I’ve been pretty critical of most current music so my motivation in exploring the Billboard charts was to try and find some musical gems. I wanted to be fair and avoid a “get off my lawn” attitude. I actually took the time to watch the YouTube summaries for several categories and found very little that I enjoyed. The songs listed weren’t recommendations, only what is actually currently popular.

This research was depressing for my personal tastes. Of course there were some decent songs but in general nothing worth going into the playlists. In the top songs listed, the only one I enjoyed was FAST CAR by Luke Combs. Normally I enjoy Selena Gomez songs, but not the current hit.

For now, Asian Rock appears to be the only category where I consistently find enjoyable music. I know musical styles are somewhat cyclical so expect things will eventually swing back. But for now, popular “Western” music hasn’t been what I enjoy.

For any who may not know, Hulu is live-streaming Lollapalooza from Chicago today at 12:00 through midnight eastern time. I think it runs through tomorrow, August 6. Yesterday I got to watch the full Band-Maid set (yay!!!), but there are, of course, lots of performers, many that I'm not familiar with.

I generally don't listen to country music at all. Just not a thing for me. Certain songs I can handle and alt-country is doable. I did listen to the Luke Combs song, but won't bother again as I prefer the original. Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez... no thanks. The Gunna song was total crap. Jason Aldean... No, just hell to the F no. Morgan Wallen was the best of the bunch and I'd still only give it 1 and half stars.

Wait, you're telling us this after Band-Maid played? Brooooooooo.

All is not lost. True confession time, I actually wasn't home when it first aired, but fortunately an excellent link to the entire original show came out yesterday when I got home.

Band-Maid Lollapalooza 2023 Hulu Stream

The camera work great, the energy also. For me, it was an hour of greatness. There was a very brief interview at the beginning.

Rock is associated with the devil so much that it comes as a shock when Christian rock rears up and turns out to be good. My apologies to Phantalien and SlickTrickyRick if this is the equivalent of having a cross thrust in your face. This song got airplay in the 90s on KSHE radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNGLU_VsePg

I love this song; completely new to me. The tone really reminds me of something I’ve heard in the past and it’s driving me a little crazy that I can’t place what that other music was.

No worries, it wasn’t a bad song, for some reason I think I have heard this song before. Fun fact: I am the son of a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, I may not be religious as an adult, but, would consider myself spiritual. This may be another reason that I enjoy Bad Brains, ras tafari haile selassie i.

This has turned up in my YouTube Feed. I kind of get a kick out of that name for the group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp8U...8-4rLA&index=2

On my days off, I have been working through my iTunes list so I can rerank the songs since I was forced to get a new laptop a few months ago. I've just finished all the As and this was toward the end. I guess the music is considered to be Shoegaze/Dream pop. You'll need to go to Wikipedia to read the bands original name because I'll get in trouble if I post it here. The band is from NYC but the band is Japanese for play sex. I have two versions of this song , original and acoustic. I'm thinking I found this back when I was doing the Same Name/Different song stuff.

The acoustic version here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgGy-p2yY-E

the regular version here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8paDhfGQH4E


I also just listened to this song which has gotten airplay on my local radio station though i haven't heard it lately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCm1vfsawEE

Apparently the Austin Mayfield Project is unworthy of a Wikipedia page at the moment.

I would have guessed this was R.E.M. Never heard it before, but enjoyed hearing it. Thanks.

I forgot about STRYPER. Even though I had already been disillusioned with the church I was raised in when they were somewhat popular, I still had one of their albums and enjoyed it. Can't remember which album it was, and too lazy to go dig it out, but could have been this song.

TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL (STRYPER)

They finished installing my new HVAC system today after almost two weeks of mostly really hot weather. Spending a lot of time away from home, I just put all my songs on shuffle, so have been listening to most everything I've ever enjoyed. I usually listen to more current things, so it has actually been a bit of a revelation to remember why I like what I do. Paint It Black was the first real rock song I owned, but a couple that popped up were ones that cemented my music tastes.

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER by Jimi Hendrix may be my favorite song ever. Who cares if its only three chords. They are good chords.

BADGE by Cream for some reason has a restrained intensity (if that makes any sense) that always resonates with me. Just wish it were longer.

I'm finally posting here, and probably with a song almost everyone knows, BUT I just recently got super obsessed with it, in the span of like an hour (yes I listened to it for a straight hour).


HOUSE OF FUN (Madness)

Hendrix has always blown me away, if only he hadn't died so young. Clapton after the power trio known as Cream doesn't really get me excited, but I like his stuff with the Yardbirds too. How about an instrumental tribute of Cream's Sunshine Of Your Love by Jimi Hendrix.

I always liked this Rolling Stones cover of Paint It Black by the straight edge band Earth Crisis.

This particular remix was big in Philly in the late 80's, early 90's, in gothic electronic dance clubs. IMHO Laibach is right up there with the Lords of Acid, Revolting Cocks, Front 242, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails and Chemical Brothers. I contemplated nominating it for the foreign Rock Wars to see if DestroBoy would lose his mind again for it being a cover song. Pretty sure some of the dialogue sampled is Mick Jagger. Laibach Sympathy For The Devil (Slovenia)