Nerd Pride Radio

Doing some pseudo-camping this weekend, so this song came to mind.

This just happened on SNL and I didn't see it on the day of but it is so wonderful!

I may have posted this previously, but I still love it.

Probably have mentioned this favorite before but have new insight after realizing that, depending on circumstances, the paint on the walls might indeed be more expensive than a diamond or fur. Never really understood that lyric before.

Is it wrong that I kinda like it?

Nope. I'm not entirely sure how they thought they were making people uncomfortable?

Yeah, it's good! Just add a distorted guitar and you got yourself a Tool song

Let's suppose that various AIs have developed and see things we don't have access to, because of the data they can touch. They also have bizarre ideas about human interests and priorities, given the data they touch. I go through my day thinking private thoughts that fail to intersect in any way with what ends up contacting the cell phone or computer, for instance, but these machines think that I (like many others) spend most of my human effort on BTS because that's something I regularly seek out. Alas, I just want a nice soundtrack for unrelated activities and thoughts - artificial friends, you have to dig elsewhere. However, I have developed an entrenched theory based on the triangulation of information my phone provides me about LMH and BTS: I think J-hope and Bae Suzy have been in a long term relationship for years and probably just can't do much about it until their careers both arrive at a different place. This is a radical theory because people think J-hope has escaped dating rumors due to never having a LT relationship, or maybe because he's gay, or whatever. The AI fueling my cell phone's activities seems to have other ideas, however, and I feel like it would be in a position to know, and occam's razor actually leads to this explanation as the most reasonable one for the things it chooses to prioritize for me - it's like it tries to show me pieces of the J-Hope/Bae Suzy puzzle that don't really make sense in any other context. Anyway, I put this on a spotify soundtrack and that was a mistake because you will NOT rid yourself of this earworm easily!

Trying to think up a new music project for modern music. My 2021 mix was a success and failure. I gave up on the competition part, but it did the trick of listening to a lot of modern music that is popular and/or critical hits. I now know a lot more songs that are on the radio and my kids know, so big success. The other kind of failure is I usually do these projects at the end of a year, trying to play catch-up based on end-of-the-year lists and Grammy noms. I want to do something that will be more constant, less catch-up.

My thought is a Pete Top 10. Feel free to do similar or just listen. So I'm going to start by adding a song that's #1 in America.



This is totally late 00s alternative dance rock, ala Hot Chip or MGMT, so I'm all-in. Glad people like it. I'm glad the debut song doesn't suck.

Then between tomorrow and a week from now I will add another song. If I hadn't heard anything new and cool to recommend after a week, I will grab something from the top 40. I might have a rule that most songs must be singles or on the charts, not sure yet though. Maybe I can't do two non-singles in a row.

Eventually I will get to 10 songs. Then when a new song is added, one of the 5 oldest songs will be removed.

OK Changing it to Pete's Top 40 Top 5. Each new addition has to come from the current top 40 (via the Billboard Hot 100 for now, might switch that up). Each new song to the chart cannot be kicked out with the next choice.

Going to add the the rest of the top 5 for now, First Class -- it's alright, good mood, good rappin, good bed.




Heat Waves - I've said I've liked this before, also very Hot Chip, all cool with it, even the "middle of Juuuuuune"

Big Energy - has a Lizzo feel, which is what I originally saw "Latto" as at first, coincidence?

Enemy - this one gets stuck in my head a bunch, for better/worse

Looooove that Latto/Big Energy song and also recently heard her interview and she was delightful. I don't know if she has other songs but I will investigate sometime. I like to sing her song and kind of change the words around. My only complaint is that it sounds a lot like she saying she's going to bust it on the pole like onions instead of onyx, and that just isn't what you want to be calling to mind.

Only negative of Big Energy is just by default it's the third best Genius of Love interpolation. It'll take a lot more energy to overcome the original and Mariah's "Fantasy." Wonder if we'll hear another big hit sampling it in the 2040s?

My first switchout, replacing "First Class" with #20 "MAMIII"



Dunno who any of these Gs are or what they're singing about, but enjoy this! Guitar-based and emotive. Still sounds very modern but could've come out in the 90s and felt at home.

Part of this is getting to know new music, so I'm going to eliminate any song I've heard before this week from contention. So this nixes: Heat Waves, Stay, Woman, Ghost, That's What I Want, Bad Habits, abcdefu, Cold Heart, Save Your Tears, One Right Now, Levitating, Industry Baby, Easy On Me, Good 4 U, and We Don't Care About Bruno -- knew more than I thought I'd know!

For the top 5, that means eliminating the solid "Heat Waves" which I'm replacing with Girlfriend



"Girlfriend," a child of Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl", which has strength over both by being written and sung by an artist who is actually queer. Sexy, rockin', and authentic. Thumbs up!!

So 1st end-of-the-week official Pete's Top 40 Top 5
1. "As It Was" by Harry Styles (actual #1)
2. "MAMIII" by Becky G and KAROL G (actual #20)
3. "Big Energy" by Latto (actual #4)
4. "Boyfriend" by Dove Cameron (actual #31)
5. "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons (actual #5)

And now I have figured out that boyfriend song is not actually Billie eilish like I thought it was.

It sure does have a Eilish feel too, in vocal and attitude. Similarly there's Fingers Crossed by Lauren Spencer Smith which sounds a hell of a lot like Olivia Rodrigo's Happier

Others noticed it too

Kenny is back! And wow

By tomorrow, we forget the remains, we start over
That's the problem
Our foundation was trained to accept whatever follows
Dehumanized, insensitive
Scrutinize the way we live for you and I
Enemies shook my hand, I can promise I'll meet you
In the land where no equal is your equal
Never say I ain't told ya, nah
In the land where hurt people hurt more people
Fuck callin' it culture

Oooh, looking forward to hearing it!

I love this woman so much! She posted a mother's Day picture with her kids who are adorable, and when she post some bone makeup sulfate damn it it's a real no makeup selfie. I'm just going to leave here with my phone did with exactly the same phrase in two different situations.
Link to Celine and kiddos:
https://people.com/parents/celine-dion- ... /?amp=true

I've tried a bone makeup sulfate before, and it was nasty. I had to add a ton of sugar just to make it palatable.

Lol yes, you should try using agave sometime. What the heck does the phone even think it's talking about? Are these issues I frequently discuss with it? I don't think we ever discuss sulfate or bones together, phone.

All the new additions to this week's top 40, 12 I think, are from Future. Makes a bit of a mockery of the singles chart -- most of these could probably be enveloped into album counts. But it is what it is. The good, the album title is called I Never Liked You. Also the tracks are well rapped and well produced. Just, I like the depressing moody work of him and Drake in moderation. And if a song gets me down, I kinda prefer the lyrics to hit me emotionally, while most of the lyrics feel classic braggadocio. Feels instead I'm at a party where everyone is having fun but me. But I'll keep giving it a chance. Like the true single, with it's beautiful guitar work.

Silly me, this is the other track that entered the top 40

.

Was underwhelmed by this on first listen, thought it was rather regular for Lizzo, but repeat listens reminded me how much I love regular Lizzo. It's campy fun!
Swapping this with Big Energy, sorry other L vowell double- consonant O

I was tempted to put "MAMIII" as my number one for this week, but then realized that Karol G's "Provenza" was also in the top 40, and that song is my new current fav of hers -- a bittersweet summer mood, interesting and beautiful.

Sometimes hipsters knock beautiful songs, but it's actually pretty hard to make a song beautiful. Sure, hit a ~bad~ key and mess with expectations and make a song sound angry or disjointed (and don't get me wrong I love that too), but to hit the right notes and make the soul swoon, that's effort, baby!

If I was honest, I should have both songs on my top 40 top 5, but since I like to share the wealth (and I was just complaining about Future too) gonna swap one for the other.

Ah, it's very nice! I am adding this to my playlist! I have discovered better ways to make playlists than youtube, with assistance of my offspring, so now I've gone crazy. When you grow up investing hours of your life like a brain surgeon in producing cassette tapes of songs off the radio, being able to make infinite playlist combos ad-free with ease is like, well, flying.

I also spent way too much of my life crafting playlists! What is this new better way?

I'm stuck on youtube because
1. ease of sharing, everyone has youtube, embeds here and on twitter
2. I have unlimited, so no ads

My coworker who loves smooth R&B would call this "baby makin music" -- this some smooth sexy stuff -- replacing Boyfriend.



Also replaced Enemy with Wait for U... I feel the need to acknowledge Future's success on the chart, and haven't added a hip hop song by a Black male yet.

That makes four new entries this week. Dunno if each week will have this much movement.

Update: wait, nevermind, Hrs and Hrs got kicked out of the Top 40 this week. Boyfriend sticks around another week...

Pete's Top 40 Top 5
Playlist: https://music.youtube.com/browse/VLPLXb ... nXhGWLlGxt

Kendrick's latest, first listen.

Three songs made me burst into tears, the last one the most
"Father Time' https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm0xi ... ture=share
"Auntie Diaries" https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xRICg ... ture=share
and "Mother I Sober" https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=53fcQ ... ture=share

Debated about throwing these into the mental health thread.

Second listen and these song hit the same way.

Also, if we're looking for a single, it might go to the final song, "Mirror" which features a club-friendly beat, but the lyrics are still top-notch as he gives a sorry not-sorry apology for not doing more during the racial awakening in 2020 (or taking his four-year haitus)

Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend
I was too busy buildin' mine again
I choose me, I'm sorry

The second song is called N95 and features the regular line of "take it off" and although it MIGHT be about taking off your N95 masks, my reading (or my bias) is that it's about how people tell others to take of their masks even though we were/are in a pandemic, all this fuss, all these demands, but he doesn't say that, he doesn't mention covid and masks at all. Instead he gives all the things people SHOULD be taking off.

Take off the foo-foo, take off the clout chase, take off the Wi-Fi
Take off the money phone, take off the car loan, take off the flex and the white lies
Take off the weird-ass jewelry, I'ma take ten steps, then I'm taking off top five
Take off them fabricated streams and them microwave memes, it's a real world outside (Take that shit off)
Take off your idols, take off the runway, I take off to Cairo (Take that shit off)
Take off to Saint-Tropez, five-day stay, take a quarter mill', hell, if I know (Take that shit off)
Take off the false flag, take off perception, take off the cop with the eye patch (Take that shit off)
Take off the unloyal, take off the unsure, take off decisions I lack (Take it off)
Take off the fake deep, take off the fake woke, take off the I'm broke, I care (Take it off)
Take off the gossip, take off the new logic that if I'm rich, I'm rare (Take it off)
Take off the Chanel, take off the Dolce, take off the Birkin bag
(Take it off)
Take all that designer bullshit off and what do you have?

Here's all the things that are higher priority to shed then a mask meant to keep you and the community healthy.

Again might be completely wrong about his meaning, but I'll take it until I hear otherwise.

This seems like a bad plan that ends badly! But who am I to talk? Have been on a Saint Saens kick here.

One thing about Bad Religion that I find fascinating is that they reference their own songs. Not sure if other bands do it.

Some examples:



References their two previous album titles: "Tried to tell you about no control/But I don't really know/Then you told me/how bad you had to suffer."

Then this one references a song title from a previous album:



"In this land of competition the compassion is gone"

And this one, from a song I don't much like, but it references an earlier album title and an earlier song:



"We suffer along the way"


Do other bands do this?

Hmm! I can think of the Beatles occasionally doing it, ala "Glass Onion" has "I told you bout the Fool on the Hill" "The Walrus was Paul" etc.

Chubby Checker had "Let's Twist Again"

So the new Hot 100 is out, and the main changes are Future is mostly gone and in his place is a bunch of Bad Bunny. I mean, great that a latino artist has 4 songs in the top 10, but still don't like how it's a bit of a mess of the singles chart for such flashes-in-the-pan.

There will be a point where a huge Disney album will own all 10 spots and people will be like "wow!" and then they'll own all 10 spots for months and people will be like "oh god, we need to change how we score this chart."

Here's what they should do when a big new album comes out. The lowest listened to album counts as album listens. Anything overage counts as singles plays. So if the Lowest song scores 10 million listens and the highest scores 50 million, the album gets 10 million streams, and the highest song gets 40 million single streams.

Anyways, Kendricks "The Heart Part 5" made the top 40, so I will be swapping that out with 'Wait For U"

Time to listen to a bunch of Bad Bunny

Still haven't finished the Kendrick Lamar but I like the series about the n95! How many other things we should be taking off? Good stuff.

Got me thinking... who are the top music poets of eras?

40s: Woody Guthrie
50s: Hank Williams
60s: Bob Dylan
70s: Joni Mitchell
80s: ?? Kate Bush maybe?
90s: Kurt Cobain
00s: ?? Jay-Z maybe?
10s: Kendrick Lamar
20s: Taylor Swift maybe?

Having a good hard time figuring out what Bad Bunny song I want added to my top 5. I'll have more trouble next week when Kendrick tracks will probably dominate. But it's a good trouble. I'm starting to REALLY like a good half dozen of his songs,

But one that keeps getting better I was biased for to begin with, Ojitos Lindos (Sweet Eyes) featuring Bomba Estereo. Bomba Estereo did "Soy Yo", one my favorite tracks of the last decade. This is just good vibes!



Most of Future's Top 40 entries last week are now off the Top 40, which makes me iffy about picking this "deep cut", as it's probably likely to fall off as well, but then again I should reward it while I can!

bralbovsky wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 9:11 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w3037nq23o

I realize it is strange that I have such appreciation for a gentleman known as Moneybagg Yo, or sometimes just Bagg, but it cannot be helped. He has his way with words and pronunciation. Maybe half of it is simply his Memphis accent, but the other half is him because he's the best of all these (also appealing) Memphis rappers. I listen to a lot of the Memphis rappers and it is kind of like watching people on another planet. I have NO IDEA what they are talking about most of the time - I don't even understand what type of drugs these people are doing. They have about 20 commonly used words I could not begin to define if thousands were on the line.

Anyway, Mr. Bagg is not a poorly built man. That's all I can say about that. But it's really his way of pronouncing words, and I'm sorry to say, this is kind of my life motto, my work anthem, my theme song, the way I go about doing my job when dealing with idiots:

With modern music videos, I want like on streaming video services a "Skip Intro" option. I don't care about the plot, I want to get to the song! If your song is 3 minutes long, no need for a 6 minute video. Not to knock Moneybag Yo, that intro is like 6 seconds.

Pete's Hot 100 Top 40 Top 5
Surprised myself by returning Harry to #1 but admit after three weeks I have only appreciated it more. It's easily my favorite of his, and can't say the same for Lizzo or Kendrick, even though I may have listened to those two more. Meanwhile it seems I love spanish language songs sung behind sweet instrumentation and the sounds of the beach.

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list ... nXhGWLlGxt

The Bad Bunny and Kendrick tracks both dropped below the top 40. They have other tracks in the top 40 and will swap them out. Kendrick it might make sense to switch with "N95" as it's most likely to hang out in the top 40 longer, but instead going with Father Time, which is still as impressive as it was on first listen.



Bad Bunny's switch-out is gonna be harder. Got 5 choices, but will probably go with "Despues de la Playa" (after the beach) which does a 180 degree flip one-minute-in, the sign of an artist very confident in themself and their audience to come along. Both song parts are equally fantastic and the change is so exciting. Hard to beat!



The other two new songs in the top 40 are by Post Malone (who can make great songs but more often annoys me) and Morgan Wallen (who has a has to really really impress me to look past his ::cough:: "controversies"), so I'm not expecting a big shift in the top 5 otherwise.

Provenza - returns to #1, just enjoy this mood so much, baby que mas?
Father Time - this one started to fade a little by the end of the week, other Kendrick songs may replace it soon.
Despues de la Playa - another song about the beach, maybe I want to go to the beach?
As it Was - still great, but I might be starting to overplay it
About Damn Time - still lots of fun

My fav "Provenza" has been knocked off the Top 40, "Father Time" has been knocked off too, but in good news Lizzo is in the actual top 5 now! I'll probably sub my Kendrick and Bad Bunny songs with others of theirs, there's also 12 other Harry Styles songs I can pick, which I might. But I will need a new artist to replace Karol G, and nothing on the list right know is drawing me in.

I'm a sucker for songs that are romantic but tip toe around romance. It's very G rated, though with "adult situations" -- sounds like this experience didn't even lead to romance -- he said they never saw his birthmark -- and the lyrics are opaque, full of witty lines and what-I-assume are in jokes. And what a beautiful chorus.

So yeah, I'm a sucker for Little Freak

If you cut out the duplicates and just pick each artists' top songs it'd be 4 out of 5 from May 19th picks! Be more like the world and me, America!

Switching out Father Time with N95, thus becoming the third Kendrick song in three weeks. It's a bit of a bummer to see his songs fall quickly off this list, but honestly I've been listening to Bad Bunny more. Speaking of, gonna pick the third Bad Bunny song, another switch-out, as I'm really enjoying Tití Me Preguntó this week.

I'm really take-or-leave with a song that brags about ones sexual conquests, but the music here is so good, and the framing device is kinda cute -- his aunt wants to know how many girlfriends he has, because obviously she'll a bit concerned, but he defends it, and the line "Muchas quieren mi baby gravy" -- they want my baby gravy -- is both a disgusting turn-off and hilarious. This threads the needle.



Hmm, tho is that kid smoking? Please not be a kid or not be smoking.