy Kirk was the first to tell me about Califone. He told me about a special show they were doing in Saint Louis and asked if I wanted to go. I told him I didn't know who they were. He said, give them a listen and let him know soon, as there were limited tickets. I heard one song, "Funeral Singers", and I was all in. Kirk bought the tickets, we went to the show, it was awesome and Califone earned a fan for life. I have been listening to a bunch of their music, and other projects, a ton lately, and I really, really like their music. So, when Kirk let me know over a month ago that a new record was coming out, I was stoked.

I have, to this point, listened to "The Villager's Companion" all the way through twice, and kind of pick and choose songs from the record to listen to while driving. I enjoy this record a lot. The first track, "every amnesia movie", was also the first single. I like this song a ton. It is classic Califone. The guitar is very cool and folksy, the lyrics paint an excellent picture and it was the best way to kick the album off. That song is followed by "burn the sheets. bleach the books" is similar in tone. These two tracks are the perfect way to start a new record for a relative new fan such as myself. The band then takes a bit of a detour from their classic sound with the next couple songs. "a blood red corduroy 3 piece suit" is an epic. The song is nearly seven minutes long. It starts slowly, has a nice middle section I really like, then adds on a somber note, of which I have come to adore with this band. "jaco pastorious" is a bit more upbeat with electric instruments. It is also a very well written tune. That is what sets Califone apart from other bands for me right now, they can write a damn good song. "gas station roller doggs" is bluesy and accompanied by a wonderful slide guitar. This is their most Bob Dylan-like song on the record in my opinion. "antenna mountain death blanket" is spacey, in a good way. The band does some cool stuff with some different instruments here. It is also a total change of pace from what they usually do, and it works for me. "the bullet b4 the sound" gets you back in the classic Califone mood. The song sounds like something that would have been on some of their earliest records. "Family Swan" is sad and pretty and kind of blends the new stuff they're doing with the older stuff. It is a great mesh of their styles and this one comes in over seven minutes, but it never feels too long. The final track on the record, "Crazy as a Loon", is my favorite. It has everything I like in the folk/blues music Califone makes. From the slide guitar, to the story being told, to the backing band doing their thing, this song is an absolute homerun for me. I love everything about it. I find myself listening to this one more than any other track from the album. It's awesome. So is the whole album for that matter. I like that we get a blend of genres from the band in nine songs clocking in at 40 minutes. It's a ride I really enjoy taking with the music I listen to.

"The Villager's Companion" is a very good album. This will only further my fandom for Califone. 

Ty

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

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2024 Year in Review: Best Music

Today I come to you with my top five albums/music moments from 2024. I love music, listening to it, seeing it live and chatting with friends about it. I am getting older, and some of the new, well loved artists have no bearing on me. I like what I like, I will try some recommendations, but I listen to the stuff that I have always listened to. That's the way it is. I will say, and this isn't part of my top five, I have grown to enjoy Taylor Swift's catalog, I like listening to Olivia Rodrigo and Chappel Roan makes me want to dance. I have to imagine this is due to having a nine year old daughter that is just now getting into music. I just wanted to put that out there. Now, onto the list.

At number 5 I have my first live experience of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. I have heard so many people talk about this group. I have read a ton about this group. I have read about how prolific they are, putting out dozens of records in short periods of time. But I just figured they were a jam band thing that I had outgrown. I was very, very wrong. My buddy had an extra ticket when they were in Saint Louis and offered it to me. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, so I happily accepted the ticket. It helps that my buddy is such a big fan, but what I saw unfold for the next two and a half hours was rad. They started off with some of their metal music. And from there on out I heard metal, rock, electronic, new wave and even songs that used a gong heavily. I was taken aback at how well, how proficient they played and sang. These dudes are true pros and seeing them live was exceptional. I immediately started listening to as much of their catalog as I could and am still listening to them today. King Gizzard is worth the hype and then some, and my fandom started this past summer when I saw them live.

At number 4 I have Kirk introducing me to Califone. I had no idea who or what this band was when Kirk texted me and asked if I wanted to go to a show of theirs. I told him I hadn't heard of them, but to let me listen and I'd get back to him. He agreed, but told me to answer quickly. I guess the show he was talking about was in a person's basement in town and they were only selling 50 tickets. I went to Spotify and turned the music on right away. I was hooked. Califone is folky with some experimental stuff. I love the lead singer's voice. I like how mellow the music sounds. I also like how loud it can get with only an acoustic guitar. After hearing one song I told Kirk I was in for the show. The show was even better than just listening in my car. I had never seen a show like this before. It was intimate and personal. Califone had two members performing and they were great. The banter in between songs was awesome. We were asked how everything sounded. It felt like we had a say, and that made the night even more fun. I'm still listening to Califone to this day and have even checked out some of the band members' side projects. Now to the albums.

At number 3 I have Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "Wild God". This record is classic Nick Cave. Cave tells a story with his song lyrics. He paints a picture. I love his voice bringing these stories to life. The Bad Seeds are a perfect backing band for all the things Nick Cave wants to do. When an artist like him and his band comes out with a new record, and it hits as well as this one does, that makes me smile so much. It is nice and refreshing to someone of Cave's ability and longevity still making new, awesome music that reminds us all of what makes them so great.

At number 2 I have Kendrick Lamar's "GNX". I mean, Kendrick cannot miss at the moment. He is on a heater like we've never seen before. He crushed his rap beef this summer. His songs from said beef were played over and over again. His music videos were rad as well. Kendrick Lamar didn't have to do anything else and he would've owned the year in music. But, much to my delight, he gave us a full length record that is as good as most of his stuff. This album has no skippable tracks in my opinion. Kendrick Lamar has a lot to say and I love that he is recording it all for us to hear. I'm stoked that he will be touring this summer with SZA and that they are making a stop in STL. "GNX" has just about everything I enjoy from Kendrick Lamar and I cannot wait to hear these songs live.

And at number 1 for 2024 in music I have Tyler, the Creator's "Chromakopia". This record is damn near perfect. And I mean everything about it. The lead up had me, and everyone else for that matter, super hype. There were theories and posts online about all the early buzz and videos. Releasing a song like "Noid", with one of the best music videos in a long long time was perfect. That made everyone clamor for the record even more. Releasing it on a Monday as opposed to a Friday was genius. The free shows that Tyler, the Creator was doing made it all the more intriguing. By the time the record came out, I would've been happy with pretty much anything. Lucky for me and everyone else, the record is incredible. Tyler, the Creator keeps trying new things and it's working. He's showing us his growth as an artist. His music has gotten better and better. He knows how to produce and rap over perfect beats he's made for himself. His features are second to none. His shows are a blast and look incredible on screen. "Chromakopia" has wonderful relistening ability. This is just a perfect record for my fandom in music.

That's it for my top music of 2024. Come back tomorrow for my top five tv shows of the year. 

Ty

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

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Drake Sucks

On this day before Thanksgiving the one thing that I want to give thanks to myself is the suspicion I always felt when listening or hearing anyone talk about Drake. Let’s discuss.

I have never been a fan. From day one his rapping felt fake. His beats felt too repetitive. He is a phony. He acts like he is some hardened dude from the street when in reality he is a suburban kid from Canada. I despised how often they'd show him at NBA games. He was always rooting for a different college basketball team, whichever team was the favorite that year, and that reminded me of a bandwagon type fan. I never got the feeling from him that he really liked rap music or appreciated what he got to do for a living. He seems to me to be more obsessed with fame than with the craft that made him famous. I have always gotten the ick from him as the kids would say. And now, and it for sure helps that I am a humongous Kendrick Lamar fan, he is doing one of the most childish things I've ever witnessed a grown adult do. Drake is suing Lamar for defamation over "Not Like Us".

This is low, even for Drake. It's upsetting because he just can't live with the fact that Kendrick Lamar crucified him with their whole "rap battle". He can't handle the fact that nearly every single person has sided with Lamar. He can't deal with it. Instead of just riding off in the distance with his W, Lamar released a whole new record that is amazing. At every turn since this whole "beef" started, Lamar has bested him. Kendrick Lamar has always been the much better rapper, but the way he has handled his dismantling of Drake has been masterful. And instead of taking it and moving on, Drake has decided he needs to file suit. This is the attitude of a pampered child who has never been told anyone is better than him. This is how suburban kids act. This is the kid taking his ball home because the people they're playing with are better than them at the game they're playing. This is a petulant child act, and it comes as no surprise to me that Drake would stoop so low. He is never going to be the artist that Lamar has become and continues to be. He is never going to be respected when people talk about all time great rappers. Hell, he'd be lucky to be included in a top 10,000 list of all time rappers. He is too busy taking selfies, showing up to Toronto Raptors games and trying to start a beef with DeMar DeRozan, who also handled Drake's childish shots with grace. He wants to be loved on Instagram instead of for his music. He wants to show off all the things he can buy because of his fame. The one thing he doesn't seem to want to do, make more music, or make even listenable music.

Drake is the phony and fake that I perceived him to be over a decade ago. I have never had any respect for him or his non rapping ability. And now to file a defamation suit against Lamar, he is making himself look worse and worse with every new move. I swear the people around him, and himself for that matter, they seem to be finding ways to make him look even softer. Drake has been beaten by Lamar with music, a mic and now with the social media crowd that Drake so craves love from. He is going to become even more of a joke. And if I were in Kendrick Lamar's shoes, I'd just keep smiling, holding on to my victory and making even more dope music. Kendrick Lamar not only won this whole thing, he wiped the floor with his weak opponent. 

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 "GNX"

Kendrick Lamar released a surprise album last week. I didn't know about this until this weekend. I was driving to a race Saturday morning and my Spotify account recommended the record for me. It's called "GNX". Since Saturday I have listened to it all the way through once, and have kind of hen and picked my way through the second time.

I like this record. Right now it isn't on the level of "Mr Morale" or "To Pimp a Butterfly" or "Damn", but those records are classics. This record probably just needs more of my time I think. With Kendrick Lamar's music, it usually takes me a few full listens of each song before I really start to get it and love it. But make no mistake, "GNX" is pretty damn wonderful. Lamar is on a heater right now with his music. He put out the record of the year last year with "Mr Morale". "TPABF" may be one of the greatest records ever made. That record is going to be studied in music classics for generations. "Damn" is what made me the big fan of his I am today. "GNX" is going to be at that level in a few weeks, if it isn't already.

Kendrick Lamar does his damn thing on this album. He is the best rapper alive, full stop. He shows that tenfold here. The way he uses words and strings them together so coherently is such an achievement. He is the best of any rappers out there right now. He's so good that he makes others, artists I've never heard of, sound great when he has them come and do a feature. There's an artist named Dody on one of his songs, and because of his one verse with Lamar, I'm going to check out Dody's other music. He has a Mexican singer intro a few songs and she knocks it out of the damn park. His collaborations with SZA have become some of my favorite songs of his. The two that they do together on this record are my favorite songs by a mile. Her voice is a perfect blend with Lamar's rap skills. He's so good now, that when he gets on a track and screams, "MUSTARDDDDDDDDDDD!", I find myself doing that on a daily basis. It's so unnecessary, but Kendrick Lamar makes it palatable and listenable. He can do no wrong for me. When he puts out new music I'm so thrilled to hear it that I carve out time for myself so I can really dive into it and hear everything he has to say. I love how he changes his voice on the new record from song to song too. Sometimes he sounds old and gruff, in a good way. Then he sounds like himself. Then he will do something totally different and I'm amazed at how well it all works. He has a 1,000 batting average right now. There's no songs that I want to skip when I go and listen. On the way to my race yesterday morning I was vibing out so hard I'm sure people in other cars thought I was nuts, and I'm fully okay with that. "GNX" is awesome. It may end up on my personal list of his classic records in due time.

I definitely recommend giving “GNX” a listen because there's no one that is on his level at the moment. No one. 

Ty

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

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What I Learned After Listening to Every Taylor Swift Album

For years, whenever Taylor Swift came up in conversation, my go-to response was, “I like her public persona, but her music isn’t really for me.” It was easy to say, but one day I realized something: I had never actually given her music a real chance. So, I decided to dive in headfirst and listen to all of her albums, chronologically, as they were released.

The journey started with her self-titled debut, and right away, I was surprised. I had always thought of Taylor Swift as a pop star, but her early albums are undeniably country. I’ve never been much of a country fan—though I do enjoy some Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. While Taylor’s early work had its charm, the themes of love and faith felt broad and vague, which makes sense given her widespread appeal. It didn’t resonate with me personally, but I could see the seeds of her future stardom.

As I moved forward in her discography, I noticed the gradual evolution in her sound. By the time I got to Red, Taylor was starting to leave her country roots behind, and 1989 marked a full transition into synth pop. Now, synth pop isn’t a genre I typically gravitate toward, but it was an improvement in my mind. The shift showed her willingness to experiment and reinvent herself, a quality I respect.

It wasn’t until Lover and beyond that I found genres I connected with more. Albums like folklore and evermore leaned into indie vibes, which are genres I often enjoy. But even here, I found myself underwhelmed by the lyrical content. The stories and themes felt shallow compared to what I’ve come to expect from indie music. Then, with Midnights, Taylor pivoted back to synth pop, and her latest album, Tales of the Tortured Poets, seemed to aim for a folk-inspired sound but didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

By the end of this musical journey, I realized I probably won’t be revisiting Taylor Swift’s discography. I prefer music that challenges me or dives deep into unique perspectives, and much of Taylor’s work seems designed for broad appeal. That’s not inherently a bad thing—it’s just not what I’m looking for. I’ll admit, though, my YouTube Music algorithm may never recover from this experiment!

That said, there were a few things I came to appreciate about Taylor Swift along the way. Her decision to re-record her earlier albums as Taylor’s Version to reclaim her music from the greedy hands of the industry? Badass. It’s rare to see an artist take such a bold and principled stand. And her talent—both as a songwriter and as a cultural icon—is undeniable. Another surprise? Just how much of her music I’d already heard in passing without realizing it. Taylor Swift has been a constant presence in the cultural background for over a decade, and my dive into her music underscored just how omnipresent her work is.

At the end of the day, I’m now informed when I say, “I like Taylor Swift the public persona, but her music isn’t really for me.” This journey helped me understand why her fans love her, and while I may not be joining the Swiftie ranks anytime soon, I respect the artistry and effort behind her incredible career.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug

Ty Listens to "Chromakopia"

Tyler, the Creator's eight studio album, "Chromakopia", was released at 6am this morning. I waited until 10am to listen to it. My daughter had a doctor's appointment this morning, and since she was a little nervous, I let her pick the music, which was Taylor Swift of course, whom I adore. But after I dropped her off at school it was my time to shine. I was by myself, so that let me really listen to the record with zero distractions, which I prefer when new music from an artist I love is released. I had also listened to "Noid" since he released that a little early. I love that track, so I was all keyed up to hear what else he was going to give us.

I'm here to say that this record is amazing. Tyler, the Creator has a knack for music, and he is one of the best out there with his craft right now. He continues to grow with each new release. He seemingly gets better and better while still maintaining his super unique, super cool rap voice. I love how gruff and grimy it sounds. But make no mistake, he has grown up and matured. He isn't the same guy from Odd Future. He is his own person now, and he more than shows that on "Chromakopia". This record is one solid song after the next. There's straight up hip hop, there's pop, there's R&B, he kind of gives the listeners a few different genres to chew on, which I love. I also appreciate how each song flows right into the next song. There's no long pauses in between the tracks. When one song ends, it feels like the ending of said song has a line or lyric that gets you in the right headspace for what is coming next. I like when records move at that type of pace. And this isn't a quick 10 song, 30 minute record. The album is almost an hour long, clocking in at 53 minutes with 14 songs. And, as I said before, there's not one on the listing that is worth a skip. You need to hear them all when you turn on this album. There's a clear theme, which is Tyler, the Creator dealing with his newfound stardom and massive fame. Make no mistake, he is a massive, massive artist. He sells out arenas now. He is going on a world tour to support this record, and I wouldn't be shocked if shows sell out in record time. This record kind of gives the listener a glimpse into how he feels and how he is dealing with all of this. I like when artists talk about real life stuff like that. I don't know what it is like to be famous. I've never been asked for an autograph or been tailed on the street so someone can meet me. I don't have bodyguards. I can go places with freedom. Some people, like Tyler, the Creator, don't have that luxury. And on "Chromakopia", he lets us know how bizarre that is. He lets us know how messed up it can be when a person is obsessed with you. He really lays bare each and every feeling he has toward his fame and stardom and I love this record for that. I also love the beats, the lyrics and the way they are put across throughout the album. So far my favorite track is "Sticky". I also really enjoy "Rah Tah Tah". And "Noid" is a bonafide hit. I wish he were coming closer, or even to Saint Louis on this tour because I'd love to see him perform these tracks live.

Tyler, the Creator is on fire right now. He has been on fire for a good long while now and I don't see him slowing down one bit. Go listen to "Chromakopia". It is another in a long line of stellar records from Tyler, the Creator. He is a master at his craft. 

Ty

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

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Check Out King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on their Tour

A buddy of mine invited me to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard live last night. Let’s discuss.

I have never really listened to their music much before. I have heard a few tunes, and my friend told me to listen to their most recent record, which I enjoyed quite a bit. My brother is a super fan as well. He couldn't go last night, but he has told me a ton about the band before. So, I met my friend at the venue, The Factory in Chesterfield, which is rad, and we took our seats.

The opening band was called Geese. They were pretty solid. They are kind of post punk/rock music. They had some cool visuals in the background while they played. I liked their stuff and I will be listening to them in the future. Then King Gizzard took the stage. Again, due to my lack of knowledge, I didn't know what to expect. I know that they play a bunch of different genres of music, that they have recorded 26 records and that they are super talented. But I have never seen a live show and I didn't know what they would bring to the table. I was super impressed with the next two hours of music. They opened the set with a run of metal music. They were shredding. They blew through these songs and I found myself bopping along. Immediately I was impressed with how proficient they were with their instruments. Metal music is tough to play, but these guys made it look easy. The guitars sounded really good too. They had the right distortion and you could hear every note in every solo. After the metal music run, they switched over to some psychedelic music. Again, I was shocked, in a good way, that they were so easily able to pull off a totally different genre. They sounded great yet again. The instruments sounded good too. And this time I could fully hear the lyrics and singing, which was dynamite. I loved the use of a wah wah pedal during this part of their set. They switched over to electronic at this point. The stagehands brought out a table that had a bunch of different boards attached to it. Every member of the band, except the drummer, gathered around the table and took the crowd to space. They were making crazy noises come out of those boards. The mics had a wild robot-like effect being used. They made a genre of music that I don't really like very listenable for me. One of the band members informed us that what the "leader" of the band just performed was totally improvised, which is wild. That takes an insane amount of talent to do that at every show, and it was rad. The set ended with about seven or eight songs that were a mix of blues and rock. This was my favorite part of the show. I love this style of music and King Gizzard played it exceptionally. The tone and sound coming off the three guitars was amazing. The keyboard player busted out the saxophone. Earlier on the "leader" of the band played some flute. Some of the other members got to show off their vocals during this part. The two guys who are front and center on the stage absolutely destroyed the guitar.

When my buddy and I left, I was in awe of what I just witnessed. Not knowing much about the band made the experience that much better for me. This was all new to me, and it blew me away. The band has a great energy on stage. They want you to dance and have a good time. They seem to genuinely like playing music with one another. The fact that they can shift from genre to genre was so cool. My buddy told me they play a different set every night, which is bonkers if you think about it.

I don't know why I never bought into the hype before, but King Gizzard more than won me over last night. I am a fan for sure now. I have found myself listening to their music all day today and enjoying the hell out of myself. This was a great, great show. I definitely recommend seeing them live if they are near your hometown. You will have a blast. I sure know I did. 

Ty

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

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Seeing Califone Perform Live was an Experience Unlike Any Other

Last night my buddy Kirk invited me to a concert. I haven't been to a show in awhile, so I was pretty stoked to check it out. I listened to some of the band's music prior to the show, which I very much enjoyed. Kirk also let me know that there were only 50 tickets available. The show was in a small venue, so they had to limit the amount of tickets they could sell. All of these things made me even more excited to go.

The band we saw is called Califone. I had not heard of them until last Friday. Their music is cool. It is ambient. I told my dad that the music felt like a warm blanket. I enjoy the singer's voice and like how mellow the music can be from time to time. Seeing them in such a small venue had me very curious to see how it would all work. It worked wonderfully. We saw the show in the basement of someone else's home. When we drove up to the house, we did some street parking and walked to the front door. There was a board in the front that said the band name and how to get in. We walked up, were greeted by a few people and an adorable pug, and they let us in after Kirk gave them his name. We walked downstairs, found a few seats and chatted for a bit. The lead singer walked where everything was set up, tuned his guitar and waited for his drummer. The show was scheduled to start at 8pm, and that is exactly when they started.

From the jump, this was an awesome experience for me. Califone is awesome. Seeing two of the members playing live was rad. The singer/guitar player was amazing. He used a lot of effects from his pedalboard that I liked a lot. He used reverse a ton to help loop the guitar for each song. He also played a good amount of slide guitar, which is something I'm a big fan of. His voice sounded great. Being in a small room, with different acoustics could have caused some issues, but it did not. He sounded great. I also really enjoyed the lyrics. He reminds me a little bit of Bob Dylan. I believe Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all time. Califone's lead singer/songwriter is not far off for me. His lyrics are very poetic. He paints a nice picture, tells a nice story. I found myself listening even harder last night. I wanted to get the full live experience. The percussionist was excellent as well. Kirk mentioned that he played and experimented like not many other percussionists out there. I agree. He was playing synthesizer at one point. He used a violin bow to make noises on his cymbals. He would use different drums that he would attach to his high hat. He played other wood instruments that added a really nice sound. He was dynamite.

All in all this was a wonderful experience for me. The band was awesome. The crowd was there to enjoy the music. No one acted up or acted out of pocket. Everyone that was there was very friendly and respectful. The venue was cool too. It was akin to going to a friend's house to hear a band, except this band was way better than your friend's band. I highly recommend going to a small show like this. This was so damn cool to see where I saw it with who I saw play live. I am forever a fan now, and I will be looking out for more shows like this in the future. What a cool experience. 

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 "Bando Stone & the New World"

Supposedly Childish Gambino, Donald Glover, released his final album. The record is called "Bando Stone & the New World". It has been out for over a week now, but I have finally fully listened to it through its entirety twice now. I wanted to give it some time before writing a review. Let’s discuss.

On first listen I was let down a bit. My problem is I compare all of his records to "Awaken, My Love". That is unfair to him as an artist, and unfair to me as a listener. That album is one of a kind. It is, in the music industry, a masterpiece. For me it is one of the best records to ever come out. I shouldn't compare his other work to that record. I did it with "Atavista" recently too. While I like "Atavista", it doesn't hit me like "Awaken, My Love" hits me. So, instead of writing a first reaction review of "Bando Stone", I decided to give it another full listen.

On this second go round I found myself enjoying it a bit more. I found some of the songs more fitting to what I like to vibe to when I listen to music. "Lithonia" is a true hit. That song has a great hook, Glover crushes his vocals and it is an upbeat sounding tune. "Steps Beach" is a nice and mellow reprieve from the other songs on the album. It has a nice guitar groove as well. "Yoshinoya" is one of his better straight forward rap songs. It reminds me a ton of the stuff on "Because the Internet". That album is dope, and "Yoshinoya" would fit in quite nicely, although I'm stoked it is on "Bando Stone". I really like the lyrics to "Dadvocate". The beat on the song is what brought me in the first time. But the second listen I focused more on the lyrics, and they made me like the song even more. And I really adore the closer, "A Place Where Love Goes". It feels like a finale to not only the record, but to Glover's musical career.

These tracks make this record very solid. But, there are some songs that are just not for me. I am not a fan of "No Excuses". I like that he is giving his often collaborator Ludwig Goransson some credit, but the song is just a meandering mess for me. It is ambient sounds with Glover sometimes singing a verse here and there. I want more lyrically from Glover. The album opener, "Hearts Were Meant to Fly", has its moments, but it falls just a little flat to my ears. "Happy Survival" features a band I really like, Khruangbin, but it feels more like one of their tunes featuring Glover. I want it to be the other way around when listening to his music. As for some of the other features on the record, I'm too old now to know who some of these artists even are. My son knows who they are, but I'm at a loss. I don't know who Chloe or Yeat or Foushee is. I should remedy this, and maybe I will, but for now they are anomalies.

All in all this record is hit or miss, but the hits are really staying with me. The songs I really enjoy will be staying with me for a long, long time. Songs like "Lithonia" and "Yoshinoya" will be getting a ton of spins when I decide to listen to Childish Gambino. I definitely recommend checking the record out. Glover really goes for it. He tries a bunch of different genres all within seventeen songs and one hour of music. And if this is truly it for him as Childish Gambino, he has given us plenty of great music to listen to for the rest of our lives. Glover is a true genius and I will check out all of his further ventures. 

Ty

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

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Politics Week: AMERICA: F*** YEAH!

Ty is on a court ordered vacation this week, so RD is taking over the writing duties. Due to the incredible time, we live in, RD is going to cover politics every day. The views expressed in these articles are the same as the website owners since it is RD that owns the website.

All compliments and complaints can be sent to rkulik@publicforumproductions.com

Have you heard the song “America: Fuck Yeah”? It was in the underrated film “Team America: World Police”. If you have or have not heard the song, takes some time and listen to it.

That song rocks. It should be our new National Anthem.

I just wanted to give some love to the most patriotic god damn song every made.

America is the fucking best.

RD

RD is the creator and Head Editor of SeedSing and the host of The X Millennial Man Podcast

Support SeedSing and The X Millennial Man on patreon.

Greatest American Music - The Genius of Jack White

I have found myself listening to more and more White Stripes lately. Let’s discuss.

I went through a big phase where they were one of my most listened to bands. Then I fell off. I never really pinpointed why. I think it was a number of things. But, the main issue I had was, I despise Jack White. I still do. He seems like a real piece of work. He feels pretentious to me. I don't like the way he speaks. I don't like his dumb little faces he makes when he is out in public. I think he took his persona a little too far, and now that is his whole being, I must have read something negative about him, and that was all I needed to stop listening to his band. I had all the records, I dove into their history, I saw them live, I felt like I did it all. But, due to the fact that I still listen to, and adore, The Black Keys, Spotify put it upon themselves to play more White Stripes when they curated a Black Keys inspired playlist for me. At first I'd skip and move along. But, one day I decided to listen.

The song was "Apple Blossom", off one of their earliest records, and I wanted to hear it again. I think I wanted to understand why I was so into this band at one point in my life. That particular song took me back. I was instantly into the music. I was vibing out. This made me listen to more and more of their music, and I have found it quite enjoyable. I have rediscovered why I like this band so much too. There is one single reason in fact. That reason is, drumroll please, Jack White.

As much as I dislike his personality, as much as others say he is kind of a jerk, as much as his public persona bugs me, the dude is a musical genius. His writing, while simplistic, is dope. I like the old timey blues lean to a bunch of their songs. You can hear the influences. From Robert Johnson to BB King and Muddy Waters, it is all there. You can feel the imprint a band like Led Zeppelin left on him as a younger person. You can hear the ripping guitar and heavy distortion that made them such a big hit in the early 2010's. That, that right there, the sound, that is what I love most about this band. Meg White is a fine drummer. She can keep the rhythm, she does some pretty cool fills and she seems to enjoy drums. But Jack White is the true driving force behind this band. And it is his guitar playing that makes it so listenable.

I was driving my son home from camp today and the song "Ball and a Biscuit" came on. This is a true hit. This song slaps. This is such a simply written song. But the guitar is truly amazing. That is what makes the song so damn good. Jack White shreds solos over and over and over again. He switches from distortion to reverb and back like it is nothing. The guitar in this song gives me mixes of Zeppelin and if Son House had played an electric guitar. It truly slaps. It is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, and it is solely due to the guitar in there. White, for all of his warts, is an undeniably phenomenal guitar player. The dude knows what he is doing and he does it well. He takes risks on that instrument and he hits more often than not. Even when The White Stripes stopped making music, his other projects worked for me as well. The only reason, he shreds guitar over and over and over again. And I cannot get enough of it when I listen. So, for all the reasons I should not like him, his music is reason enough for me to separate the art from the artist. He has not been accused of some things that other famous people have, so maybe I should be a little less angry about his nonsense.

All in all, I'm stoked that I was able to get to this place with his music because Jack White is a really dope guitar player, and if you are on the fence about listening to him, let it go and try it out. You will not be disappointed.

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 Courtney Barnett

My dad is always on the lookout for new music. Ever since I can remember, he searches, finds stuff and passes it along to his kids. He has introduced me to a bunch of artists I currently listen to. I have always said that he influenced me on my taste, and that rings true to this day. So, when he gives me a suggestion, I listen.

Recently he told me about an artist he found on YouTube named Courtney Barnett. My dad will sit around and watch tons of different artists on the internet and whittle it down to the few he wants to listen to and tell us about. Courtney Barnett must have stuck in his head for a bit, because he brought her up until I listened.

I am glad that he kept mentioning her. She is a pretty dope artist. She is unique and different from current musicians. She has this folk lean to her music, but her singing is akin to Lou Reed. She is monotone, but in a very cool, very listenable way for me. Her instrument of choice is the guitar, and she can play. She goes both electric and acoustic. I prefer her acoustic stuff, but that is only because I like acoustic music more, especially when listening to folk music. She can play. She is no virtuoso, but she can strum it well enough to help carry her song. She also has features sometimes, and when she does that, she tends to let the other musician shine on guitar. She does the majority of the singing, and I like her written lyrics. She is not the best singer in the world, but she can carry a tune. Her voice is different too. She does the monotone stuff, the Lou Reed stuff, but she has these really deep and introspective lyrics. I listen to her more for what she is saying than how she is saying it. She goes into detail in songs. It takes me a few extra listens to get what she is saying, but when I do, it is a very nice payoff. I like how she blends words and melody. She has a real knack for writing a really good folk song. I like what she has to say. That is what has drawn me in most with her so far.

She also has a ton of music. After my first listen, I headed over to my Spotify account and was floored at the amount of music she has on there.  There's a whole lot. And it is all pretty damn good. She has multiple albums, a bunch of singles, she is featured on other records and she is putting in the work. I also like that not everything sounds exactly the same. They have a folk/lo-fi quality, but that is her preferred genre. She can go in different directions within the genre, and she does that very well. She is young too, like in her 20's. That means she has a long, long time to make more and more music. I get hyped with stuff like that. She is still young, so she hasn't reached her music writing prime yet. I get amped to think of what she will write after she lives a little more. I'm sure it is going to be epic.

I'm glad my dad kept at it with Courtney Barnett. I don't know if I would've jumped so deep if he hadn't. And I'm glad that her music is in my life now. She is a very good, very unique artist that more people need to check out. And she has a long career ahead of her. Go check out her music. You won't be disappointed. I think I'm going to go listen to some more of her music now. 

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

Is Clipse Coming Out with a New Record?

If someone sat me down and asked me my favorite genre of music at this point in my life, I'd have to say hip hop. That is the one genre that has stuck around through all of my musical flings. I used to love jam music, I still dig dingy blues rock, I went through my alternative rock stage and hung on to some of those artists and I have even found myself enjoying pop music since having kids. The one constant has always been hip hop.

From a young age my older brothers turned me onto groups like Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, Biz Markie, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, pretty much any cool hip hop that came out in the early to mid 90's. As I got older I started to listen to my own picks. I was early with Missy Elliot. I bought the Timbaland and Magoo album. I found Biggie on my own. I gravitated to an artist like Fabolous with ease. NERD was my introduction to Pharrell Williams. It was during this time that I came across a group called Clipse.

Back in 2002 I had no idea who Clipse was. But, it turns out that their record "Lord Willin" was produced by the Neptunes, so I was in. The Neptunes were Pharrell's production group at the time. And in 2002 that was all I needed to check an artist out. If Pharrell was attached, I was in because I loved NERD. So I went to the local Best Buy and scooped up "Lord Willin".

What I then heard kind of changed my mind on hip hop. This was different. This, to me, was futuristic. Clipse were great. They had this excellent back and forth that I had not been able to find in other duos. Pharrell's beats and production was top notch. Go back and listen to their massive hit "Grindin". You can understand why it was such a monsterous song. I listened to the record the other day, and while it is all good, "Grindin" is on a whole other planet.

After hearing "Lord Willin", I was fully bought in. I bought the other Clipse records that were out at the time. I listened to them over and over. After four records, they stopped, but I still followed up. I didn't check out any of Malice's stuff, I don't know if he did any solo work, but I kept up with, and still listen to, Pusha T. He is one of my current favorite artists. He still sounds to me like he did back in 2002, and that is an accomplishment all its own. I remember being super bummed out when he had to cancel a show in STL because I had purchased advanced tickets. I am a Pusha T fan through and through.

When I started to see things pop up on music sites I follow that Clipse was possibly going to make a new record, I got a little hype. Then I started seeing more and more people bringing it up. I was still a little skeptical because I hadn't heard anything from Malice or Pusha T. But then they showed up at a fashion show in Paris the other night together, and it seemed legit. I let myself get excited. This seemed like the real deal. To hammer that feeling home even further, Pharrell came out and said he was going to be producing the next Clipse record. This meant it was true. I would hope he wouldn't put that out in the world if he didn't want to get fans' hopes up. So I am all in now. This definitely looks to be true. With Pharrell on board and both Malice and Pusha T hanging out, I am fully expecting and will be patiently waiting for a new Clipse record. They haven't put out any new music since 2009, so I am fully expecting this to be amazing. When these two dudes get together, with Pharrell producing, great things seem to happen. I don't know when a new record will come out, but you better damn well believe that I will be streaming the hell out of it on day one.

I cannot wait. I am overly excited about this. This is some good news on the music front. So far, just the fact that they have announced possible new music, I have found my way back to their old stuff and getting thrilled at the idea of what's to come. The new record can't come soon enough. And when it does, you better believe I will be singing its praises on this very website. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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