Nine Random Thoughts

If there's one big difference between me in my late 20s and me at age 44, it's that I no longer feel the need or desire to bash the "popular" music of today. While I don't particularly enjoy the music that the masses are currently buying, I don't suffer any delusions that the bands I like are somehow "superior". I think people should be able to like the music they like without being judged for it. And at a time when so many good bands can be heard via on-line streaming, podcasts, YouTube, etc., it seems kind of pointless to whine about the state of mainstream music.

Speaking of YouTube, how in the world did we ever live without that thing? Remember back in the day if you wanted to hear an out of print record, you had to hope and pray that you could track down a physical copy and then pay through the nose to acquire it? I remember a time when I would have killed to own rarities like The Brat's Attitude EP and the first Killjoys single. Now I can listen to either with just a quick Google search. YouTube has become the world's greatest jukebox.

It's still hard for me to believe that Nirvana's Nevermind, Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque, Screeching Weasel's My Brain Hurts, and Material Issue's International Pop Overthrow are all turning 25 this year. It's like a quarter century passed in the blink of an eye.  

Things I don't like that most people like: video games, cake, the John Lennon song "Imagine". 
Things I like that most people don't like: chopped liver, low-scoring football games, the comedy of Gilbert Gottfried.
 
If you're new to this blog and have been thinking, "This guy gives everyone a good review!", you are 100 percent correct. By design, I only write about music that I like. For many years in my younger days, I fancied myself a "critic" and would review everything that was submitted to me. But let's be real. I'm not qualified to critique music. I prefer to think of myself as someone who merely spreads the gospel. I used to love turning friends onto new bands by making them mixed tapes. I like to think of this blog as my mixed tape to the entire world.

If you could time travel back to any year to see bands, which year would you pick? I'd opt for 1979. That would be something to see The Clash in their prime and AC/DC with Bon Scott! 

For all of those individuals wondering when the heck I'm finally going to review the band Wyldlife, I promise that this is the year!

Last year, I did not get the chance to do a "top ten albums of 2005" post. Here, then, are my favorite 10 albums from '05:
1. Unlovables - Crush*Boyfriend*Heartbreak
2. The Fevers - Love Always Wins
3. Zodiac Killers- Radiation Beach
4. Chaz Matthews - Amazing Graceless
5. Red Invasion - I'm Not Too Young To Die
6. Kevin K - Perfect Sin
7. The Sweethearts- Looks Could Kill
8. Real Losers - Music For Funsters
9. The Flakes - Back To School
10. M.O.T.O. - Raw Power 

Reviews I have planned for February: Indonesian Junk, Jabronis, Crazy and the Brains, Nasty Rumors. I might sneak in a couple more if I have the time.

-L.R.