Fast...Loud...And FUN!

A coupla years ago, I was looking for punk Christmas music. I think I was just in the mood for something different. I don't remember what time of year it was, actually. 

I came across Bad Mary Band, from Long Island. Heard their Christmas music, and got hooked. Angels We Have Heard On High has never sounded more high energy, and Silent Night is definitely not silent with this band.

They describe themselves as "fast, loud, and fun." Best description ever! They are all those things!

They have kind of an unusual configuration. Amanda, the lead singer, and Mike, the bass player, are married. Dave, the guitar player, is one of Amanda's former instructors at Hofstra University. And Bill, the drummer, is Amanda's dad. Got all that? 

Their original songs have unique titles, catchy hooks, and lyrics you can't get out of your head. "It's All Trash" and "The Floor Is Lava" are two of my favorites of theirs. Their songwriting is tight, and fresh. It helps me break out of my stalemate when I'm about to use the D-G-A chord progression yet again.

Of course, they do covers, but they make the songs they cover sound like they wrote them. I like it when a band covers a song, but makes it feel like it's theirs. That way, I don't feel like "Oh, God, here comes another cover of that song..." Bad Mary is great at that.

Their videos are like nobody else's. They blow me away with how creative they are. They made me decide to get into making music videos eventually. Dave is a video editing master, and he's been super generous when I've asked him for information on making videos.

Their Tuesday night livestream is a regular part of my schedule. It starts at 8pm, and my phone alarm is always set for that.

To discover more about this riotous, raucous, delightful band, visit badmary.com. Oh, and make sure to clear some space for dancing when you watch the It's All Trash video.

You can thank me later.😂

"I Can't Stand That Song!!!"

We all have that one song that grates like the proverbial nails on a chalkboard. You've never liked it, and you never will.

I will get serious hate for this. But this is my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

For me, Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet is one of my major targets for turning the dial as fast as I can...or suddenly having to "go to the restroom." Anything to leave the room when I hear it.

It came out when I was seventeen, in 1978. I hated it instantly. The singing is flat, the lyrics are depressing, and it seems to be trying too hard to sound beachy. And I still hate it.

The interesting thing is I like Jimmy's song Cheeseburger In Paradise. I even tried to sculpt a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake in pottery class. And I've eaten at one of his Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurants - which was great. (It turned out that the staff hated Margaritaville too.)

So I don't totally hate Jimmy Buffet. Unfortunately I just hate his breakout hit.

It can be interesting to analyze why you've always hated a song. But that leads to overthinking for me. And I am the queen of overthinkers anyway.

You know what? Sometimes...you simply hate a song. And that'll never change.

You will never catch me "Wastin' away again in Margaritaville." 

"Would You Mind?"

This isn't actually a song title...but people think it is.

It's the main part of the chorus for a song by my beloved Earth, Wind & Fire that's really titled Love's Holiday.

But the title is not in the song!

And to confound matters more, the acoustic demo of the song is called "Would You Mind?"

I know, I know. It confuses me too.

"Baba O'Riley" by The Who does this as well. For years, I thought it was called "Teenage Wasteland" - because that's all you hear...482 times. I was one shocked puppy when I discovered the real title.

I would never diss Earth, Wind & Fire. Or The Who, although I'm not a fan. But, I sorta don't get why someone would do this.

I mean, seriously, I don't blame anyone for being mistaken about a song title when it happens. Obviously I've been sometimes. 

Would you ever consider writing a song without the title in the lyrics? I wouldn't, but that's me. 

What do you think of this?

Not In The Mood? Don't Worry

Sometimes I want to want to write. I want to want to get myself over to my dining room table - my preferred writing spot - and have The Muse come sit down with me. We usually have some wine together and chat.

But...this week, she seems to have split. Maybe she saw me without makeup and thought I was a lost cause, I don't know.

Apparently she had better things to do.

She doesn't know I'm not gonna chase her.

I'm just not in the mood to write this week. It's been a rough week, for various reasons, and I'm not feelin' it.

So I'm going to listen to my mind and let it go right now. 

She'll come back. I'm not worried. 

And then we'll have little wine party we missed this week.