Ty Listens to "This is Important" Podcast

A few months back I was looking for a different podcast to listen to when I run. I have a good team of pods that help me through long runs, but I was either caught up on them, or was getting a little bored. I always try to find one of two kinds of pods when I run, conversational or comedic. When the two categories marry, that is the cherry on top.

The podcast I decided to try was "This is Important". This podcast is hosted by the guys behind one of my all time favorite shows, "Workaholics". We got Kyle Newachek, Anders Holm, Adam Devine and Blake Henderson as the hosts. The podcast is very straight forward. It is just the four of these guys bull shitting for an hour every Tuesday. They like to say that they are only talking about, "what is truly most important", but it is just four friends having a good time on the mic. It also helps that these guys are hilarious, have great chemistry, even better friendship and are pretty well known.

Outside "Workaholics", all these guys are still working. Kyle Newachek is still directing and producing, most recently on the great TV show, "What We Do in the Shadows". Adam Devine has starred in his fair share of movies of late, and he has just been announced as the star of an upcoming "Pitch Perfect" TV series. Anders Holm is still doing his thing, he is apparently in an upcoming movie with Robert De Niro. He was also great in "Top 5" by the way. And Blake Henderson, he has a recurring role on "Woke", was great on "Parks and Rec" and was excellent in the movie "Dope". They are all still grinding, and they still have the time to get together for an hour a week and make a goofy, ridiculous and fun podcast.

I often find myself cracking up when I listen. It is so mundane and wild and crazy and hilarious. They literally just take a subject here and there and they go down crazy rabbit holes. They did a good 10-15 minutes on John Lithgow movies a few episodes back. They did their first "live" episode when Devine had his bachelor party in the Ozarks. It was epic. When Holm goes on about neo soul music, I love it because I love neo soul. Anderson has a soundboard, and the way he uses it during the show is so hilariously perfect. Newachek will spend most of his time either talking about his wife and kids, his garden or expelling gas on the microphone. I know this all sounds trite and boring, but I promise you it is not. Especially if you like Mail Order Comedy and "Workaholics". It is just a continuation of where they started. They may have reached a new level of fame, but these dudes seem totally down to Earth, which is awesome. I think the simpleness of the pod is why I love listening to it while running. It marries the comedy and conversation aspects that I like about podcasts. It takes those two genres and melds them perfectly. I love it because it is two of my most favorite things about podcasting.

If you like these guys, or watched "Workaholics", or just enjoy friends getting together that happen to be extremely funny, check out "This is Important". It is well worth 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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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 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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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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Ty Listens to The "Ear Hustle" Podcast

Entering season 6, “Ear Hustle” is finding a great groove and is becoming one of the best podcasts available.

I was late to this pod. I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on a different pod a few years back and decided then that I was going to listen. I gobbled up the previous seasons. When I started listening, Woods was still in jail. They did, and still do, stories of what life is like inside San Quentin. I was fascinated. I never really dug this deep into prison life stories. I have watched movies and TV shows, but those were all hyper superficial. It was the cliché stuff. Shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Oz” seemed like a good representation to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is violence and very crazy stuff that happens in prison, but not like the Hollywood version according to these prisoners. Life seemed boring and pretty redundant. It seemed very structured and very quiet, for the most part. There were stories from certain people who dealt with abuse and violence inside, but those were few and far between. I thought this was interesting. It gave me a new outlook.

Earlonne Woods eventually got released, and that’s when this pod took an even bigger leap, and it really soared. They still have a person inside, he goes by the nickname New York, and we still get stories from the inside, but with Woods out, we are getting stories about prisoners that have been released. That’s equally fascinating. Some are doing well, others are struggling a bit and some are back in jail. There’s a few great stories about these guys. There’s one about a guy who got a job as a trash collector in a strip mall in San Francisco. The job doesn’t sound glamorous, but the way the gentleman describes it, you’d think he was a head honcho at a big corporation. He was thrilled to be doing something on the outside. There was another one, a sad one, about an addict who keeps relapsing and keeps ending up back in jail. Mind you we are still getting stories about guys in jail. There’s been excellent ones about music, taking care of animals, letters and the food. When the pandemic hit I thought that might have been the end, but they kept at it and kept making new episodes. They all had to be about guys who were released, but they also found new angles. There is an episode about kids who stay at a camp where they have incarcerated parents. That was powerful. They did a cooking competition. That was fun. They found ways to keep doing it and do it well.

They have released the first two episodes of season 6, and both are excellent. The first was them catching up with a few former guests. They were also able to get a mic back inside and have New York talk to people. The most recent episode was about visits in the age of COVID. It was eye opening.

This pod just gets better and better with each new season. I look forward to listening to “Ear Hustle” more than the other pods I regularly listen to. I highly recommend checking it out. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods are great hosts, and New York does fine work as well. Check this pod out. You will really enjoy it.

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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Ty Listens to "Roseville"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Listens to "Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was"

It has been nine years, but Bright Eyes put out a new album a week or so ago. I had read news awhile back that they were working on some new material, but I had kind of forgotten about it. Then they released a music video which I watched and enjoyed. But again, that was in early summer. I had forgotten that they were working on music.

Then one afternoon when I was out, or doing homeschooling, I don't really know anymore, the days all blend, my buddy Kirk texted to ask if I had listened to the new record yet. I hadn't, so I remedied that right that moment. I didn't know what to expect. I am a fan. I first listened to Bright Eyes when I heard the record "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning". At the time I liked slower acoustic stuff, and when they went heavy and angry, I liked it. I then devoured pretty much all of their stuff. The live record, "Motion Sickness" is a great live album. I wasn't so much into "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn". And I really, truly liked "Cassadaga" and "The People's Key". I then went back and listened to really early Bright Eyes. "Letting Off the Happiness", and mainly "Fevers and Mirrors" were revelatory for me. Then I dug into Conor Oberst' solo stuff and his work with other bands. I was, at least considered myself, a full fledged fan. I dig his writing. Yes it can be depressing, but so can so many other bands and singers and songwriters I listen to. Hell, I love the blues, and that is as sad as it gets. But as he has grown up, Oberst, he seems to have gotten a little less sad, a little less depressing. I could hear a tinge of it in "Cassadaga", I believe he wrote that record when he got clean. Then it was even more forward in "The People's Key". But coming into the new record, since it had been so long, I was intrigued. Would he go back to the anger and depression, focusing more on acoustic music? Or would he continue with his growth?

Well, "Down In the Weeds, Where the World Once Was", definitely reminds me of the more grown up Oberst. It has been nearly a decade, Oberst is now 40 years old, he has gone through a divorce, he has lost a brother, he has been accused of sexual assault, which was retracted by the accuser fairly quick after the accusation, he has been through a lot, and he has come out the other side. That is what I get from "DITWWTWOW". This is a grown up making good, accessible grown up music. It still has his touch, and that voice is so uniquely him. But still, this album has happier music, and not nearly as depressing lyrics. It can go there from time to time. "One and Done" is kind of on that track, but it still sounds happy when you get to the chorus. It is also a great closure song. It feels like he is getting all the bad stuff from past relationships off his chest. Then to follow that up with "Pan and Broom", which sounds like an 80's tune, but with Oberst's happier lyrics, I love it. I like the way the record starts too. "Dance and Sing" really gets it going. There is some nice guitar in the song. It brought me right back to 2010 when I listened to him the most. "Just Once in the World" has that acoustic sound, but it builds and builds to a great crescendo. So far "Mariana Trench" is my favorite track. It has my favorite music in it, and the chorus is catchy as hell, which shocked me coming from Oberst. I find myself humming this song a lot. I really dig "Persona Non Grata". It starts out with just Oberst and a piano, but when the drums kick in it has that classic sound. I find it comforting to hear this music and be taken back to where I was nearly 10 years ago. It also has some cool strings and horns attached, which is always a plus for me. "Tilt-A-Whirl" seems like an ode to his brother that he lost. He opens by saying that a "phantom brother came to me". The song is also sad, but sweet at the same time. It's a good one. "Forced Convalescence" is upbeat and fun, musically. Again, the lyrics can be a downer a bit, but the music works so well, and I find myself bobbing my head along when it plays.

This record is good all around. It is a cozy blanket. It is a reminder of why I started, and continued to listen to his music. Oberst is a great writer, and I think age has only made him better. He has been through and seen so much, I believe that helps him as a writer. I highly recommend this album. It is some great work. 

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 "Paradiso"

The Sloppy Boys released a new record “Paradiso” last week, and boy was it much needed. I like this band, I think the guys are funny, but I also appreciate the music they make. They are fun, they remind me of summer and, while this whole year has been a totally dumpster fire, their music lets me forget for thirty minutes about what is going on outside. They make fun music that just grooves. I didn't know they were making another new record either, but I guess, just like the rest of us, they have a ton of free time, so why not, right.

This album, much like their first two, is swift, charming and funny. There are songs about drinking, drugs, getting laid and having a good time, which is what I have come to expect from them. But what I didn't really see coming was how much better they are getting at their instruments. I also dig the fact that they have thrown a sax on a few songs. They are branching out, and I like that. I also have become very accustomed to Tim Kalpakis' voice, and I am a tried and true fan. I fully enjoy when he is the lead singer. Don't get me wrong, Mike Hanford is a solid singer too, and Jeff Dutton throws in some solid backing vocals, but I am a Kalpakis guy.

The opening track, "One Last Bender" sets the table perfectly, and Kalpakis' voice is front and center. It is a fun song about getting hammered. It's great. The next song, "We're Gonna Get You Laid" is funny, and it takes the perspective of a guy trying to help a girl get laid. I think that is pretty cool, and the song is rad. "Breakfast at Bellevue" features Kalpakis on lead vocals, and has a very cool build up at the beginning. Then it morphs into their surfer summer rock style they have locked down. "Out on the Town" is like an old school 80's rap song. It has neat keyboards, funny vocals and hearing them do a song like this makes me laugh and groove at the same time. It is a good song to run to as well. "The Mastah Bong Ripper" is like Black Sabbath meets the Count from "Sesame Street". This song is so weird and so awesome. It's also hilarious the way they put it out on the record. It is totally different from anything they've done to this point, and I love it. It is my favorite song on the record at the moment. "Armageddon" is like a tribute to both Billy Joel and Bruce Willis. They sing and play it in classic waltz style, all the while talking about friends that have grown up and stopped drinking and have families, but they also mention Bruce Willis movies. It is great. "Little Miss Socialite" is a song that could easily be played on pop radio today if pop radio were cool. It has some nice distorted guitar in it, and the lyrics are solid. "Oh Yeah" is more of a classic rock song. It has banging drums, good quality guitar and Mike Hanford bringing it with his voice. The song is all about yelling the phrase "Oh Yeah" also. That is what I love about this band. They are good, but they don't take themselves too seriously. They play music for fun and just happen to be good at it. "College Night" is the longest song on the record, coming in at over six minutes, and it starts with Tim Kalpakis just naming colleges, and then they get into the meat of the song. It starts with distorted guitars, and then shifts to acoustic, with some nice little riffs thrown in, and Kalpakis singing about what college students do at night time. It is kind of sweet if I do say so. This is akin to "Classic New York Night" from their last record. It is an anthem type song, and it sounds like an ode to something bigger. But when you listen to the words, it is pure comedy. I love that they do one song like this on their records. It is almost as assured as their surf rock sound. "Full Blown Free for All" is the closer, and it sounds like the closer to a rocking record. It is fast paced with fast singing and it closes out this new album perfectly.

I really like “Paradiso”. I am a Sloppy boys fan, or Slophead as we are now known. I am happy they made a new record also. It is a nice detour from the real world, and I appreciate that they keep making music. I definitely recommend this record. 

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 "Talking Heads"

I grew up in a house where music was played constantly. My parents are children of the 60's, two of my brothers are kids of the late 70's and early 80's and my brother closest in age to me was a hip hop kid in the early 90's. There has been plenty of music, and plenty of different music that I have heard in my 37 years so far on this planet. Like most people I have developed my own taste, I have very emotionally charged feelings about what I like and why I like it and I consider myself a music snob. But, my taste has been molded by everyone in my family. I have my love for The Beatles from my dad. The Band is one of the best bands ever, and I have my mom to thank for that. Hip hop groups like Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, I have RD to thank for that. Jam music and hippy bands, I can attribute my other brothers, and my oldest brother's wife for my love, albeit short lasting, for jam music.

The one band that all three of my brothers have listened to, and grown to love over the years, Talking Heads, never really, truly spoke to me. I listened to them. I was the typical guy that liked their hits, but I never really ventured beyond that. I would just listen to their songs that I heard in movies or on TV shows or other bands covering them live. Recently though I have found myself revisiting bands that I never gave a true chance. I have been listening to a lot of bands people have told me about, but I never really felt that I needed to give them the time. I am also running all the time during the pandemic, and lately I have been devouring music on my runs because podcasts can get a bit boring, or they don't give me the energy that I need. My kids would also much rather listen to music than another basketball podcast. Over the past week I decided that I was going to give Talking Heads a fair shake. I don't know if it was the new Scott Aukermann and Adam Scott podcast about them that got to me, or if I just decided it was time, or a combination of the two, but the time had come to give in.

Boy am I glad that I did. Talking Heads are absolutely incredible, way ahead of their time, geniuses, have made some of the best music that has ever existed and just an all out wonderful band. Forgive me if I have already written about them in my Greatest American band pieces I did, but I didn't really get them until just the other day. In the past three days I have listened to "77", "More Songs About Buildings and Food" and "Stop Making Sense" each about three times from start to finish. This is some of the most incredible music I have ever heard in my life. To hear them, especially on a debut album like "77", sound like they did is amazing. They were so ahead of their contemporaries. They had a clearer vision than anyone else where their genre was headed. If I had to pick a genre for them I'd say they are post punk, but Talking Heads is so much more than just a genre. They bend so many different styles and blends of music. They can do so many different styles. The band is truly phenomenal, and David Byrne, he may be one of the most musically talented writers and composers of all time. Hearing what he wrote on "77" is simply astounding. Then to hear the sonic change they made on "MSABAF", they knew where they wanted to go, got some help from Brian Eno, and they went there, but also went beyond.

Then yesterday I decided to give "Stop Making Sense" my first listen. I have read and heard many things about the record, but I never dove into it. I decided I was going to go run for about an hour, so I figured it was a perfect time to finally check it out. Well, my run lasted for an hour and 20 minutes because I had to hear the whole thing. I got three songs into it and I was absolutely blown away by what I was hearing. It has to be one of the best live albums that has ever been made. Listening to "Stop Making Sense" actually makes me miss live music that much more. I didn't think I was missing it much during the pandemic, but this record changed all that. I wanted to be there when they recorded this. I want to see Talking Heads. I know it's not viable anymore, but this album makes me miss it, and wish for live music. It is perfectly crafted, perfectly sequenced and lets the band totally shine. And talk about hits. This record is filled with incredible live versions of any Talking Heads song any average fan could ask for. But they also throw in some other stuff that just blows me away. When they turn into the Tom Tom Club and play "Genius of Love", it is such a change departure, but it is groovy as hell. To go from that right into a sped up version of "Girlfriend is Better" shows how gifted they were as a band. Also, the version of "This Must Be the Place" that they play, they call it "Naive Melody", makes me adore the song so much more. "Life During Wartime", which they play right after "Burning Down the House", is legendary. And that is how the whole record is. It just gets better and better with every listen.

I have found that has been my feeling with the first three records I have chosen to listen to as well. I have found myself craving their music lately. I wake up and turn them on when I make breakfast. I listen to them when I workout. They work for everything. I'm so excited to see where they go from here, and how much more I grow to love them. I definitely waited too long to really listen to Talking Heads, but better late than never, right. They are clearly one of the best, most influential and most important bands of all time. Talking Heads are amazing. 

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 "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Childish Gambino's "3.15.20"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to the Podcast "Ear Hustle"

Awhile back on the podcast I mentioned that I was currently getting caught up on a different podcast called "Ear Hustle". today I got totally caught up, and I have to tell you, this is one of the best, most informative, eye opening and true story telling I have ever listened to.

I was first interested in this particular pod when I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on another podcast I enjoy called "Without Fail". Hearing his story, hearing how they got "Ear Hustle" started, hearing how he was doing now that, spoiler alert, he has been released from jail, I was totally in for it all. I then heard that his other co host was a visual artist and a volunteer at the prison named Nigel Poor. I looked her stuff up, I thought she seemed cool, so I immediately subscribed later that day to "Ear Hustle".

It took me awhile to get going, I do listen to tons of other stuff, but once I got started, I just could not stop listening. I would try to listen to at least three episodes a day. The episodes are no more than 45 minutes long, so while this wasn't too hard, I do have two younger kids, so I had to find free time to listen. I would listen on runs, during races, on my way to play basketball or during quiet time in my house. I was, and still am, hooked.

The stories are so real because they come from real inmates. They are personal. They are dark. Some are funny at times. Both Nigel and Earlonne are excellent hosts. They really know how to talk to one another and other people. The new co host who comes in season four, after Earlonne was released from prison, he calls himself New York, is just as good as the other two. This show knows exactly what it is doing, and they do it so damn well.

There are so many things I have learned, as a suburban white dude, about prison that I have never thought. I have also found out that a lot of the urban legends about prison are pretty far fetched. But also, there are still some things that ring true. Prison seems boring and repetitive. It seems dour. People do get sick and tired of doing the same thing all the time. Well, some people do. Others appreciate the structure, or at the very least, they need it. One of the biggest things I have gotten out of this show is that these prisoners, some who have done some heinous things, are people, and they are capable of rehabilitating themselves. Earlonne was arrested for armed robbery, and I respect him and his story more than people who have never served time. Some of the guys that come on and talk about their stories, what they did was awful, but I feel empathy for the ones that sound like they have changed. I just listened to an episode about a guy that got off death row, and he really seems like he has changed for the better. The season four finale was a harrowing story of anger, violence, forgiveness and redemption. It nearly brought me to tears. While still in prison, the stories Earlonne and Nigel told, and had people tell them, were wonderful and eye opening. I feared that may change when Earlonne got released, but New York kept the stories from the inside going, and having Earlonne talk to guys that got out, and how they are doing now, it is a great blend.

"Ear Hustle" is one of the best put together podcasts that is out there right now. It is also one of the most original, and coolest ideas for a podcast. After getting caught up, I have told my wife that I am inclined to go and volunteer my time at a prison. I don't know what I would do, but I want to do something because this show has made me realize that I have something to offer, and I shouldn't shy away from prisoners. They are people. People who made terrible choices, but people nonetheless. I am so excited for season five, and I don't have to wait too long. It comes back early March, the 5th I want to say, and you better believe that I will be waiting with bated breath.

I cannot recommend "Ear Hustle" enough. It is truly wonderful.

Ty

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

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Ty Listen's to Har Mar Superstar's "Hot Dish"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Nathaniel Rateliff's "And It's Still Alright"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Beck's "Hyperspace"

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "IGOR"

In anticipation of seeing him live in a few months, I have been devouring Tyler the Creator's most recent album "IGOR", and I have to say, I really, really like it.

I was a bit on the fence at first because it is such a departure from what I am used to from him. On his other records he has some, how do I say this, nasty or, at times, scary things he talks about. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of all his stuff, but when he was with Odd Future, and when he first went off on his own, he had some shocking lyrics. That was how he made his name as a solo artist. Then, a few years ago, he released “Boy Fuck Girl", which I like, but it showed a little growth from him. It was still akin to his older style, but he did have a few songs that kind of ventured out of his norm. On "IGOR", it is all different, and I love it.

When I first heard the album, I was stunned. I didn't expect it. In fact, my first thought was, why? But, as I listened to it more and more, I started to like it more and more. Now, I feel like I listen to it front to back once a day. I listen to it in the car, on runs, while mowing my grass, pretty much anytime I am driving, or exercising, I find myself picking "IGOR" as my choice.

First of all, I love the opener, which is pretty much all instrumental. There are a few lyrics here and there, but for the most part, it is like a pump up song. It gets you ready for what you will be listening to from there on out. The very next song, "EARFQUAKE" shows how much of a difference Tyler the Creator is making on this album. This song is, by far, his most accessible. It has a great hook, a nice beat and there is a few verses from Tyler himself that are excellent. The video for the song is awesome too. Check it out. But in "EARFQUAKE" Tyler even sings, and I have to say, he pulls it off.

From there on out, the record shows a total and tonal change from him. The album is, in essence, a love record. It seems like he has someone, or had someone, in his life that gave him the influence to put this type of record out. The music is softer and nicer and different in a very good way. And don't get me wrong, this is still a rap record, it is just different from what Tyler the Creator has done before. For example, "NEW MAGIC WAND" is a straight up rap song, but it doesn't have any shock lyrics, or stuff that makes me take a step back. He crushes the song, but it is just different. I also appreciate that he recorded himself saying some pretty deep stuff in between songs. I like that he kept it on the record too. It's great.

So while it took me a few listens to get into it, I now have a newfound love for this album. I have stated many times that I like when artists take chances, and Tyler the Creator is taking a big chance, and nailing it, on "IGOR". The newfound love also has me very hype to see him do this record live. I cannot wait to see what the show is like, and to hear these songs live. I have never seen him live either, and I feel like this is a great entrance into a live Tyler the Creator show. If you are a fan, you will love this record because Tyler the Creator is awesome. But I feel like people that may not listen to him would enjoy this record too. It really is for music fans of all kinds. There is still cursing on it, so maybe don't listen to it with the kids, although I still do listen with my kids. But, other than that, "IGOR" rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is glad to find some new exciting music. All the Weird Al has not been getting Ty pumped to mow the grass.

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Ty Listens More Closely To "Let's Rock"

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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