(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "MoneyGrabber" by Fitz and the Tantrums.

Their appearance on last night's episode of Conan inspired me to research the band and I'm quickly becoming a fan. I encourage you all to follow suit.

Enjoy.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "Hot Mess" by Chromeo.

Chromeo is sweet. Supremely talented and with a sense of humor, the Montreal duo has made a name for itself with its great beats and soulful melodies.

This is the lead single and sexy video from their most recent album, "Business Casual".

Enjoy.

Wrestling Theme Song Extravaganza

In honor of the stupendous news that the Rock is returning (at least temporarily) to the WWF/E, below you will find my list of my 30 favorite wrestling theme songs of all time. If you didn't watch wrestling at some point in your history, you're either a girl or lying.

Enjoy.

#30: The New Age Outlaws- One of the finest and most entertaining tag teams of the Attitude Era (the best for professional wrestling) deserve one of the best intros.


#29: The Ultimate Warrior- A theme that suggests boundless energy and intensity fits nicely with the fact that Warrior Warrior is legitimately insane.


#28: AJ Styles- I have never watched much TNA, but Styles is very talented and he should be the focal point of their promotion.


#27: Rob Van Dam- Tacos? I like how in the music video for this track, Rob hands over the keys to his car by Spinning Heel Kicking them to the other fellow.


#26: The Million Dollar Man- That laugh is awesome. Imagine being able to laugh like that at any time.


#25: Batista- I prefer his old, lyric-free theme but the Saliva version is pretty saucy too.


#24: Booker T- Always entertaining, Booker is responsible for the greatest wrestling blooper of all time.


#23: Christian- Christian has had a lot of good themes, but I think this one qualifies as the best.


#22: Brock Lesnar- I always liked Brock but I wish he would incorporate more of his wrestling character into his MMA career.


#21: CM Punk- Legitimately a great song. Perfectly fits Punk's personality.


#20: Triple H (The Game)- As hard and fast a life as pro wrestlers lead, Lemmy of Motorhead puts them all to shame.


#19: Kurt Angle- A legitimately great wrestler, the guy won a gold medal. He also abuses steroids, domestically violences, and burns just about every bridge he ever made. Oh well.


#18: Chris Jerico- A guy whose music was good but his whole entrance was better.


#17: Ric Flair- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


#16: D-Generation X- The WWF's answer to the NWO had its share of seminal wrestling moments as well as a very Rage Against the Machine-esque theme.


#15: Bret Hart- That guitar at the beginning is impossibly 80s. And Canadian. And pink.


#14: Goldberg- While the music was good, what set Goldberg apart was the awesome prize fighter entrance and great stage pyro.


#13: Shane McMahon- Underrated theme for an underrated wrestler. Obviously never a full-time guy, but few guys could or would take bigger bumps.


#12: Edge- Did you know: Alter Bridge, the band playing Edge's theme, is the remnants of Creed minus Scott Stapp.


#11: NWO- Great theme that signaled the arrival of the greatest faction of all time. The infection effect was especially cool.


#10: Hulk Hogan- Classic. Say your prayers. Eat your vitamins.


#9: The Legion of Doom- They could stop after those first few seconds and it would be a top 10 theme. Instant intensity upgrade.


#8: The Undertaker- I love all of Taker's themes (his dirge-esque ones better than American Badass) but I'll post the Ministry era theme, as it's my favorite version.


#7: Shawn Michaels- HBK is one of the best ever and you gotta love when superstars sing the lyrics to their own theme.


#6: Kane- Why can't we bring back the mask?


#5: Stone Cold Steve Austin- A popular choice for best ever, and no real argument. The breaking glass is quick, to-the-point, and awesome.


#4: The Rock- Of course. He's the best. Luv u, Dwayne.


#3: Evolution- Triple H Dominates this list. But he was smart and married the boss's daughter. So there.


#2: Chris Benoit- Controversial choice perhaps, given the whole murder-suicide thing, but this was just a great track along and let you know that you were about to see an intense display of physicality.


#1: Triple H (My Time)- My absolute favorite theme. Embodied the edge of the Attitude Era and got the crowd pumped.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "Feeling Stronger Everyday" by Chicago.

Chicago reminds me of both what is good about rock music and what is bad. Early on in their careers, they produced great song after great song (including today's track) highlighted by awesome brass and rhythm sections. Then later, the group stuck to producing sappy ballads that didn't highlight their great talent.

Still, they created more than enough great music to get your fix.

Enjoy.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today I promote a little nepotism.

The jam is "That Feel Good" by Young Prince. Young Prince is an up-and-coming young MC from DC. He's got great skills and I'm sure he'll be blowing up quite soon. (So get in on this action before everybody else does).

Download his most recent mixtape, Back to the Basics from here. I will also encourage you to take a listen to that not only because the rhymes are sweet, but also because the beats on the mixtape were provided by Electrical Requiem, the up-and-coming duo comprised of my brother and his collaborating partner.

Seriously, this is great young talent and worth your time and effort.

Enjoy.

The Best Song

Below I give you what I truly believe to be the finest example of popular music ever. It is a track of endless emotion. It is a track of great composition. It is a track of stellar musicianship. I implore all of you to listen to it at least 5 times. Try to find something new about it each time. This is not a (Kinda) Daily Good Music. And, to be honest, I'm not really sure why I am posting this right now; it's not like I just came across it. But I am moved. This track continues to speak to me, years after I first heard it. It penetrates the soul like few others. At various points in my mental, physical, and emotion state, it has meant different things to me. But I always come away from it with a deep and appreciative understanding of it.

So please, enjoy "Better than Heaven" by Bloc Party.


Bloc Party - Better Than Heaven
Uploaded by moakes. - See the latest featured music videos.

Why?

Cuz I can.

So there.

Special Guest Social Commentary

From my friend Zach, on the phrase, "You can have your cake and eat it too."

me:  it's the best of both worlds

 Zach:  i'd say

 me:  that's called having your cake and eating it too

 Zach:  you know i have a problem with that saying

because it's suppose to mean it's a special case and you get the best of both worlds

however if you have a cake under what circumstances do you not eat it?

just doesn't describe the situation correctly

 me:  you make an excellent point

 Zach:  silly expressions

He makes an excellent point.

Oh yeah?

This morning on ESPN.com's home page, the SportsNation poll question reads as follows:

Given the recent weather, what do you think of the decision to play Super Bowl XLVIII outdoors in New York in 2014?

Like it.

Love it.

Hate it.

So, based on what has happened in the past few days in 2011 in a part of the country that probably only the people living there are monitoring or care about at all, what do you think about what is happening in 2014?

That's like asking, "Based on how quickly your 4-stop trip on the subway was this morning, how long do you think your commute will be by car in 3 years?"

ESPN, your argument is invalid.

An In-Depth Analysis of "It Was a Good Day"

And now, allow me to examine the lyrics, line-by-line, of rapper, entrepreneur, and movie star Ice Cube's seminal solo work "It Was a Good Day." The track is not only an exercise in impressive rhymesmanship but bears the social significance of being released in the wake of the 1992 LA Riots. It framed a return to some normalcy. In addition, the song samples the very funky "Footsteps in the Dark" by the Isley Brothers. So that's fun.



Shall we begin?

Let's.

Just wakin' up in the morning, gotta thank God / I don't know but today seems kinda odd / No barking from the dog, no smog / And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog


Right off the bat, Ice Cube establishes that this, in fact, will be a good day, which is nice because I hate it when songs have misleading titles.  As a man of religion, it makes sense that Ice would thank the Good Lord. This is nothing new; especially amongst entertainers.  But Ice does point out that it's somewhat unusual for today to be positive, as usually his dog is barking and making noise and Los Angeles is full of smog.  I do take some umbrage with his claim that "no hog" is a good thing though.  I'm sure a breakfast of eggs and toast and whatever (cold cereal for me) is delicious, but has bacon ever detracted from said breakfast? Or how about any meal? I'm willing to cut Ice some slack here because, again, he's feeling good about the day. I don't wanna burst his bubble this early in the track.

I got my grub on, but didn't pig out


Good.  You don't wanna eat too much.  It's important to be properly nourished without being bloated and weighed down.

Finally got a call from a girl I wanna dig out


Even better. You go, Ice.

Hooked it up on later as I hit the do' / Thinking, "Will I live another 24?"


In my experience with girls, appointments, and sales, it is important to establish a set time to meet and interact, so this is a sound strategy by Ice Cube.  Though it is a sad statement on society that he must legitimately ponder if he's going to die today as he heads out the door.  Gang violence in America's inner-cities is a real problem.

I gotta go 'cause I got me a drop top / And if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop / Had to stop at a red light / Looking in my mirror, not a jacker in sight


Ice Cube clearly has a fly-ass whip.  Also, his good day continues as he doesn't have to worry about someone stealing his car whilst he obeys the traffic laws of the United States.

And everything is alright / I got a beep from Kim and she can fuck all night


Ah, 1993...when people had beepers.  Though I must warn Ice that if Kim has that reputation, you will want to proceed with caution as far as bodily interaction with her goes.

Called up the homies and I'm asking y'all / "Which park are y'all playing basketball?"


...at? Which park are y'all playing basketball at? I dunno, this has always seemed like an incomplete sentence to me.  However, messing with it would destroy the rhyme scheme and most listeners can probably discern the mean of the question from context.

Get me on the court and I'm trouble / Last week, fucked around and got a triple double / Freaking niggaz everyway like MJ / I can't believe today was a good day


Clearly Ice Cube is a talented basketball player.  His claims to be the Michael Jordan of his neighborhood seem to be solid.  But, seriously, who keeps stats at a pick-up game?

Drove to the pad and hit the showers


Good.  Don't want to be stinky and sweaty for your later endeavors.

Didn't even get no static from the cowards / 'Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me / Saw the police and they rolled right past me / No flexin', didn't even look in a niggaz' direction / As I ran the intersection


While I don't condone Ice's flaunting of authority, given the obviously troubled relationship between inner-city youths and the LAPD in the early 90s, one can hardly blame the chap.  Plus, this continues with the song's theme of "it was a good day" rather nicely.

Went to Short Dog's house, they was watchin' Yo! MTV Raps / What's the haps on the craps / Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em / Roll 'em in a circle of niggaz and watch me break 'em / With the seven, seven-eleven, seven-eleven / Seven even back do' lil' Joe picked up the cash flow / Then we played bones, and I'm yelling "domino"


Ah, 1993...when MTV actually had something to do with music.  I wonder if Short Dog was his friend's birth name?  Maybe it's just a continuation of it being a good day or maybe Ice is a really talented gambler, but he does very well at both craps and dominoes.  No doubt he made a little cabbage for his troubles.

Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central LA / Today was a good day


Yes.  I believe that qualifies.

Left my niggaz' house paid / Picked up a girl been trying to fuck since the twelfth grade 


Well good for Ice.  He's got a little money in his pocket and he's set have a casual and friendly hang out session with a lovely young lady whom he's had a crush on since the end of high school.

It's ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic / The Lakers beat the Supersonics


Not really irony there, Ice.  Ah, 1993...when the Seattle Supersonics were a team.

I felt on the big fat fanny / Pulled out the jammy, and killed the punanny


Ah, well it appears Ice Cube has achieved his long-standing goal of creating an intimate physical relationship with this girl.

And my dick runs deep, so deep / So deep, put her ass to sleep


Oh my.

Woke her up around one / She didn't hesitate to call Ice Cube the top gun


Two questions: 1) Why not let the lady sleep? It's late. 2) Did she refer to you as Ice Cube or by your birth name, O'Shea?

Drove her to the pad and I'm coasting / Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion / I was glad everything worked out / Dropped her ass off, then I chirped out


Well that was certainly nice of you to give the young lady a ride home, Ice Cube.  I, too, am glad everything worked out.  Still, drinking and driving is bad.

Today was like on of those fly dreams / Didn't even see a berry flashing those high beams / No helicopter looking for a murder / Two in the morning got the fat burger


More evidence of this being a good day.  Things just really seem to be clicking for Ice Cube.  And I'll agree with him: there is no better way to end a day than a nice greasy burger in the wee hours of the morning.

Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp / And it read Ice Cube's a pimp


In all my endeavors, and there has been some moderate success in just about everything I've done, I have never been called a pimp.  By anyone.  Let alone the world-famous Goodyear blimp.  Well played, Mr. Cube.

Drunk as hell but not throwing up


Good.  Everybody agrees that throwing up is no fun.

Halfway home and my pager's still blowin' up


Well isn't that nice? Ice Cube is so popular that even at 2 in the morning people want to chat with him.

Today I didn't even have to use my AK / I got to say it was a good day


I think this nicely sums up what it means to have a good day.  Were you forced to use your AK? You've had a bad day, my friend.