Favorite Songs of 2020

At first I set out to put together a list of my favorite 20 songs of the year (just like I did previously with my favorite albums of the year), but after a day or so of thinking and writing them down, I quickly realized that the list was greater than 20 and in the end, I had a list of 50 songs. 

Well, I shrunk it down to 40 and then decided - what the hell am I doing? All of these songs are great. And I loved each one of them and each one deserves to be on the list. Each and every one of them.

So, here's my 40 favorite songs of the dumpster fire year that was 2020 - once again, in no specific order:

1. Within the Ruins - Black Heart

2. Architects - Animals

3. Foo Fighters - Shame Shame

4. Code Orange - Swallowing the Rabbit Whole

5. Unleash the Archers - Abyss

6. Machine Gun Kelly - Bloody Valentine

7. Poppy - Anything Like Me

8. Spirit Adrift - Screaming From Beyond

9. Green Day - Oh Yeah!

10. The Pretty Reckless - Death by Rock and Roll

11. Deftones - Urantia

12. Adelitas Way - Habit

13. Pop Evil - Work

14. Joyous Wolf - Odyssey

15. Tallah - L.E.D.

16. Black Stone Cherry - Again

17. Lady Gaga - 911

18. Armored Saint - End of the Attention Span

19. Spirit Box - Holy Roller

20. Run the Jewels - Holy Calamafuck

21. Ayron Jones - Take Me Away

22. AC/DC - Shot in the Dark

23. Hawk - CLVRMFKR

24. Avatar - Silence in the Age of Apes

25. Trivium - Amongst the Shadows and the Stones

26. Midnight - Fucking Speed and Darkness

27. August Burns Red - Defender

28. Metal Church - Dead on the Vine

29. Lamb of God - Memento Mori

30. Mr. Bungle - Bungle Grind

31. Royal Blood - Trouble's Coming

32. Hatebreed - When the Blade Drops

33. Stone Temple Pilots - Fare Thee Well

34. Bring Me The Horizon - Parasite Eve

35. Rob Zombie - The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)

36. Pearl Jam - Dance of the Clairvoyants

37. The Violent - Fly on the Wall

38. Smith & Myers - Not Mad Enough

39. Asking Alexandria - They Don't Want What We Want (And They Don't Care)

40. Them Evils - Where Ya Gonna Crash Tonight?

Favorite Music Albums of 2020

Here are my 20 favorite music albums of 2020. 

Why 20? Well, I couldn't choose just 5 or 10 or even 15. The list skews heavily to hard rock and metal as that's what I typically listen to, but there are a few surprise choices here.

So, here's the list - in no specific order: 

1. Deftones - Ohms 

2. Metallica - S&M2 

3. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

4. Code Orange - Underneath

5. Lady Gaga - Chromatica

6. Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Survival Horror 

7. Avatar - Hunter Gatherer

8. Trivium - What the Dead Men Say 

9. Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny

10. AC/DC - PWR/UP

11. Taylor Swift - Folklore

12. Static X - Project Regeneration, Volume 1

13. Black Stone Cherry - The Human Condition

14. Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner

15. Stone Temple Pilots - Perdida

16. Adelitas Way - Shine On

17. Run The Jewels - RTJ4

18. August Burns Red - Guardians

19. Lamb of God - Lamb of God

20. Unleash the Archers - Abyss

Review and Reaction: Dunkin' Donuts Ghost Pepper Donut

Ok, folks. I gave the Dunkin' Donuts Ghost Pepper donut a taste. 

Was it good? Was it terrible? Watch the video for my reactions and thoughts. 

There ya go! Cheers!

Welcome to the Shitshow

Ok. I'm liberal. If you know, you know. You can easily guess for whom I'll be casting my vote. There's no doubt about that.

I was watching the first Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden last night and as things went down, my jaw fell to the floor.

Sure, there were misrepresentations and half-truths told. There were direct lies. Both sides did this. Republican and Democrat. That's the way it goes. During and after the debate, as is my SOP, I made some dumb jokes on social media, but today, as objectively as possible (after all, I am biased, but face it, we all are), I want to calmly state a few points that have stuck with me over night and in to this morning.

These points are not going to change anyone's mind - even though they really should - but here they are:

1. Donald Trump used a racial slur during the debate. Yes, using the name Pocahontas to demean someone is a racial slur. The end.

2. When asked directly to denounce white supremacy, Trump specifically brought up the Proud Boys (an alt-right white supremacist group who supports him) and said "Stand back and stand by." He did not denounce them.

3. Trump disagrees vehemently with his science advisors regarding a COVID19 vaccine and when it will be available.

4. Donald Trump demonized and made fun of Joe Biden's child for his substance use disorder.

5. Donald Trump refused to outright state he would support and accept the results of the Presidential election on November 3rd - and along with his call to the public for "poll watchers" and his lies about mail in balloting/voting, this should cause you alarm.

6. Donald Trump refused to stay quiet when he was supposed to do so and allow Biden time to speak. His behavior and decorum was boorish, bullying, and absent of decency and dignity. He constantly interrupted Biden and became argumentative with both Biden and Chris Wallace (the moderator). All of this behavior was unbecoming of a President of the United States of America.

7. Chris Wallace was not a good choice for moderator, but outside of cutting the microphones, I'm not sure what else he could have done to help stop any of what happened. Donald Trump steamrolled over Wallace's moderating. 

There are many more things that could be expounded upon, but these few have stuck with me. Again, this probably won't change any minds, but I thought I'd write them down.

It's 2020. It's a Presidential election year. It's a viral pandemic.

34 days until Election day.

Welcome to the Shitshow. 

Fake Band Names

I was just a guest on the Heroes of Noise Podcast with Dan and Steve (so you should really go listen to Episode 108 and then stay around and listen to all 107 episodes that came before it. Steve brought up the oddball named bands I go to see. And he mentioned The Laptop Junkies in particular. Now, I don't know if The Laptop Junkies actually exist, but, in my humble opinion, that's a hella good name for an indie pop band. 

Which, reminds me...

Every time I see a ridiculous or interesting grouping of words in the news or on social media, I’ll immediately try to figure out if it could be a band name and what genre that band would be. Here are some of my favorites from the last few years.

Green Dildos with Faces, 90s cover band
Libel, southern rock
Vomit Fraud, nu metal
Flaming Valencia Oranges, 80s hair metal

Toupee Fiasco and the Bountiful Tangerines, lounge and swing covers
Microscopic Clouds of Fentanyl, screamo
Llamathrust, 80s pop covers
The Fourth Ventricle, electro swing
Rat Scrotum Beetles, ska punk
Vagina Mohawks, glam punk metal
Proxima Midnight, progressive rock
Cull Obsidian, death metal
Corvus Glaive, power/symphonic metal
Ebony Maw, 12 piece southern rock
Devil’s Doorbell, industrial metal
Vaginal Antichrist, all-woman black metal
False Sense of Security, Celtic punk metal
Bloody Biscuits, British doom metal
Vexingly Sphinxlike Figure, power metal
Groin Crusher, sludge metal
Symbyax, K-Pop
Transient Anus, grindcore
Homicidal Mercedes Sunroofs, groove metal
Hypersexual Zombie Cicadas, British psychedelic rock
Fucktastic Dildo Wizards, funk rock
Gastric Lavage, metalcore
Forever Chemical, My Chemical Romance covers
Dishonesty & Bad Reporting, ska core
Sausage Roll Baby Jesus, alt rock
Deranged Masturbation, punk
Millennial Pink, boy band covers
The Caravan, symphonic black metal
Anatomical Squeeze Box, emo polka
CIA Coughs Up, anarcho-punk
Baked Potato Torture, garage rock
Green Bell Peppers of Death, parody covers
Flaming Dancer, flamenco guitar

Pandemic Playlist - Hits of 1989

It's been a few days since the last pandemic playlist, but here's a list of Songs of 1989. Enjoy! Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 48 minutes

Skid Row - I Remember You

Madonna - Like A Prayer

Alanah Myles - Black Velvet

Tom Petty - Yer So Bad

Faith No More - Epic

Alice Cooper - Poison

Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation

Neil Young - Rockin' in the Free World

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole

Pandemic Playlist - Songs of Quarantine and Isolation

I'm finishing up my 3rd week working from home during this virus pandemic, so let's do a Pandemic Playlist of songs about, well, touching, keeping away, and being alone. Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 44 minutes.

Hall and Oates - Out of Touch

Godsmack - Keep Away

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

George Thorogood and the Destroyers - I Drink Alone

Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself

Motley Crue - Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

Anthrax - Antisocial

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More

The Rolling Stones - Get Off My Cloud

The Police - Don't Stand (So Close To Me)

Episode 43 - Five Cover Songs I Think You Should Know - Mix 3

Mix 3 of Five Cover Songs I Think You Should Know is here. Go give the episode a listen here. 

And then after you're finished, go check out Mixes 1 and 2 in episodes 22 and 37 of the podcast.

Pandemic Playlist - Hits of 1977

Today's Pandemic Playlist is a myriad of songs from 1977. Spotify playlist is here. Enjoy!

10 songs, 44 minutes.

Ram Jam - Black Betty

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

Rush - Closer to the Heart

Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

Kansas - Dust in the Wind

David Bowie - Heroes

Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla

Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise

Jackson Browne - Running on Empty

Aerosmith - Kings and Queens

A Look at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

We visited Disney World at the end of January (before this Virus Pandemic hit the USA) and spent one day at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disney World's Hollywood Studios. The setting is the Black Spire Outpost village on the frontier planet Batuu. I finally got around to uploading a bunch of pictures from the land.

The land opened up to the public August 2019 and contains several shops, a couple of really cool attractions, restaurants, and some nice entertainment. The time period is set between Episode 8: The Last Jedi and Episode 9: Rise of Skywalker, so both the First Order and the Resistance has presence in the Batuu.

I took a bunch of pictures of Galaxy's Edge as well as a few of Rise of the Resistance - so if you don't want to spoil yourself as to what is in this new addition to Disney World, or in my opinion, the best non-roller coaster attraction ever created, I would hesitate to look at these pictures. But, hey, amidst this Pandemic, who knows when Disney World/Land will open again, so look at the pictures!

Anyways, here they are...

The crowd at HS prior to park opening - around 6:15 am

The crowd at HS prior to park opening - around 6:15 am

The crowd at HS prior to park opening - around 6:15 am

The crowd at HS prior to park opening - around 6:15 am

 You can buy this thermal detonator Coke - also available in Diet Coke and Sprite.

A-wing starfighter at the Resistance Mobile Command Post

X-wing starfighter outside Rise of the Resistance

Droid footprints

Batuu landscape

 Black Spire Outpost marketplace

Black Spire Outpost marketplace

Scenery in the marketplace.

It's a Donald Glover Lando Calrissian doll! Cool AF.

Inside Ronto Roasters.

A droid roasting meat at Ronto Roasters.

Millennium Falcon and the Batuu landscape.

 Millennium Falcon and landscape of Batuu.

  Millennium Falcon and landscape.

 Millennium Falcon. This thing is huge.

 Sienar-Chall Utilipede Transport vehicle

 Stormtroopers under direction of a First Order general.

 First Order TIE Echelon

 First Order TIE Echelon

 Droids and stuff.

 Droids.

 Landspeeders

Door. Just a fan of the overall architecture.

Black Spire Outpost architecture

 Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

  Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

  Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

  Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

 Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

 General Grievous mask

 Imperial Tie Fighter helmet

 Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine

 Sith obelisk

Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, and Darth Tyranus 

 Creatures and Weapons at Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

 Mace Windu, Yoda, Plo Koon, and Saesse Tiin

Yoda.

Droid building depot.

 A lone stormtrooper confronts us.

 Kylo Ren demands loyalty and respect for The First Order

 Stormtroopers stop to question us.

Rey visits with a young boy.

 The Lightsaber Ceremony begins.

 Viewing the parts of a lightsaber.

 Being given an overview of the parts of a light saber.

 Inserting the Kyber crystal.

 Building...

 Light saber hilt created. 

 Powering up the light saber.

Lighting up the sabers in ceremony

 Smuggler's Run, Millennium Falcon queue

 Smuggler's Run, Millennium Falcon queue

 Smuggler's Run, Millennium Falcon queue

Smuggler's Run, Millennium Falcon queue

Smuggler's Run, Millennium Falcon queue

 Scenery from the outside of the queue, Rise of Resistance

 Uniforms in storage in the queue of Rise of the Resistance

 Uniforms in storage in the queue of Rise of the Resistance

 Resistance helmet in storage in the queue of Rise of the Resistance

 It's BB-8, a fully functional animatronic, Rise of the Resistance

 Rey hologram, Rise of the Resistance

 Poe Dameron's T-70 X-wing, the "Black One" on Rise of the Resistance

Poe Dameron's T-70 X-wing, the "Black One" on Rise of the Resistance

 Colonel Aftab (Ackbar's son) animatronic during Rise of the Resistance

 Stormtroopers on the star destroyer look on, as you are being detained by the First Order

Rise of the Resistance

 First Order minions forcing you to stand in line during processing.

Rise of the Resistance

 More stormtroopers, Rise of the Resistance

 Stormtroopers, droid, and First Order fleet transport vehicle in Rise of the Resistance

General Hux berating you after you are detained, Rise of the Resistance

 Riding in a transport vehicle on Rise of the Resistance

  Riding in a transport vehicle on Rise of the Resistance

 We got stuck on Rise of the Resistance halfway through the ride - had to be escorted

off the ride. Got a fast pass to jump to the front of the line for another ride.

 Ronto Wrap

Themed water bottle purchased at Ronto Roasters

Themed water bottle purchased at Ronto Roasters

One last picture of the landscape of Batuu