Sam's best of 2012:

Anyway-Cee-lo Green

I'm just gonna admit it I fell off the bandwagon in regards to my fandom of this guy after his follow up to the Lady Killer and even that record in retrospect hasn't aged as well as the music it clearly tried to be but god fucking damn it I FUCKING LOVE THIS GOD DAMN SONG.

You ever watch a movie that you know isn't a quality piece of media but you love every fucking second of it because it just makes you feel good in it's lack of quality?

Well that's kind of how I feel about this song disco infused ball of cheese courtesy of a man who's kind of a douche bag, but like I said at the time this song's quality is similar to Discovery-era Daft punk in that it's quality is similar to child like innocence it's good because it makes you feel good you have a tune that has a lot of warm tones, and simple lyrics that are easy to sing along to and just goofy enough to look past the sheer absurdity of them (“for worse or for better, you make me better,”) and I from what I can remember of 2012 as a year I needed an escapist piece of music that wasn't dumb ass angry white boy music and Cee-Lo as a whole opened my eyes up to giving R&B a chance and while I still love me some aggressive rock and roll I don't just listen to that I kind of explore it all and this man is honestly partly why that's a thing for me.

Now if only Cee-Lo would put it ON FUCKING SPOTIFY!

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #8

8.Go So Wrong-Second Hand King

First off I'd like to take a second to say that I saw this song played in my house and it was FUCKING AWESOME! Second Hand King is a hell of a dude people.

This song hit a little too close to home for me in terms of it's upbeat tone that it presents but it's rather sad subject matter of how something so good could possibly go so wrong which happened quite a bit more than I'd like to admit to in all honesty, “I could ever wonder how anybody could love a creature as cold blooded as me,” is but one of many examples of a lot of the lyrical sucker punches I often feel when I listen to a lot of SHK's more life focused relationship based tunes and this one felt the most real in a large sense and it's that undying reliability along with it's more R&B focused style that resonated to me because like my earlier post about Kendrick rap isn't a genre that completely resonates with me but it has it's merits and can emote something in me.

This is an excellent doo-whop cut which is showcasing King's continued venturing outside of his traditional rapping style to make what's an outright doo-wop track that sounds like some bad ass obscured cut you found rummaging through your parents old vinyl records and King's voice feels a lot more in control and well toned than you'd possibly expect which leads to a tune that hit close and was rotated plenty a night sober and drunk.

When I decided to reach out to SHK about this track this is what he had to say:

So what is the inspirations behind Go So Wrong?

Inspired by this time when a girl told me she was into me via a friend and I systematically destroyed her interest via my nonsense. It was a defense mechanism, in hindsight. I told her, via the friend, that she could only text me if she started each conversation with "turtles".

How was 2017 for you as a performer in terms of the music you wrote, released, and the performances you gave?

2017 was a reemergence for me. A lot changed at the beginning of the year, and I guess I just sort of found myself again near the tail end. March, I headlined the recordBar and that was a big piece of the puzzle for me. Kansas City supported me and I needed Kansas City. Also, I formed a band that I'm pretty excited about as well as started a side project with my friend Jesse from Sinple called Bad Dreamer.

What are your plans for 2018?

My plans are to perform. Hit the ground running, and release FRANKIE next year and something else that's sort of a surprise. All you need to know is you need to see me and my band The Lovers. ASAP. Right now. See us live. It's worth it. I promise.

-Second Hand King

Sam's TOP 10 of 2017 #10

10. LOVE.-Kendrick Lamar fet. Zacari

So I just need to get some bit of information before I rant about this thought that's on my mind and that's that I actually do enjoy rap and hip hop as genre's and feel they're just as much real music as every other genre unlike a good portion of other rock music fans who feel the desire to hate on any rapper that's not Eminem I feel it's a genre with a wealth of talented people making some interestingly great stuff but it's not a genre I specifically have enough of a connection with to treat it like other millennial as some anti status quo race based anti traditionally punk tinged music that an older more conservative minded generation would find as nothing more than disposable noise.

I personally never will see it as an equaling punk music as a fuck you to baby boomers simply because it's a genre that's for the most part THE MAINSTREAM it's modern American pop music through and through and if you're not Rap you're in the dust because I remember watching this interesting round table discussion were these critics talked about how Rap music is the standard of our modern day culture and it's continued urbanization and it was a very interesting view and it got me really thinking about why this genre is a thing and why I was so fucking pissed that my local alternative rock station is starting to play more rap and hip hop in it's rotation going so far as to have Snoop Dogg headline it's biggest festival and it got so far that I do recall drunkenly having a mild argument with one of that stations Dj's and now I'm here at the end of the year a lot less angry and with one simple statement in regards to Hip Hop and it's place in alternative music which simply put it doesn't belong there simply because mainstream culture is Rap music it's not punk rock to play that genre it's simply required to keep the young demographic of disenfranchised liberal teenagers looking to piss off older folks by listening to music that goes against their standards of what makes good music and in turn they're alienating people like me that went to this station wanting to hear rock music that wasn't cock rock post grunge I hate my parents jams that I'd heard fifty different flavors of a million times over and under I want to hear Punk, New Wave, and the various way's you can make a guitar interesting not Chance the fucking Rapper, Donald Golver, OR FUCKING HEY YA!(which no shit STOP PLAYING THAT FUCKING SONG IT'S NOT 2003-2004 LET IT FUCKING DIE!) if I wanted to hear those acts I'd just turn on the top 40 stations they play them a plenty trust me.

That was a very stream of conscious thought that I'm not gonna edit because fuck it it's the truth and what's funny is that even with ALL of that in mind the song to kick off this years list is a rap tune by the only artist in the game that I personally feel makes a quality of music that's at points above it's genre Kendrick Lamar.

“DAMN! LOVE AND LUST! DAMN! ALL OF US!” I can't say how many times I got fucked up and listened to that line over and over again but I did and while DAMN. As an album was not that great this odd little Drake inspired tune just seemed to stick with me in a way that's kind of odd to be honest it's a 3 minute love song about how much adoration he has for his fiance and nothing more and the backing vocalist Zacari sounds like The Weekend and Justin Beiber had a baby which is to say a lot better than he has any right to sound.

The strength of this track is very simple to me it's just a modern day R&B track that has just enough traditional elements to give it a familiar feeling while still sounding like something you'd expect to hear today and it's simple and easy to digest nature gives me this odd feeling of satisfaction and adoration that make me think it's one of the best things I've heard in a long time also it's a great tune to get FUCKED UP TO! So yeah Kendrick is the best and this song contrary to what I've heard some critics say is great and my pick for the 10th best song of the year.

 

Song of the Day 9/27/16

Cold Shouler-Second Hand King

I can't lie I'm not a good judge of rap music because for lack of a better reason it's a genre that hasn't ever really clicked with me because of it's overly repetative nature, 5 minute plus song lenghts, and spoken word lryical delivery it's hard for me to completely sit through entire rap albums and have a lot of the songs get old pretty quick, but admittedly there's acts here and there that manage to strike a chord with me especially whenever they are increadibly angry in lryics or tone, using the genre to kind of deliver a message to people, or just kind of amuse me in a very relatable way and that's where this local act comes to mind.

Second Hand King is a local rapper that I've caught a few times here and there and pretty recently saw him perform at a gig in a rundown basement. Second Hand King refers to himself as a “Doo-Wop Rapper” because he likes to use old rhythm and blues and rock and roll songs from the 50's and 60's as samples for his tracks which give them a very laid back vibe along with pretty catchy sing along hooks that seem to not only be original but also sang by him and from what I can tell there aren't any vocal samples in his tracks and his lyrics range in content from things as serious as death to the more lighthearted side of being rejected and everything and anything inbetween and the track I've decided to highlight today is in the more lighthearted category.

“I wrote this for all the women in my life that hate me, i'm such an asshole,” I'm not going to lie that line kind of resonates with me to a degree along with seeing him go on a bit of a speil before he starts performing this song with one time in particular standing out because the theme of that night from what I can remember him saying is about how much a bastard he is and had been and I've been and am pretty much there more times than I care to admit myself dude and it's my own personal failures that make this track stick out to me with some amusing writing and delivery that's kind of reminiscent of an asher roth in it's kind of self deprivated style and semi-humerous lyrics like the line about how awesome it was to be in 4th grade which is a personal favorite of mine.

This track is fucking dope as hell people and seeing this guy perform in the most minimal of settings really gave this track a vibe that's hard to really match and I'm pretty sure I'll be on the lookout to see if this guy can continue to kill it night in and night out and if you can you should do the same.

Song of the Day 8/30/16

Rolling Thunder-BROTHER


BROTHER are a KC based group that I've been wanting to write about for quite a while now ever since I saw them back in April but with only one bad ass single in the form of Mobbin' that for lack of a better term was pretty easy to describe in a single sentence I kind of decided to wait off until they decided to get another tune out to really get a comparison of just what this band is all about and they've done so with their newest cut in the form of a blisteringly catchy cut, “Rolling Thunder,” and it's a groover for sure.

If I were to describe this band to the unfamiliar I'd say their A LOT like the 1975 in that they have a vocalist with a voice that's equal parts frail as it is a good compliment to the synthesizer heavy groove laiden tracks that are equal parts catchy as they are reminiscent of a variety of sounds and influences and while Mobbin' is a very steadily paced number that's built on a killer hook and a really solid guitar line that has an incredibly New Wave feel to it again very similar to a 1975 and bands of that variety.

Rolling Thunder as a track gives me a lot of R&B feels with very simple lyrics like, “She moves like Cleopatra,” being carried by an infectious but simple groove that's very complimentary to the verses and Quinn Pudenz's voice has a kind of Mat Healy meets BORNS vibe to it that which is slightly frail but really focused on trying to deliver on all the high notes.

Overall this song is fucking dope people and I most certainly say you should give it a good listen and keep tabs on these guy's because I get the feeling that they're going to find a sound that can give them a bit of a distinction from some of the acts that they're very heavily comparable to and could be making a strong impact here sooner then later.

The Greatest Song EVER!

So there are artist that have incredible musical integrity but no commercial appeal what so ever and then there are artist that are record selling machines but people find them to make the most generic radio garbage music in existence and then every once in a blue moon somebody manages to give God or the Devil the right stuff and manages to become something of an enigma in that they are a musical genius that has massive commercial appeal and today that’s where this edition of the best song ever comes into play because we’re talking about one such artist people the all mighty Prince.

Ok before you people start judging me let me say that is an undeniable god damn fact if you were to look at this guy’s musical output before he  turned himself into a symbol you not only  have one of the best movie soundtracks of all time but the most timeless and fantastic pop/R&B of the 80’s and early 90’s and also he’s responsible for what I truly believe is the 2^nd greatest B-Side ever recorded this guy is a fucking machine and a damn icon for his time and if you ever get a chance to look up his super bowl halftime show one damn amazing guitarist and showman and even though I find his work over the last 20ish years to be of very poor quality the man is a fucking machine and a legend in his own right and if there was ever a song to showcase Prince The awe inspiring act of awesomeness it’d be his classic of the ages the 8+ minute opus of the 80’s Purple Rain.

What? NO erotic city, When doves Cry, I would Die for you, Kiss, or even 1999 nope as amazing as this guy’s greatest hits have been and as much as I love when he’s the filthiest most clever song writer around there’s a supremely heartbreaking and magical thing he did when he decided to lay out this gut wrencher of a track and it’s nearly gospel like exclamations of how he, “Knows times are changing,” there’s still an unbridled sense of passion he has for this lover of his and he can’t help but to just belt it out in a way that’s just the most wonderfully sad but amazing way that eventhough I’ll often jokingly sing this songs chorus for no reason or even change purple rain to Kurt Cobain I do in all honesty 100% believe that this song is really FUCKING GREAT and the fact that it’s 8+ minutes and doesn’t feel that way is a feat in and of itself because even at that overindulgent length I’m left wanting more after listening to it which is pretty god damn insane people.

Yeah my appreciation of this song borders on parody I’m not going to lie there but sometimes there’s tunes that are a reflection of their time and place and even so you can’t help but realize that they’re known as classics for a reason and it’s this songs just utterly heartbreaking lyrics and it’s kind of all or nothing approach musically that set’s it so much above a multitude of other songs that I’ve heard and even if it’s a tender break up ballad I’d still hella slow dance the fuck out of this tune with my head playfully on my loved one’s shoulder exclaiming PURPLE RAIN PURRRRPLE RAAAAIN with absolutely no guilt what so ever to believe this may in fact be the greatest song ever.

Now i'm going to have to give you guy's this sentence as a link because Prince don't let his music on youtube and spotify isn't really letting me post their stuff on my blog ATM...

Song of the Day 3/5/15

Pardon the lack of proper...eh fuck it you know what's more amusing then it ever should be? Yelling PUUUUPLE RAIN PURPLE RAIN!!!!!

Yeah I kind of need to take a day to just throw together a series of proper song of the day's because as you can tell winging it just doesn't work to well but even so there are plenty of occasions where I find myself wanting to listen to this 8+ minute Magnum Opus of a track that is every good bit emotional as it is great and for whatever reason I keep finding myself coming straight back to it.

Also on a lesser note I finally listened to Purple Rain the album and I have to say it's surprisingly dated in it's production but the songs are still strong as hell...

Sam's Message to Vance Joy...

So 96.5 the Buzz’s yearly prom themed show is coming up and this year’s headliner is Vance Joy and while that’s pretty damn sweet I had this idea that I need to convince people to start pushing to have him perform his cover of All my Life at this show because well…it’s fucking prom so to the world hashtag the shit outta this video and get him to put it into his prom set god damnit!

#playatpromvance

5 Years 5 Albums: Day 3

Random Access Memories-Daft Punk (2013)

So I’m not going to lie probably within the last 10 is years or so my love for this band has grown about a quintuplet fold when compared to the joyous memories I remember having when I was a kid and Toonami played that Interstellar movie during some late night rotations and find Alive 2007 to be probably the best piece of electronic music I’ve ever and probably ever will enjoy so whenever they finally got around to releasing their first album in almost 10 years the HYPE WAS FUCKING REAL!  And if you read the review you’ll know this is the only album so far to score the elusive 10 out of 10 and while I’m not one to go back on my word I kind of did whenever it came to that year’s best of list because if you were able to read the wall of text that was this songs entry you’ll know that once I took off the rose colored Glasses I kind of realize this didn’t really feel like a true Daft Punk record and in all honesty it really isn’t even after a year of getting to come to grips with that idea.

BUUUUUT even with that said I refuse to take back my score and even if I’ve kind of found some fault in this album it’s a pretty spectacular effort none-the-less and in all honesty this group really has done something that pretty much no other group can really lay claim to and that’s make a bad album because even if I feel a lack of that feeling of it being a Daft Punk pure record it’s still an amazing piece of work that showcases the continued trend they have of digressing the scene they started back into it’s basics and they’ve managed to make a very surprisingly organic album that’s like the start of it all it’s all the disco, soul, funk, and new wave sounds that inspired the scene they started and it’s quality is comparable to the stuff of their contemporaries and it’s also an album that really was important to me.

Quality Cuts: Instant Crush, Get Lucky, Doin’ it Right

5 Years 5 Albums: Day 1

So this Sunday February 8^th 2015 will mark the 5 year anniversary of Song of the day for me and that’s kind of crazy because 1 5 is my favorite number and 2 that’s 5 fucking years of songs people that’s a crazy idea for me to comprehend that in 5 years I’ve written about all these different songs, artist, genre’s, and articles that I can’t help but try to figure something significant for it considering it’s such an important number to me so I figured I’d be a little classy and rather than writing about individual songs like the websites name suggest I’d actually cover 5 albums that have been really important to me over the course of writing these song of the day’s because in time since starting to write these things up there’s been a lot of great music to come out and I can’t help but feel that these records in particular deserve some praise for really influencing my life as a whole, and with that in mind I figure the best place to start would be with a record that was all the hype in the beginning of this blog so with the first day of 5 years 5 albums I think it’s time to get classy folks…

The Lady Killer-Cee-Lo Green (2010)

Admitedly enough in time Mr. Green’s career kind of didn’t take the path it really needed to and he hasn’t really managed to follow up this record very well which is kind of a shame because this album kind of solidified my budding interest in Rhythm and Blues and Soul music as respectable genres and because of this albums throwback sound I found myself really widening my musical horizons which is kind of amazingly funny considering it all began with one big, “FUCK YOU!”

Yes the surprise hit of the decade in all its bitter heartbroken lyrical glory was the song that sucked me into an album that I’m pretty sure had just about every song on it covered on this little blog of mine and managed to not only crack into 2 different year end best of songs list but also manage to have it’s deluxe reissue have a song that I thought was better than a whole years worth of tunes.

Yeah I praised and rotated this album to death and in time it’s kind of become a lot of things to me but if there’s one thing I can truly credit this album for being it’s that it’s a bad ass collection of smooth retro-grooved rhythm and blues that really should have been bigger than it really was.

Quality Cuts: Wildflower, Crybaby, I want You

Song of the Day 1/23/15

So I was recently on Buzzfeed and read an article about the new video for the Weeknds single Earned It from the upcoming Film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey and upon giving it a good listen and watching the video figured I could give my two cents.

First off though before I get into anything I am going to say that I do honestly feel a bit strange thinking about the fact that I'm listening to this very smooth crooner of a tune that's kind of equal parts old school with a very classic sounding musical arrangement and it's in a movie about a guy that makes a woman sign a contract vowing her virginity to him and proceeds to use her as a tool for his sadomasochistic desires which is kind of fucked up if you ask me but even with that in mind this songs smooth as fuck people and I can see it becoming a decent get down and groove kind of tune for a good amount of time to come.

As for the Video....well...there's a bevy of nice looking ladies shaking their asses in these weird looking panties with x's on their ass and black pasties while the Weeknd kind of just stands there in a nice suit with his offbeat funky fucking hair cut crooning these ladies before the main female lead of the movie comes down and tries to make being tied up like a fucking animal look sexy....I guess if that's your thing then yeah go for it and make sure to keep your headphones in while you try to make sure nobody catches you watching this video.

Those are just my two cents but if you wanna tell me what you think then here's the video and make sure to inform me if you want...