Ty Listens to The Black Keys "Dropout Boogie"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listen's the Pusha T's "It's Almost Dry"

I have now listened to Pusha T's new record "It's Almost Dry" about three times now. I enjoy it. I do not like it as much as his last record, but with each new listen I find something new that I enjoy about it.

I'm a Pusha T fan. I have been since the first time I heard Clipse in 2001. He just has this very cool flow about him when he raps. It comes out smooth. I think that is why it has taken me multiple listens to really get into "It's Almost Dry". I wasn't ready for it when it first came out. I have been in a pretty deep soul, R&B and heavier rock groove lately. There has been tons of Black Keys, Etta James, Leon Bridges and, I know this is a little out of left field, Bo Brunham on my playlists. So I just was not ready to receive what Pusha T was putting out there. But the more I've heard the better it has become. I truly do like every song on the album. I also appreciate that it is a tight 35 minutes long.

The record starts off strong, has some great stuff in the in between and has a perfect ending, with him reuniting with the other member of Clipse. Pusha T has a way of rapping over a beat that is like no other. He is one of the few rappers I have heard who do not really wait for a beat to kick in. When he is ready he goes. And he is good. The flow is so good that it doesn't need him waiting. I love how he just gets to it. He has something to say and he refuses to wait.

The record is produced by Kanye and Pharrell. I do not like Kanye at all. He needs real therapy. He needs true help. He has some mental stuff going on that only a doctor can fix. But the dude can make a beat. He has that skill. That has not left him yet. And the fact that he doesn't rap on this record, save for a few weak bars during some hooks, makes it all the better. The beats are his, you can tell, and Pusha T makes them work. Pharrell, on the other hand, is a true musical genius. He does things with hip hop that have just further pushed the genre to a whole new world. He makes complicated beats sound simple. He knows how to get the best out of his performers. He doesn't dip his toes too far into the water. He lets the talent do what they do best. Sure there are tweaks here and there, but for the most part Pharrell just refines it all in the end. He rules. There is a version of the record on Spotify right now titled "It's Almost Dry: Kanye vs Pharrell", and it is astounding to hear the two producers on the same record and how different they are. And how much better Pharrell is at his job.

I think what I like most about the album, and I mentioned this for a second a minute ago, is how there are now real hooks on the songs. It is all Pusha T's line of thought being put on wax. He has his verses and his bars and he rolls with it. He puts it all out there. He doesn't need a hook. He doesn't need a chorus. He can just go from verse to verse and not miss a beat. Sometimes hooks help, but in this case, I do not miss it at all. It almost seems like a hook would hinder the greatness that is Pusha T.

I am a fan of this record. I have most definitely come around after three listens. I will continue to listen. Pusha T is very famous, but I think he should be talked about far more than he already is by the media. This record is a great appetizer to the new Kendrick Lamar coming out in a day. I will for sure have both albums on repeat for a bit.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches Leon Bridges Live in Concert

Last night I went to a live concert for the first time since January of 2020. I had been staying away because I was nervous about getting sick. A large group of people in an enclosed area just seemed like not a good fit. But the show I went to last night was outdoors, in a smaller venue, and even though COVID is still very, very real, the numbers have not been as high as they have been before. I felt okay going to the show last night.

It was a total blast. I went to see Leon Bridges at St Louis Music Park. I am a fan of Bridges' music. I know he has not been doing the straight forward soul music on the last two records. But I still find myself enjoying the music on said records. And he still played some stuff off his first record. Bridges was wonderful. That dude can sing. I was blown away by how good his voice sounded. I do not know why I was on the fence about hearing him live because he is so good at what he does. His band was on point too. I went with a buddy of mine and we had seats. When the bass would kick in, you could feel it in the seats and hear it reverberating in the stands. It was rad. The guitar player was on point too. That guy was doing some great things last night. The keyboard player was not only on top of his game on the keyboard, he also shredded the saxophone. He was playing the hell out of that thing. The backup singers were great as well. When they would trade vocals with Bridges, it was a thing of beauty. I especially loved it when they got the crowd involved. And when Bridges closed the show he brought one of them out to sing with him and her voice was outstanding. I was blown away. It was a great show.

The venue was also really cool. It was an outdoor stage with a roof over the top. It is like a dome with an opening. The enclosed part really let the acoustics sing through the whole crowd. You could hear almost every note. I also liked the way the venue was laid out. They had the floor area, which was open and easy to spread out. The seating was comfortable and open and easy to find your spot. It was also very clean. I know that sounds weird, but the venue just had a clean feel to it. It looked nice and just felt good. I really like this spot. I will definitely be seeing more shows there.

I also had a blast with the person I went with. My wife has lots of friends from work, and she told me that one of them is a concert goer who's wife also does not like concerts. I have gotten to know him the past couple years and I thought he was going to be the perfect person to invite. I was right. He was great. I had a very good time hanging out with a new friend last night. It was awesome.

Finally, it was really, really cool to see a live show with a group of strangers. I was nervous beforehand. But when the music started, I just let all that slip away. I would look out over the crowd and see people vibing to the music and I was just happy. I had a smile on my face the whole time. The crowd ranged in age and it was just comfortable to see a group of people crowded together to see some live music. But, there was also enough space to spread out during the show. Besides the person I went with I do not think I was within six feet of anyone else for the majority of the night. This was also a perfect show to ease myself back into the world of live shows.

Leon Bridges is cool and calm, his crowd is respectable and everyone there was having a good time. There was one person that passed out and Bridges stopped the show to make sure the person got the proper help. I have never seen that before, and to see Bridges and his band take the time to make sure that person was okay was tremendous. I had a blast last night. Everything about the evening was awesome. It has made me excited to return to live shows, especially ones that are held outdoors. What a fun night. It was a blast.

Ty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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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.  

2021 Top Five - Albums

This week starts my Best of 2021. I will do my top five for most of my lists. I will do music, movies, television, podcasts and sports. That is also the order I will proceed with starting today. Some of my lists were easy to get to five, others, not so much. Let's get to it.

Today I am going to do my top albums of 2021. This is one of my lists where I do not have five picks. Part of that is my lack of listening to new music and the other part is I do not know many of these new artists. I used to be cool and hip. I used to know a ton about new and underground music. I used to listen to all different kinds of music. But as I have gotten older plenty has changed. I am kind of stuck in my ways now. I like what I like. I have been introduced to "new" music for me, but it is older bands or musicians I have never really given thought to before. That is my "new" music. I have recently gotten into Prince, more Talking Heads, an indie band called Whitney and more old school hip hop. But I did find three albums that I really enjoyed that came out this year. They are three new albums too. They are by artists that I like, but again, these records did come out this year.

At number three I have Har Mar Superstar's "Roseville". I love this record. It is like a throwback to older soul and R&B. There are horns and back up singers and cool, retro guitar and all along the way we get Har Mar's great voice. I like this new direction Har Mar is going in with his music too. It is very fitting for his voice and his range. You can really tell on this record that he is in his pocket. I also feel like as he is getting older he is starting to pain gratitude to artists he grew up listening to. This record is like an homage to older soul music. And I am a sucker for horns. I just lose myself to the music whenever I hear a good horn section. Lyrically, this album is very poignant and timely. He talks about COVID and other things that are going on in and around his life. It is a good snapshot of what this past year has been like. "Roseville" is very solid and I'm kind of stunned that some of the bigger publications and websites have kind of just pushed this record to the side and do not talk about it.

At two I have Tyler, the Creator's "Call Me if You Get Lost". This record is like older Tyler with his new vibe attached. It is straightforward hip hop. Tyler's rapping is impeccable. He has gotten better and better every year. He is on the Mount Rushmore of current hip hop artists right now. I also love how most of the songs are less than three minutes long. Even the songs that go six to nine minutes have like three different songs built in. They don't linger too long. There is enough change that it feels different. Tyler, much like Har Mar, also touches on the pandemic, but does it his way. I also love the addition of a hype man on the record. It adds so much to hip hop albums. I also really enjoy the production on the record. It may be his second best production, behind only "IGOR". Tyler, the Creator is aging like a fine wine. He is consistently trying new things and it has all been really great as of late. Tyler is getting to that echelon of always doing wonderful and innovative things in music. He is the man.

My number one album of the year is "Inside". Get used to seeing this on my best of lists. This album is amazing. The fact that it was made in a year is astounding. Talk about being timely, this album is all about the pandemic, loneliness, anxiety and loss during COVID. It is truly a masterpiece. Bo Burnham has done something amazing and memorable. To make music like this, at this time in history, to make it this well and this astounding, I'm floored. The way the whole album kind of shifts after "30" is a real feat. It goes from kind of dark to super dark, in all the right ways. There are songs on this album that I feel like school kids should study. There is stuff on this album that will be talked about for decades. This is a true work of art. I adore songs like "How the World Works" or "Welcome to the Internet" that are instant classics. I mentioned "30", that is an exceptional song about growing old. "Problematic" is a great look at his past and how he has grown. "All Eyes on Me" is so twisted and dark and perfect. "That Funny Feeling" may be the best folk song of the year. "Content" is a perfect album starter. I could go on and on and on, and I will on some of my other lists, believe me. "Inside" is amazing. It is the best album of the year, and when we get to 2030, it may end up being the best album of the decade. It is really that good. You can go look at my year in review on Spotify and see how much I have devoured this album. "Inside" is, hands down, the best album of 2021.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies 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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"Squid Game" is Tops in the Music Department

I have now watched "Squid Game" twice. And I still love it as much as I did the first time. It is truly one of the best shows to come out in quite some time. A few weeks back I wrote about the set design, namely the humongous piggy bank. That is still firmly in my head each and every time I think or talk about the show. Today I want to talk about the music.

Recently I have been listening to the music from the show on Spotify, and today it hit me as hard as the piggy bank did. The music from the show is all instrumental, so much like my review of "The Green Knight", it may not be for everyone. But I love it. I was listening to it when I took my kids to school today, no worries, they do not talk about what happens on the show at all, and even they were into it. We have been listening to it in the house at night time as a wind down. But this morning, after the kids left and I really got to take it in, the music just adds a whole other layer to this great show. The music cues made me think back to some of my favorite, and not so favorite moments from the first season. When they play the song that plays over the opening credits on the first episode, and then that song keeps reappearing throughout the season, I had so many visions of the show pop back into my head. I thought about the young kids playing squid game for fun. Then I thought about the hell they go through when they are in the warehouse. When the song "I Remember My Name" plays I was instantly taken back to the episode "Gnnabu", better known as "Marbles" to most now, and it wrecked me yet again. When they played the song that plays during "Dalgona" I was instantly nervous and anxious and thinking about what I would do during that game. They have a song when the soldiers are introduced and it builds to this amazing crescendo that had me totally remembering their introduction. The song that plays near the end of the season finale, no spoilers coming I promise, I got fired up like I used to when coaches would be riling us up before any football, baseball or basketball games. The music was giving me visceral reactions. I was feeling feelings that I had during the show, but it was also bringing up new feelings. To me that is the sign of great music, well made music. When you get a real reaction, that means it played a part. Another example is the song that plays when they show all the contestants the money in the piggy bank after playing red light green light. When the piggy bank keeps adding more and more money there is this almost video game like music playing. It made me feel like I was playing a game on my Nintendo when I was a kid.

Also the instruments they use are truly awesome. There are typical classical instruments being played, like pretty much any stringed instrument. But they also have guitars and keyboards and drums and synthesizers. It is updated classical music.

I have not listened to an instrumental album, outside of anything Ratatat does, since I listened to the "Jurassic Park" soundtrack as a kid. The "Squid Game" soundtrack has changed that, and it is better than the music from "Jurassic Park". No question about it. "Squid Game" is great for so many reasons, and the music is another in a long line. This show rules.

Ty

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

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The Latest Rolling Stone Top 100 Song List is Stupid

As I was strolling the internet today I came across Rolling Stone and they put out a new article ranking the best 500 songs of all time. Rolling Stone does this from time to time. They put out these lists, they get people talking, they get people arguing and they make arbitrary picks for what their writers believe are the best songs or albums or movies or whatever they feel like talking about that day. I will say, I am talking about it on the internet today, so they did pull me in, but I want to talk about how absurd and pointless it is to make lists like this.

I do my top five lists at the end of every year, but I make it very clear that it is my personal opinion. My picks have no reference base for anyone else. I think my picks are solid, but if people disagree with me, that is okay. I truly do not mind. I actually like it because, sometimes, less than I would hope, I get some good recommendations. But Rolling Stone doing these lists are all about getting clicks and getting likes. They cater to a younger audience. Some of the songs on the list I have never heard of, and I listen to a ton of different music. They also leave off very good artists because they are not well known enough for the majority of Rolling Stone's reading audience.

Personally, I do not think songs should be on an "all time" list unless they have been out for at least a decade. Songs need time to sit and grow. Songs on all time lists need to be around for a while before they make a best of all time list. I do think an artist like Lil Nas X is very important, I love how he markets himself and his music, but "Old Town Road" came out two years ago. And the song is very short and a very cliché country song. I bet when Rolling Stone does this list again ten years from now "Old Town Road" will not be on the list. I do think "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo is a tremendous song, but she has better songs. She has also barely been on the scene. Give her time. Hell, her new song with Cardi B, "Rumors", is better than "Truth Hurts". So is "Better in Color" or "Juice" or "Like a Girl". I also do not know that a Solange Knowles song should be on there before Beyonce. Solange is another very talented artist, but her older sister is so much better. Also, we need to retcon everything we know about Kanye, so his songs should not be here. I'm also not a fan of throwing a dozen Taylor Swift songs on the list. She is a fine artist, but come on. She needs to be in the game for a bit longer. I also do not like the fact that they put Coldplay songs on this list. Everyone makes fun of that band. Everyone. They write cheeky, goofy pop songs. Or how is a song like "Wonderwall" in the top 100. Sure, it is a solid song, but not one of the 100 greatest songs of all time. Not even close. Kelly Clarkson is a great artist as well, but "Since You've Been Gone" is the top 90? There are way better break up songs way further down on this list. No LCD Soundsystem song should be in the top 100. This has to have been from the hipster group of writers. And again, I adore LCD Soundsystem. I also do not know what the deal is with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", but how that song makes all these lists is so far beyond me. Having MIA's "Paper Planes" in the top 50 must be a joke. No way is "Seven Nation Army" a better song than "When Doves Cry". "Royals" is not even Lorde's best song, and they have that at 30. A song by synth pop star Robyn is in the top 20, and I have never heard it before. No way does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" belong in the top 50, and they have it at five. It is so funny to me that the highest ranked Bob Dylan song is "Like a Rolling Stone". Total promotional pick.

This list is rife with hipster/company people picking what they want their bosses to be happy with. There is no joy or fun in this. It is all very common or ridiculous. There is no middle ground. But again, this is only a handful of people at Rolling Stone picks. This is who they were either told to put on here, or decided they had to have these songs on the list. If I did a top 500 songs of all time list it would greatly differ, but I am not going to do it for a myriad of reasons, number one being how arbitrary making a list like this truly is. This is all about opinion. If they sat down with real musicians, or people that have worked their whole life using science to figure out what are truly the best songs ever, scientifically, maybe I would take it a little more seriously. But this is typical Rolling Stone nonsense.

Read the very long list if you want to, but try not to let it make you too angry. That would be a waste of your time.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on Blind Melon

During the pandemic and my running I have been rediscovering bands, or giving bands I liked, but never gave a real shot, a chance. One such band that I have recently found myself getting into heavily is Blind Melon. Lets discuss.

My older brother Seth has been telling me for years that I need to really listen to Blind Melon. Like most people I know the song "No Rain". I also really enjoyed their take on "Three is the Magic Number". I knew the big hits. But I never really gave them much of a thought outside of those songs. Seth tried and tried for years too. He would give me multiple albums. He would play songs he thought I would like, but it never hit me right at the time. I remember him wanting me to listen to their record called "Soup" so badly that he would play it in my car constantly when he would come home for a visit. Back then, to me, they sounded too jammy. I liked jam bands too, but there was just something in the way they played that felt a little different. I actually lumped them in with Phish, and spoiler alert, I have tried time and again with Phish and I do not like them at all. That was unfair of me to do that.

I have been in a music rut lately, which helped push me towards Blind Melon. I was listening to RTJ, Bo Burnham, Talking Heads, Lorde and Tyler, the Creator a little too much. Those are all great, wonderful, some of my favorite artists of all time, but you need a break every now and then. It makes you appreciate them even more when you go back. So when I was running yesterday I decided I was going to give Blind Melon a real shot. This was their time to shine for me. And I was totally blown away by how much I was vibing and grooving to their music. The singer has this incredibly distinct voice, and you know it is him the moment he opens his mouth to sing the words he wrote. He has long since passed away, a drug overdose I believe, but this dude was so far ahead of his time. Listening to him now, if Blind Melon came out today, they would be headlining folk festivals and touring with big acts. He is a better singer, in my opinion, than someone like Nathaniel Rateliff, who I adore. He has this cool, scratchy, growly voice that is so fun to listen to. I love hearing him sing the songs. The band is top notch. I cannot believe that I ever lumped them into the jam band category. That is not to say that jam bands are not good, they are great, but Blind Melon is so much better. Jam bands tend to meander and try to find a way out when performing a song. That is why the songs clock in at over six minutes for every one.

Blind Melon was, technically speaking, a great band. The guitarist was/is a phenom. I do not know if he is still alive, but I sure hope so. I was listening to some of their early work and the way he plucks an acoustic guitar is virtuosic. When the band would go electric he sounded just as clean, which is a feat that not a lot of very talented musicians can accomplish. The drummer was always on time, had great fills, did some cool solo stuff and fit in nicely. The bassist provided that clean bass tone that I have come to really love in folk/rock music. The band was so well put together and played like the pros they were. It is such a shame that drugs tore this band apart and cost the lead singer his life. They could still be out there doing it, and doing it well. They clearly had the chops. They all knew what they excelled at, and they ran with it. Blind Melon made great music, but there could have been so much more. I think that is what bums me out the most. I think they only made three records with the original crew, but those three records are dynamite.

I am done doubting Seth and his musical taste. He has always been there for me, and now that I am actually listening to Blind Melon, this is another debate that he wins. Blind Melon is great you guys. Go listen to all their other music besides the two hits I mentioned and see for yourself. 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 Listen's to Lizzo's "Rumors"

The other day I finally got around to listening to the new Lizzo Song "Rumors" featuring Cardi B.

This song rules.

Lizzo has been rocketing up the stardom chain for about three years now. And this new song is only going to make her even more famous. She is coming off a ton of Grammy nominations and some wins. "Cause I Love You" was a smash hit that featured a plethora of top singles. Prior to the pandemic she was selling out pretty much every live show within a day or two. I know the show in Saint Louis was moved to a bigger venue due to how fast she sold it out. She was climbing the ranks. This new song further hammers home that she is the queen of pop and rap music at the moment. She is doing it better than anyone out there right now.

“Rumors” is dirty and fun and has a great beat and Lizzo's vocals are a thing of beauty. The way she can switch from rapping to singing is a sight to behold with your ears. She is not equaled by anyone right now. She raps better than Cardi B does on this song, and Cardi B is good. Lizzo is simply better. I love the beat of the song too. It comes in hard. It is stanky, which is a very good thing. And when Lizzo comes in with the first couple of lines, I was hooked. I love the way she says "God damn" in between each lyric in the song. It immediately grabs you. If you are a fan, you want more. If you have never heard her, but like rap music, it will grab you too. And if you like modern pop music, Lizzo is the best in the game. As I said earlier, the way she vacillates between rap and pop singing is so good. She starts the song with some sing songy lyrics, where she intersplices the "God damn" parts, and when the verse hits, she belts it the hell out of the park. She then switches into rap mode and absolutely crushes it. The chorus is very catchy and very fun, with both ladies showcasing their talents. Then Cardi B gets to let loose on her verse, and she crushes. It is a very good rap verse from a rapper I have never really listened to before. I will be checking out some of her other music now. I think what I like most about the song is how much fun the two of them are having. You can tell they had a blast making this song. It comes across so well. When the people making the music are having fun, that is usually the sign of a song that is going to be a big hit. I am kind of surprised it did not come out sooner this summer, it could have owned the charts. But the fact that we are getting new music from Lizzo is great. I would much rather listen to her than a lot of other pop musicians out there right now.

I hope this single means she is working on a new record. That would rule. For the time being though, I will continue to listen to "Rumors". 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 Listens to "Solar Power"

Ten days ago Lorde put out her long awaited third album, "Solar Power". I had heard the two singles she released early, I am a fan and like so many others I was pretty excited to listen to the record. I listened the morning it came out, listened again right after that and have gone back here and there in the last week plus to get my ears on it some more.

“Solar Power” is different from Lorde’s first two records. She exploded on the scene with "Pure Heroine" and "Melodrama" is a masterpiece. I was curious to see what direction she would go in with this album, and it is a whole new direction. And I enjoy it. I have seen some people giving it tepid reviews, but I have enjoyed every listen to this point.

The record is very stripped down. It is very acoustic. It is very sleepy in a good way. Putting the record out in late August was perfect because the album has the feeling of the end of summer. Jack Antonoff produced it and the more records I hear that he produces I am finding that I like them. I am not a huge fan of his bands. Fun is okay, Bleachers is fine, but I do not dig the music he plays. His producing for pop stars is top notch though. He has a gift and the ear to produce pop music. I also like how he has the artists kind of go bare bones with the albums he helps them make. Doing with this Lorde could have been a misstep, but both of them found a way to make it work and make it great.

Like I said, the album is slower and way stripped down from her first two. It is a nice change of pace. I love listening to the record when I am cleaning the house or going for a drive. My daughter really enjoys the record. She is growing to like slower, more folky music as she gets older. I love it. I think what I love most about the album is it lets Lorde's vocals totally shine. Her voice is the main, and most important instrument on this record. Lorde is a great singer, with a powerful voice and "Solar Power" really lets that shine. That is not to say that the first two records don't do that, but there is a ton of instruments and music backing her vocals. "Solar Power" is light piano, some drums and acoustic guitars backing Lorde's vocals. It is perfect. I also like how quick the album moves. No song is longer than five minutes, except the closer which is like two songs melded together. The middle of the album meanders for a bit, maybe two songs, but even the meandering works on the record. There is one song where she talks at the end as if she is an announcer in the airport, and I love that song. After the two slower tunes though she rips through three or four songs that are super short, but super good. Those songs are all about the lyrics and Lorde shines through singing the words she wrote. I especially love the song "Dominoes".

I do not get the backlash that this record is receiving from some, but there will always be critics for everything. All I know is I really like the record. Lorde is as reliable a musician as we have right now. When she puts out new music it will be good. It will have people talking. Fans will be delighted and she will make new fans. As I always say, I like when artists take chances, try something new, and that is what Lorde has done with "Solar Power". I really enjoy this record and I definitely recommend you give it a listen.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Summer of Soul"

I finally got around to watching "Summer of Soul" on Hulu, and it was awesome. I really wish I hadn't waited so long to watch it.

For those that don't know, "Summer of Soul" is a documentary that was the equivalent of Woodstock with R&B and soul acts. It was dubbed "black Woodstock". I never knew about this, and many other people didn’t as well, because they never released the footage of the festival until now. Questlove of The Roots directed the movie, and he did one hell of a job. The people he got to talk about it ranged from super famous musicians to festival goers to political workers to fans of the music. It was an excellent array of people that really knew their stuff.

My favorite interviews were from the people that attended the show. To see their faces now, to see them reflect and remember, to hear them talk about the joy that this brought, it was magnetic. I have been to many shows and a few festivals, and that experience is something I will never forget. Even at bad shows or festivals, which I am not a fan of, I always have a snapshot in my mind of the day. So to hear these people talk about something as amazing as this festival must have been, those are the memories worth keeping and sharing with anyone that will listen. I adored listening to these people talk.

I loved the music as well. The people that played this were some of the best to do it. Mahalia Jackson could sing. Even when she was ill she was out there belting away like no one else could at the time. Mavis Staples hung right there with her though. When those two sang Dr Martin Luther King's favorite song, after an emotional and powerful speech from Jesse Jackson, I teared up. Those two are amazing. A 19 year old Stevie Wonder kicked off and ended the movie, and holy cow is he incredible. I am already a fan, but seeing this made me love him and his music even more. I also got a good sense of his early activism. BB King slayed guitar like I always expect him too. Even some of the acts I didn’t know or haven't listened to, I really dug their music. I do like Gladys Knight and the Pips, and seeing her in a 60's outfit dancing and having a great time made me like her more. Nina Simone gave a very strong and impassioned performance that I will always think about every time this movie is brought up in conversation.

Besides the music and listening to the people that were there talk about their memories, what I loved most was how comforting and jovial and happy and peaceful everything was during the four weekends this went on. There were no fights or problems. Nothing was destroyed or burned. Everyone was treating others with respect. That doesn't happen nowadays, and it sure as hell hasn't happened since they tried to do Woodstock in 1999. People back in the 60's, with everything that was going on back then, knew how to act responsibly. I appreciated that aspect. I like that Questlove showed everyone having a good time. Even when they did the whole section on the moon landing, I sided with the festival goers. They did things the responsible and correct way.

I loved this movie. I think that is obvious. I wish I knew about this festival sooner, but better late than never. I recommend "Summer of Soul" very much. It is top notch.

Ty

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

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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.

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.