This Track Is Fire!

Back in November my friend Peter sent along a track by Ecca Vandal that was a glorious, musical punch to the face. That song is still in heavy rotation for me. The other day he sent me this track to check out and if you're wondering if lightning has struck twice the answer is yes, yes it has. It's smart to cultivate a group of people with fantastic musical tastes so that they share great music with you, that you in turn share with the world via your blog. It boops, it beeps, it screams right in your face, and yeah, it's everything I like about aggressive electronic music. Enjoy! Have a great weekend! yes, please. by Sextile

I chose this song today because while these lyrics speak to me, they seem to be much louder in my head as of late. Welcome to a state where the politics of hate shout loud in the crowd Watch 'em beat us all down There's a rising tide on the rivers of blood But if the answer isn't violence, neither is your silence If they come to ethnically cleanse me Will you speak out? Will you defend me? Freedom of expression doesn't make it alright Trampled under foot by the rise of the right Always fight fascism, whether it's the new nationalist Christo-fascitsts of America or old-school Nazis, fight them, always.

Sorry that this is a touch late as I had actually picked another track for today, but I've pushed that back to next Monday, barring any further shootings from our government. Conservation government forces have killed innocents before, and sadly, they'll most likely kill again. I can't, and won't, stand for this. That's not the America I believe in, it's not the America I hope for. Reject what the state is telling you. So, yeah, as you might have guessed, the events of this past weekend have affected me deeply and I have things to say, but as this is a music blog I will let music do the talking. This song echoes through history to us today. If you stood with Kent State in Ohio before  (either literally or figuratively) , stand with Minneapolis now.

I found this group on Bandcamp a few of years back, and though I like their earlier, rougher stuff a bit more than this track that veers closer to pop, it’s still a fun, catchy tune. I'm always happy to see younger artists take different genres and challenge expectations by combining or changing them, something Alt Blk Era has been doing for years. Have a great weekend! Rave Immortal by ALT BLK ERA

During one of our trips to the Detroit Auto Show in the last few years my friend Dan shared this song with the group. Having just had that same trip this past weekend I was reminded of this song, which, admittedly, makes me laugh every time. My momma said "But Mike Don't you wanna be comfortable?" I said "No! I don't wanna be comfortable!" I wanna be scared outta my head And lost outta my mind I wanna fall in and outta Love a few thousand times I wanna spend all of my money On my friends and on drugs And I wanna ride around on a Horse and give people hugs And when I come into town they'll Say "Oh shit there's Mike! There's something wrong with that boy I swear he just ain't right" 'Cause I won't waste another day Living someone else's way  I wanna be free fuck what they say I'm doing me Enjoy!

On this day celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., it is appropriate to play this song. Thank you, Dr. King! Have a safe MLK, Jr. day!

Like most everyone that has heard this, or Luke Combs' version, I like it, but honestly, this one is for my partner, Shalee. I'm leaving this afternoon for a guy's weekend attending the Detroit Auto Show with a group of my friends. We've been doing for about 20 years now, as I noted on my other blog . I'm going to have a great time, but I will still think of Shalee as I always do when I am away. I can't wait to tell her all about my weekend when I get home on Sunday! Shalee, she loves  this song, so if the theme this week is songs about cars, then I need to include one of her all-time favorites. Enjoy!

Once again, if you're Gen X and thinking about songs about cars, well, of course you're going to think of "Bitchin' Camaro" by The Dead Milkmen. Also, they take a few digs at hair metal, and as we all know, hair metal is terrible, so yet another reason to love this song. While most of the references are dated now that they're 40+ years old, I think the idea of a priveleged white boy being a gifted an overly powerful sports car and wreaking havoc is still as valid in 2026 as it was in 1984. Enjoy!

I'm going to the NAIAS this weekend with dear friends of mine so I thought to myself, "let's do a week or car-themed posts!" Rock stars have been singing about cars since rock'n roll was invented, but I was an Gen X alterna-teen, so for me the greatest car song will always be Ministry "Jesus Built My Hotrod." Come August this song will be 35 years old but for me it feels as vibrant as it did when when I was in high school. There's only one thing left for me to do, momma: I gotta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long! I've included the original, long version of this song because it's the best, pure and simple. Enjoy!

It’s far too easy to dismiss James as a one-hit wonder here in the US due to their association with the movie American Pie and its sequels, and sure, “Laid” is a fantastic song, but James have several others that are worthy of note. Like this one, from their 18th studio album. 18! How many one-hit wonders have 18 albums? Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend!

While this song is 20+ years old, it keeps swinging back into my orbit every so often, but it's such a good song, why wouldn't it? I am sure that I heard this on a commercial at some point because I am Gen X and apparently have money now. I mean, I heard Depeche Mode played before a commercial break while watching an NFL game the other day. That said, this song gets me to chair dance, which is a high indicator for me that a track is fire. I've included the album version here because it's three minutes longer than the radio version. Who doesn't want more of a good thing? Not me! Happy Wednesday! Enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Max Richter, and while I was reading on Sunday I came across this track, which to my ear sounds like a variation on piece of his that I absolutely adore, "November." I am back to the day job today and I am full of anxiety, so having instrumental music play in the background this morning is exactly what I need. Do you have any neo-classical favorites?

As my anxiety increases at the thought of returning to work on Monday this track brings me the peace that I need to start my weekened. Also, it's really fucking good. Honestly, the first time I heard it (which, I confess, was only in the last few months), I thought this was Michael Stipe/REM.   Nope! Still a great song. Enjoy!