Shut Up, Dude: This Week’s Best Comments

It's a couple of weeks past now, but I celebrated my 40th birthday by doing a solo 350-mile road trip to see Depeche Mode, with Young Fathers opening. Depeche was as great as you would expect; not many surprises in the setlist but happy to see them again, possibly for the final time, who knows! Memento Mori hasn't gotten any burn during Listmas that I've seen but it's a great late-career set and the songs sounded great live.

Young Fathers meanwhile were cooking. I doubt they'll ever ascend to arena-level touring band but they completely owned the stage and more than belonged, really great show and it got me revisiting Heavy Heavy for the first time in many months. An excellent night of music for sure.

Dudes on my timeline be like go DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ!

1. Car Colors - Old Death

2. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - I’ll always be there

3. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - over u

4. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - stronger together

5. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - dance now

6. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - All i Can Feel

7. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - honey

8. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - figuring it out

9. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - out of nothing

10. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - It’s still me

And Flying Up The Modern Rock Charts On Its Way To Peaking at No.3… it’s They Might Be Giants and their untouchable classic “Birdhouse In Your Soul.”

In my first feature on a They Might Be Giants song – “Ana Ng” – I mentioned the liner notes to their greatest hits compilation – “Dial A Song” – written by Sarah Vowell, in which she stated that They Might Be Giants were different from other rock stars because, unlike other rock stars, you wanted to be friends with them.

Luckily for Sarah, John Linnel is her only friend, he’s not her only friend, but he’s a little glowing friend, but really, he’s not actually her friend… but he is! Confused? Don’t be… “Birdhouse In Your Soul” is written from the perspective of a nightlight shaped like a canary. A blue canary. What could possibly be less confusing than that?!?

Like so many other They Might Be Giants songs, “Birdhouse In Your Soul” teaches you things. I’m pretty sure “Birdhouse” – hardcore fans just refer to it as “Birdhouse”, also lazy fans – was the first time I heard the word “filibuster.”

It is also a dense text. Every single line of the Genius entry for “Birdhouse” is annotated, including a rather detailed analysis of Jason and The Argonauts. They Might Be Giants fans are clearly obsessive people.

Want your own blue canary in the outlet by the light switch? A family in Minnesota “needed a night light for our daughter a few years ago, and really wanted a blue canary night light, but couldn't find one. So I made one!” That’s cute. Then they made more. And they sold them online for about a decade. But not anymore. So we’ve missed out. That’s sad. Here’s “Birdhouse” to cheer you up.

“Birdhouse In Your Soul” is a 10.

I also have a special miming hand-dance for when I do “Birdhouse” at karaoke. Need I say that - despite apparently having 18 key changes! - it gets ten microphones? 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn_or9gEB6g

Absolutely distraught that I did not think of this.

I wish she zeroed in more on the real issue. The music industry is a joke at this point. Streaming services have done that. Labels expect absurd things from their artists to garner attention. Media attention is very pay for play or know the right people. There's gatekeeping every inch of the way, and little to no money even if you are to pass through some of these gates. Compare and contrast to the late 00s / early 2010s when Best Coast arrived. In those days I had a tiny bedroom project with a Myspace page. Mark Richardson from Pitchfork personal messaged us and gave us a writeup on Pitchfork. Simply from a Myspace page. That kind of thing is unthinkable now. I miss the blog days when lightning could strike at any second. But I don't see them coming back any time soon, sadly.

Good morning and Happy Monday, people!

This IS my favorite Kelly Clarkson song! Being a recovering addict about to reach another anniversary, I related to this song immediately. The sentiment is not new but it is timely - for a long while I never wanted to be clean but I finally got the chance with a lot of support. So I hear the song as me leaving my ex (addiction) for someone new (recovery). I also love doing this at karaoke as well - such a catharsis when I hit the chorus out of the bridge. This song will always be a 10 for me.

It's been a little crazy at work lately but it's winding down as the company I work for closes down for Christmas week. So I'll be flying back to my hometown to be with family and friends.Happy Holidays!

While watching the video this morning, I found myself crying and I realized my gratitude for being clean all these years so they were tears of joy. So while this song may seem cheesy to some, it hits home with me.

I think anyone involved in any creative project, whether professional or informal, understands this. At least I do. That constant push-pull of your own expectations vs. others’ expectations. The stress. The hours. It’s a lot.

I Get Wed

I think it's really cool that she was so transparent about this. I know how hard it can be to articulate frustration or disappointment without it biting you in the ass. Also, Bethany is a really lovely person. I wish her only the best success and future! <3