At Least Some of the Music Is Still Good

2024 ain't ALL bad

It’s Friday and I’m tired of thinking about politicians and mainstream journalists and other stupid liars. I wanna listen to some music!

Here are a few of the new songs Spotify thinks I’ll like this week. In several cases, the algorithm is right.

Pete & Bas, “T-Pain”

These guys are two of my favorite elderly white British rappers. A category that isn’t as small as you might think.

If you think it’s unlikely that these wrinkly old codgers are bragging about their escapades with much younger women, just ask RFK Jr.

I like both of those geezers, but Pete in particular (the shorter one) can really spit bars. I think that’s how you say it, “spit bars.” That means he can rap very quickly, with very clear enunciation and power. I want to be just like him when I get old, which will be in about five minutes.

Devo, “Total Love”

I’m not sure if this is new music or an outtake from their early days, but it’s Devo and that’s enough for me to give it a listen.

…Well, okay, now I’ve listened to it.

Matt Berry, “I Gotta Limit”

Not only is Mr. Berry the funniest man alive or dead, but he’s a damn fine musician as well. His music makes me long for a time before even I was born.

This would’ve been a big radio hit in 1965. But then, you wouldn’t be reading this, because he couldn’t put it on the internet and I couldn’t write about it on the internet. Gotta take the good with the bad.

The Darkness, “The Longest Kiss”

Always great to hear from these guys. Glam rock with a wink.

Reminds me of music, back when it was music.

TMG and BABYMETAL, “Eternal Flames”

I’d never heard of TMG before today. It stands for the Tak Matsumoto Group, and it includes Jack Blades from Night Ranger and vocalist Eric Martin from Mr. Big. Even if you don’t like hair metal, it’s nice that these guys are still rocking over there in Japan.

That’s in collaboration with BABYMETAL, a crazy Japanese death-metal band that’s fronted by three angel-voiced teenage girls. They do choreography onstage and the whole bit. In Japan they’re called “pop idols,” which is kinda creepy but it’s not like our society is much better.

Joey Valence & Brae, “365”

These two knuckleheads. How can ya stay mad at ‘em?

These guys get compared a lot to the Beastie Boys, and now I guess that includes lying about all the drugs they do.

Goat, “Goatbrain”

I saved the best for last.

What an earworm.

All I know about these guys is that they’re from Sweden and they all wear masks. Not to be confused with Ghost, another Swedish band who all wear masks.

You know me, dear reader. The weirder the band is, the more I like it.

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TGIF (Timidly, Gary Infiltrated Fairbanks), and thanks for reading. Let’s hope we can make it through a weekend without any political assassination attempts, huh? Enough already.