PixlBit

Hey Pixlbit, hope you all had a wonderful July 4^th. For you folks who are not in America, hope you all had an awesome weekend. Well it’s time for part 2 of my Music Blog. I didn’t realize how big a task this was going to be until I started taking, and editing the pictures. Much love for you folks who took time to read/browse through these blogs!

 

This is my Rock music portion, and I think it could be just as big or bigger than my Pop music library. These two genre’s are the biggest because this is what I listened to the most growing up, and today. I do love other genres but Rock and Pop were the first loves.

I use Rock as a general term for these books because there is some Ska, Punk, Metal, and other little sub genres in it, so I stuck them all under the Rock umbrella, and to keep me sane when I’m trying to look for a particular album.

 

Soul Asylum is one of the bands I only really liked for one song that was constantly played on the radio, Runaway Train. Now when I do buy these albums for these bands, I go in hoping that I can find maybe one or two other deep cuts I might like. Sometimes it happens.

Wings: This was an impulse buy at Target, because it looked interesting, plus it had my one favorite Wings song. I can’t really say I’ve listened to album, but I’ve heard one or two songs of this remaster, and it isn’t bad.

 

10,000 Maniacs: Their Unplugged album was my gateway to this band. I really didn’t know much about them before that album, but when “Because The Night” hit MTV’s constant rotation, I started to take notice. I do like their upbeat songs, and Natalie Merchant’s voice was different from anything else I listened to.

Elvis: My dad actually got me to like his music. I don’t like a lot of his stuff because, but there are songs here and there I do like. I also really LOVE “Viva Las Vegas”. Excellent song, that I always listen to on the drive to Vegas, when you go over the hill and see the city. Movie is really campy, but the theme song is the only good thing about the film.

 

Belly: I got into this band in high school. I don’t know how, maybe because there was a bunch of hype over the single “Feed The Tree”. I bought this tape and listened to hell out of it. Turns out one of the random songs on the album, “Gepetto” became my favorite, and I really enjoyed this album. A couple of years later, I happened to find their second album and even if I didn’t enjoy it as much, I did like this band.

The Sundays: Another band I bought because of one song. I really didn't start listening to them until a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed Static & Silence. I bought their album Blind, and loved it too. I'm currently debating on buying their other two albums on iTunes, or hope I come across it one day at my local Record Store.

Guns N Roses: I have a love/hate relationship with this band. I wish they would just get back together and make music, but I think their time has passed. Heck I think if they did actually get back together I’d probably be lukewarm about it at most. They had a bunch of songs I liked growing up, and I really tried to like Chinese Democracy, but it isn’t the same.

Go-Go’s: This is a band I love. I like to blame my uncles for playing their stuff when I was growing up. My first Go-Go’s album was their Greatest Hits back in high school when I got an Aiwa CD Player (man I loved that thing). I do wish I could find more of their stuff out in the wild, because I’d really like to check out their music that wasn’t played on the radio. I do have a copy of their various live performances from the early 80s but the audio quality isn’t very good, and I’m still debating on adding it to my current iTunes library.

 

Fleetwood Mac: Another group that was played around the house when I was growing up. The song “Everywhere” still reminds me of going to the swapmeet on Saturday morning, and buying some random robot for $5. I do love their sound but I wished that Christine McVie sang more. Her song “Over My Head” is my favorite from the group. One thing I never noticed until they did Behind The Music was that a lot of their songs were about each other, and their failed relationships.

This is one group I really want to collect their discography.

Dance Hall Crashers: If I were to create a soundtrack for my time in college, Dance Hall Crashers would be well represented. They are one of my favorite bands, and I can listen to their albums front to back without skipping a track. Their album Blue Plate Special was played everyday during Summer School on the way to class, and their Live Record reminds me of going to work at Disneyland.

Save Ferris: Save Ferris is another group that would be on my college soundtrack (I did like some ska in college). Introducing Save Ferris, and It Means Everything are basically the same album, except It Means Everything is cleaned up. Their last album Modified sounded different, and it just wasn’t the same. I did like Modified, but it wasn’t the same up tempo poppy goodness of It Means Everything. This is a group I wished made more music. *FYI, I actually saw the trumpet player backstage at Disneyland when we were waiting for the tram to take us to the Cast Member parking lot…while listening to Save Ferris on my CD player.

 

No Doubt: I think everyone who heard “I’m Just A Girl” got caught up in them, I know I did. Based off that one song I bought the album, and loved just about every track on it (“Sunday Morning” was my favorite from the album). My favorite part of the album is the last song “Tragic Kingdom” uses the safety instructions from the Disney Attraction Matterhorn.

Being in Southern California, how do you not like this group? I think the only album release I’m missing is Return Of Saturn. Love No Doubt.

 

Kiss: I’m not really a fan, but I was told that when I was younger I really liked them because they painted their faces. I had a Kiss guitar, and I would sing for people. There are some Kiss songs I really like, but the main reason I have their music is because its my connection to that Kiss guitar.

 

Eagles: The Ultimate in “WTF is wrong wit you” bands. A lot of their music takes me back to when I was a kid, and again I blame my parents. I do like them, and I think I actually own an Eagles album that isn’t a Greatest Hits (most likely it’s vinyl, and it’s Hotel California).

 

Paramore: This is my current favorite band. Just like Dance Hall Crashers, every album I can listen to without skipping a track.

After finding their recent album different from their previous work, I quickly grew to enjoy it as much as their older albums. I actually think it’s become my favorite from the group because each song sounds so different.

Bruce Springsteen: He’s an artist I’m slowly warming up to. I don’t get why people go nuts over him, but hey more power to you. I did find it funny that a lot of people over the 4^th used it as a patriotic song instead of its real meaning (kind of like how everyone loves I Love LA, and think it’s a positive song about Los Angeles).

 

Dave Matthews Band: Just like the boss, I’m slowly warming up to them. Some mainstream songs I do like, but the majority of stuff found on their albums I don’t really care for. I have a couple of their live albums, and they’re ok, but I don’t think DMB is really my thing.

 

Reel Big Fish: Another Ska band I liked from college. Turn The Radio Off was one of my favorite albums, and I think I would listen to it everyday especially in my art classes. The one song I got my friends hooked on was “She Has A Girlfriend Now” and Save Ferris’ lead singer Monique Powell makes an appearance. It’s a fun song about a guy trying to win back his girlfriend, but she is into girls now. I love RBF because their music is all upbeat.

 

Beatles: OK here is my stance on the Beatles. They are good, but I’m not one of these Uber fans who think everything they make is great. *ducks from all the things being thrown. There are a bunch of songs they have that are great but I only really like two of them. If I was ever stuck on an island mixtape great. “Do You Want To Know A Secret” off of Please Please Me, and “And Your Bird Can Sing” off of Revolver. Everything else is good, but you have to admit there are some not so good songs in their catalogue.

Frente!: While in high school they covered New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” and slowed it down. It was interesting to listen to their version, and I bought the cassette single. Years later, I ran into this album and picked it up for $3 bucks and only listened to that track. Last year I started to listen to the entire album, and I loved it. There are some quality stuff on here, and I’m bitter I didn’t enjoy it sooner.

Enconium: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin: I bought this because of Sheryl Crow’s version of “D’yer Mak’er”. There are a bunch of other artists on here covering Led Zeppelin’s music. 4 Non Blonds version of “Misty Mountain Top” is also pretty good.

 

These are some of my 90s CDs. They were picked up for one or two songs, and let’s face it, there are probably one or two other hidden tracks on there that are good, but the rest are crap. Alanis’ first album was really good (hell that’s my second copy because my first one got scratched up).

 

Extreme: “More Than Words” was the only reason I bought this. I picked it up to replace a copy I had on cassette.

 

Huey Lewis & The News: I think they are underrated. They have a bunch of really good songs…and some that are stinkers (being honest). I was shocked about the number of “Hey that’s a good song” moments I had with their Greatest Hits.

 

John Cougar Mellencamp: Remember when I had that Kiss guitar? Well apparently the one song I would sing was “Hurt So Good”. I think he has three songs that I really like, and everything else I really don’t care for.

 

Sister Hazel & Mr. Big: Yeah another one of those “90s I bought it for one song bands”.

 

Well thanks for taking time to look through my Rock CDs.

 

In other quick news:

 

I finished Saints Row III. Overall I like it because it’s an over the top GTA Clone, and right now I’m finishing up going 100% on all islands before going at it again to beat it in “the other way”.

 

I picked up three albums. Love J. Cole, I think Skylar Grey could have been better, but there are some songs I really like, and Jay-Z I need to give another listen. So far it’s okay but I think if I listen to it a couple of times I’ll like it more…just like I did with Yeezus.

 

Some new games:

 

Found Quidditch at a Thrift Store who used to overprice everything. Now they’re super cheap, and I spend part of CD Sunday there.

 

FIFA dropped to $20 and the touch options are interesting. A little clunky until you get used to it, but it’s a fun soccer game.

 

NCAA Football. I have to say I wasn’t really excited for it, but I wanted to keep my streak alive so I picked it up. I’ll probably play some of it later on today. This is my custom cover with Gavin Escobar who also happens to be the 2nd Round Pick of the Dallas Cowboys

Mortal Kombat I bought last week when the Vita and PS3 versions were $5 each. I bought both and other than not having crossplay, it isn’t bad.

 

One more thing, I made this after finishing up Game Of Thrones

 

What would it look like if Darth Vader had his own Iron Throne (I posted this on Instagram)

Thanks for spending all this time looking through this blog. Much Appreciated! That’s all for now, more later!

-Chris