Saturday, December 31, 2022

Nazi see, Nazi do


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Republicans sure have lots of comrades in Russia


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

How bad do you have to be at your job not to know this?


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

And still zero republicans calling for his resignation


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

And please bring along numerous MAGA Senate and U.S. House candidates, too


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Friday, December 30, 2022

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXVII--Avicii: Wake Me Up

 Hard to believe, but with this week's tune we'll wrap up the eighth year of Friday Night Jukebox.  And--surprise of surprises--it's yet another tune recommended by my darling daughter.  I want to say she and my son-in-law first heard the tune when they went to Great Britain for their belated honeymoon...but the memory, while still pretty good, isn't quite what it used to be, so I won't swear to it.  I do remember that she wasn't sure I'd like it (not an unreasonable assumption based on my being an old fart and it being some of that newfangled music), but it proved to be a special single and so here we are, closing season number eight with it....

Avicii (birth name Tim Bergling) was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1989 and by the time most kids are graduating from college, he'd already had a hit record and was well on his way to becoming a superstar.  Over the course of his unfortunately short career, Avicii worked with numerous artists, had numerous releases, and was credited by some for being one of the driving forces behind electronica's transition into the mainstream in the 2010's.  His Wikipedia bio had a few too many facts to include all of them here, but it was quite obvious that he was a global phenomenon and an incredibly talented D.J.  He released three studio LPs (one posthumously), all of which reached the top twenty in the U.S., and a whopping fifty-six singles in his brief career.  He was also nominated for two Grammy Awards.  Avicii retired from performing in 2016, but the pressure from fans and management for him to return combined with serious substance abuse issues eventually led to his all too untimely death from suicide in 2018 at the far too young age of twenty-eight.  Just a tragic, tragic loss.

Fun Fact:  Avicii took his name from Avici, which is the lowest level of hell in Buddhism and the one with the most suffering.  It is also one of the twenty-eight hells in Hinduism...so there's a hell of a lot of hells when it comes to Avici.

"Wake Me Up" was the first single released from Avicii's debut album, TrueThe single reached #4 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number one in thirty-one countries (so many cool kids around the world!).  The album hit #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 in four other countries, including his native Sweden.

I'd be the first to admit my knowledge of electronica is just slightly north of my knowledge of string theory, but from the acoustic guitar intro from co-writer Mike Einziger of Incubus, to the soulful vocals of co-writer Aloe Blacc, to the swirling electronica added by co-writer Avicii, it's not too hard to understand just how special this collaboration was.  It's poignant, euphoric, and soothing all at once, as well as groundbreaking with the melding of folk/country with electronica (known as Folktronica).  I've mentioned it a time or two before, but every now and again musically everything falls into place on a particular piece of music and we as fans are fortunate enough to witness brilliance--and Avicii's "Wake Me Up" is just one more instance of our very good fortune.

Lyric Sheet:  "Tried carrying the weight of the world/But I only have two hands/I hope I get the chance to travel the world/But I don't have any plans..."

Enjoy:




Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Woke-a-tonic


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

We do indeed need you


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Unfortunately, this is all too true


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Should be easy to do


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Speaking of groomers...


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Thursday, December 29, 2022

What's in the box?


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Troll on down the highway

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Lies and damned lies


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Donald Trump was ample proof their concerns were not religious


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Man, not sure the sun could burn someone this bad


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

The heart of whiteness


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Brevity is the soul of wit


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Falsifying your resume would get you fired from any other job


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Even more reasons why I'm sticking with the union


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

The Government of Putin


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

MAGA would make Jesus puke

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

 

This is how close we came to losing America


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

United we stand, divided they fall


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Fox bullshit


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

America's great national joke: the republican party


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Monday, December 26, 2022

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXVI--Courtney Barnett: Avant Gardener

 I've lost count of all the songs featured here on Friday Night Jukebox that were originally brought to my attention by my beautiful daughter and this week's tune is yet another.  Unfortunately for her I don't get paid a dime for this service, because by now she'd have earned a hell of a commission....

Courtney Barnett was born in Sydney, Australia in 1987, and worked as a pizza delivery driver while trying to make her way into the world of music (the Australian dream, one supposes).  In 2009 she began playing guitar in the first of a number of bands, before embarking on a solo career in 2012 when she released her first EP.  She next released another EP, before releasing a double EP encompassing her first two EP's...at which time this week's tune became a hit with its video garnering over a million views on YouTube.  Barnett would release her first studio album in 2015, after which she was nominated for eight ARIA Awards (Australia's version of our Grammy Award) and won four.  She was also nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award.  For her career, Barnett has released three studio albums (all of which have hit the top five in her native Australia, and her first two have reached the top twenty in the U.S.), one collaborative LP, two live albums, three EP's, and twenty-two singles.  Barnett has toured the world over, including appearing with the Rolling Stones in London.  Not at all bad for thirteen years of work....

Fun Fact:  Not that anyone gives a shit except for me, but Barnett, like myself, eschews the use of a pick when playing the guitar, preferring to pick and strum with her thumb and her index finger (as do I).  Alas, she is good enough to make a career out of her guitar playing ability, and I...am not.

"Avant Gardener" was the first single release of Barnett's career, originally appearing on her second EP, the rather cleverly titled How to Carve a Carrot into a RoseAs noted above, the song rose in popularity with its appearance on her also cleverly entitled double EP, The Double EP:  A Sea of Split Peas.  Despite its popularity on YouTube, the single never charted (in any country), nor did her second EP (ditto), while the double EP hit #165 on the Billboard 200.

"Avant Gardener" is a delightfully embellished stream of consciousness rant about an actual event--Barnett decided to do some gardening in her home, was severely allergic to the weeds she was pulling, and an ambulance had to be called to give her an epi shot and asthma inhaler to help her breathe.  The song has no chorus, and its witty lyrics (see below, among several others) are conveyed with a deadpan delivery that manages to capture both the ennui of daily life and the humor therein.  While it isn't your usual top forty fare, it's easy to see why it became a hit--Barnett walks the fine line between overplayed novelty song and smart pop single with dexterity and a flair for self-deprecation (the quirky video didn't hurt either).

Lyric Sheet:  "The paramedic thinks I'm clever 'cause I play guitar/I think she's clever 'cause she stops people dying..."

Enjoy:




Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

That's quite a sentence!


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee



Don't want to hear any republican say "patriotism" ever again


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Wherein Nancy bitch slaps little Kevin


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Republicans would make a pig puke


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Even Christmas can't stop Trump from being a worthless fucking asshole


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Merry Christmas!


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Silver and Gold


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Angels We Have Heard on High


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Dunderhead Don


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Democrats are saving us from republican insanity


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

I've wondered about this from the get go


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Inquiring minds would like to know


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

The arc of history bends toward justice


Republicans = Traitors

Peace,
emaycee
 

Friday, December 23, 2022

This is the republican base


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

They are shit stains in America's underwear


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Completely the fault of the "pro-life" party


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Looks like a lot more republicans are going to be dying


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Perhaps, but unlike you, I'm not a child molester


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Thursday, December 22, 2022

America's most wanted


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

A Nobel Peace Prize for Joe Biden?


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

A disgrace to America


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Traitorous fascist enemies of democracy--in other words, republicans


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Trump is a piece of dog shit in every way


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Night and day


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Only voted so I could see what excuse candy ass Musk would come up with to continue apace


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

King of the groomers


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

And supported the trickle down economics lie


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

They've sold America's soul to Saudi Arabia


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Jesus Grifter


 

Republicans = Normal

Peace,
emaycee

Terminal case of stupid?


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

A nay on the manger


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Free speech for white guys, not for black guys


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Even more echoes of Nazi Germany


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Monday, December 19, 2022

Director's cut


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

And they all should be in jail


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

I'll have mine with a little extra salt--to rub into the traitor's wounds


Republicans = Loser

Peace,
emaycee
 

Afraid and ignorant pretty much sums up MAGA


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

For republicans, freedom's just another word for fascism


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Sunday, December 18, 2022

The heir apparent


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Their God isn't so good


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Don't doubt it for a minute


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Penny wise and pound foolish


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

The rich aren't smarter than us, just better at con jobs


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Frankly, Liberals are the real American patriots


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Republicans have blocked an increase in minimum wage for 15 years


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Malevolence is their agenda now


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

This is the reality America is facing


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Sinking like a stone


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Friday, December 16, 2022

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXV--Old 97's: Question

 For whatever reason, this week's tune marks the seventh straight that comes from this century (and the next couple will make it nine).  God knows the 21st century's music is not my forte, but it's a reminder that good music is as enduring as the sun rising in the east every morning.  If nothing else, it's proof that you can teach an old fart new tricks.  (Mercifully, this was the first of the bunch that didn't have multiple Wikipedia entries that were as lengthy as a novella....)

The Old 97's formed in 1992 in Dallas, Texas and were initially at the forefront of the alt-country movement before transitioning into a power pop band.  While the band hasn't had quite the commercial success of the past few featured artists, five of their albums have charted with one of them hitting #30.  They've also had several of their songs featured in various TV shows and feature films.  For their career, the Old 97's have released twelve studio albums, two EP's, one live album, and twelve singles (with nary a one hitting the Billboard Hot 100).  They are also noted for being a vibrant live band.

(Not so?) Fun Fact:  The Old 97's are named for a famous rail disaster, the Wreck of the Old 97.  There is also a well-known song (apparently--I'd never heard of it, though I did give Johnny Cash's version of it a listen and found it palatable), which over the course of the nearly hundred years it has existed has been recorded by artists too numerous to mention.

"Question" was not released as a single, and it appeared on their 2001 album Satellite RidesThe album was one of their five that reached the Billboard 200, peaking at #121.

Two minutes, fifteen seconds.  That's how long "Question" lasts, and in that short time it says volumes.  Featuring nothing more than lead singer Rhett Miller and an acoustic guitar, Miller weaves the tale of a man asking the love of his life to marry him, and the question in the title is probably the most important question many of us will ever ask--and answer.  Miller's vocals are to die for--just the right touch of emotion and not a bit maudlin.  Throw in some folk music at its finest guitar picking and playing, and a chorus that's as sweet as cherry wine and you have one hell of a song...and a nice reminder of how wonderful the idea of sharing a life with someone truly is.

Lyric Sheet:  "Some day somebody's gonna ask you/A question you should say yes to/Once in your life/Maybe tonight I've got a question for you..."

Enjoy:




Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

And hell would be too nice of a punishment for them


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

 

In the end, just another fascist loser


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Trollin'


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

In which Trump utterly humiliates himself


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Even losers recognize a loser


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Thursday, December 15, 2022

The rainbow connection


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Sure could use a little good news


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Gonna be lots of fun to see how many republicans the next pandemic kills off


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

What's a traitor here or there for the Speakership?


Republicans = Traitors

Peace,
emaycee
 


 

Another Big Fucking Deal from the Democratic Party


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXIV--Lorde: Royals

 For the both of you keeping track at home, the streak of Friday Night Jukebox posts actually posted on Friday ends at seven...once again thanks to life getting in the way.

My introduction to this week's tune came from the back room crew at the thrift shop where I was an incredible Assistant Manager (if I do say so myself).  They would keep a radio playing to the latest hits as they worked--though amazingly enough when I asked about this week's song none of them had the slightest idea who it was.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I typed in a couple of lyrics from the single and voila! a new favorite was realized.  

Lorde (birth name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor) was born in 1996 just outside of Auckland, New Zealand (he writes as if he knows where "just outside of Auckland" would actually be), and at a very young age began to show the inklings of talents most of us can only dream about.  At the ripe old age of thirteen she signed with Universal Music Group and began making music.  She would release her first album, an EP, two years later originally as a free download and it helped attract attention to her first hit single--which would go on to sell fifteen million copies in the U.S. and help her to win two Grammy Awards.  In the years since, Lorde has had a Golden Globe nomination, another Grammy nomination (for album of the year), won two Brit Awards, and an MTV Music Video Award.  For her still very young career, she has released three studio albums (with all three reaching the top five), four EP's, and thirteen singles (with one #1 and another top ten).  She's also had three world tours.  As with our last two artists, Lorde, barring unforeseen circumstances, will be making music long after my ghost has departed this vail.

"Royals" was the first single Lorde released, in 2013, from her debut EP The Love Club. It was also included on her first studio album Pure Heroine (excellent play on words).  The single would hit #1 in the U.S. and her native New Zealand, as well as ten other countries.  The EP reached #23 in America and peaked at #2 in New Zealand and Australia (so many cools kids down under!).

Fun Fact:  The song's title was inspired by a picture Lorde cut out of National Geographic of baseball Hall-of-Famer George Brett signing autographs--with his team's name, the Royals, emblazoned upon his uniform.  Lorde thought it was a great word and worked on ways to incorporate it into a song.

When I was seventeen, I was wondering what it would be like to hold hands with any number of pretty young women I went to school with.  Lorde on the other hand, was taking a half an hour to write a song that challenged the illusions of opulence often portrayed in popular--especially American--culture.  Folks who are much more attuned to today's music have hailed the song as groundbreaking and an influence on countless songs and artists over the course of the last nine years.  For me, it's minimalist musical tones and Lorde's defiant vocals set the table for the personal being the political.  I've wondered over the past couple of days how Lorde views the song now that she herself is living the fantasy--I'm sure I'll never know, but I will know and have known what it means to literally count pennies and am glad that there's an artist who proudly shows the strength those of us who didn't win the economic lottery muster every day to do our part to keep this world rolling along.

Lyric Sheet:  "We count our dollars on the train to the party/And everyone who knows us knows/That we're fine with this, we didn't come from money..."

Enjoy:




Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

Big piggies


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

The ravings of a madman


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Off the deep end and into the cesspool


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

We're cool, they're pathetic


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

No shit!


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee


 

Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee

The call is coming from inside the house...


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

Reality bites (Musk in the ass)


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

The Twitter lies, part one


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee
 

And he's going to keep on losing


Republicans = Losers

Peace,
emaycee